A flexible spending account (FSA) is a benefit you can offer your employees instead of or in addition to health insurance. It helps them pay for medical and/or dependent care and childcare expenses using pre-tax dollars. FSAs lower your employees’ taxable income at year-end, so they also lower your business’s payroll taxes. is an HR…
What is a Health Savings Account (HSA) & How Does it Work
A health savings account (HSA) is a pre-tax savings vehicle for people who have high deductible health insurance plans (HDHP) and want to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for medical expenses. An HSA reduces employees’ out-of-pocket costs and lowers their year end tax liability. It also reduces employer payroll taxes. In this article, we…
Rest Break & Lunch Break Laws – What Employers Need to Know
It may come as a surprise to know that the US Department of Labor (DOL) does not require employers to offer rest breaks or lunch breaks to employees. However, if offered, the employer must clarify the duration and frequency of break time. In addition, rest breaks are considered paid time, whereas lunch breaks are not….
11 Free Interview Evaluation Forms & Scorecard Templates
An interview evaluation form allows job interviewers to score an applicant’s interview in a consistent way, comparing candidates fairly. Data is then transferred to a scorecard used by HR or the hiring manager to determine which candidate, based on all interviewer feedback, is the best fit for the organization. In this article, we’ll provide you…
Top 15 Employee Discipline Tips from the Pros
When employee behavior does not meet company standards or expectations, it directly affects profitability. There are a number of ways to maintain your employees’ focus and prevent counterproductive behavior, but not all measures work for all businesses. If you feel uncertain on what to do when facing behavioral issues with employees, then this article is…
Sexual Harassment Policy Guide With Free Template
A sexual harassment policy is a document prohibiting both kinds of sexual harassment in the workplace – quid pro quo and hostile work environment. It typically provides examples of prohibited workplace harassment, such as unwanted touching, teasing, or inappropriate jokes, and contains information on how to report a complaint. Please note that this article contains…
Best States for Work Life Balance – Definitive Ranking of All 50 States
As a small business owner, you understand that time is money. Up to a certain extent, the more hours you work, the more revenues you can generate. However, putting too many hours into your business comes at the expense of leisure and sleep. You might make more money, but you could also suffer from the…
27 Insightful Company Culture Ideas from Top HR Experts
A huge part of your employee’s day is spent with colleagues and managers, which is why a company’s success depends in large part on the cultural dynamics. For better or worse, company culture can take hold quickly and greatly affects your brand, so knowing how to develop a positive culture is important. Whether you have…
At Will Employment Doctrine: How It Works & 4 Big Exceptions
At will employment means that an employee can leave a job whenever they want for any reason, and employers can terminate an employee for any reason without notice or cause. The intent of the at will employment doctrine is to prevent wrongful termination and employment lawsuits between employees and employers. Please note that this article…
Top 25 Worst Interview Questions – Don’t Waste Your Time
Some interview questions are awkward. Others are downright illegal. Some of the worst interview questions come from well meaning people who may not realize their questions are ineffective or possibly in violation of anti-discrimination laws. Protect yourself during the hiring process by knowing which questions to ask and which to avoid. See what these business…
360 Degree Feedback: How It Works & Should You Do It?
360 degree feedback, also known as a 360 performance review, includes feedback not only from the employee’s supervisor, but also from the employee’s customers, vendors, peers, and/or direct reports. The benefit is that managers gain insight into an employee’s performance from multiple perspectives. This article will explain how to conduct 360 degree reviews, when to…
How to Hire Remote Workers: The Ultimate Guide
Hiring remote workers has become increasingly popular for many positions, especially computer-based work such as programming or graphic design where it’s not necessary for the employee to be on site to fulfill their job responsibilities. In fact, some candidates now expect that they will allowed to work from home or another location of their choice….