June 21, 2024

Navigating Payroll Deductions: What Business Owners Need to Know

On July 1, 2024, the minimum salary threshold for exemption from overtime requirements will increase to $43,888 ($21.11 hourly, $844 weekly); on January 1, 2025, it will increase again to $58,656 ($28.20 hourly, $1,128 weekly). The salary thresholds will increase again on July 1, 2027, and there will be another increase every three years. 
May 21, 2024

Upcoming Changes to Overtime Exemption Salary Thresholds: What Employers Need to Know

On July 1, 2024, the minimum salary threshold for exemption from overtime requirements will increase to $43,888 ($21.11 hourly, $844 weekly); on January 1, 2025, it will increase again to $58,656 ($28.20 hourly, $1,128 weekly). The salary thresholds will increase again on July 1, 2027, and there will be another increase every three years. 
September 6, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Embrace It or Ignore It?

Envision a world where our communication gadgets “understand” our feelings, and where systems and software possess the capability to evolve and learn in ways similar to human growth. This isn't a plot from a sci-fi novel; it's the tangible realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
April 5, 2023

7 Tips for Employers to Make Hiring Young People a Great Experience

Remember your first job? Was it a good or bad experience? It probably depended a lot upon the person who hired and supervised you. If your business is thinking about hiring a young person this summer, here are seven tips for how to make this a great experience for both of you.
December 6, 2022

Understanding IRS Code Section 125

Payroll taxes are one of those necessary evils that we hate at the time but appreciate later when we reap the benefits they provide – Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and other social insurance programs. In order to save money on payroll taxes for both the company and its employees, many business owners set up pre-tax deductions for insurance premiums without understanding the documentation that is required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the restrictions that apply.
November 15, 2022

Tis the Office Party Season 2022

‘Tis the season for the office party … for many companies this will be the first company-sponsored social gathering since the COVID shutdown in 2020. How do you make sure that your party is merry and bright and not an opportunity for embarrassing behavior or other mishaps that will create serious problems in the workplace?
October 6, 2022

Staying Informed About Cyber Attacks

Are small businesses at risk for cyber attacks? While media coverage focuses on large companies that have been hacked or paid large ransoms to regain access to their data, 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses; 60% of small businesses that are victims of a cyber attack go out of business within six months according to Maddie Shepherd, a contributing writer for Fundera.
September 13, 2022

Overtime Payment Exemption Requirements

Salaried doesn’t mean exempt from overtime! And job titles alone don’t determine whether or not you must pay overtime when an employee works more than 40 hours in a workweek. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides a three-prong test to determine which employees are exempt from the requirements for overtime payment.
December 29, 2021

New Year’s Resolutions for the Workplace

At the beginning of each new year, many people resolve to continue good practices, change bad habits, accomplish personal goals or otherwise make changes to improve their lives. Unfortunately, most people give up on their good intentions by January 19 each year and slip back into the same old behaviors.
November 24, 2021

What Is the “Great Resignation” & How It Affects Businesses

Though some aspects of life have managed to recover from the impact of Covid-19, the business sector will remain forever changed. While faced with a life-threatening pandemic, millions of Americans took the time to reevaluate their lives, specifically their jobs. In August 2021, 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs, according to the U.S Department of Labor. This cultural shift, coined the “Great Resignation,” will leave a lasting effect on the workplace. 
November 17, 2021

Civility in the Workplace

Remember when the airlines used to invite people to “fly the friendly skies?” Today, airline employees, who are just doing their jobs, are being verbally and physically assaulted by passengers. This same aggressive, sometimes violent, behavior has also invaded our workplaces. What happened to being “professional,” not to mention “nice,” to the people you work with? Incivility is rampant in the workplace today, leading to rudeness, name-calling, verbal abuse, increased tension and discord, even physical violence. This unprofessional behavior results in higher employee turnover, more absenteeism, lower productivity and profitability.
October 14, 2021

Guidelines to Accommodating Pregnancy in the Workplace

“She’s having a baby” is exciting news but also presents some unique workplace challenges. Although small businesses may not be required to comply with laws that provide protection for pregnancy and childbirth, they may find it necessary to adopt some of these guidelines in order to hire and retain female employees.
September 14, 2021

The New Normal in the Time of COVID

Eighteen months ago, when the first COVID shutdown was implemented, we thought that it would be for a short period and then everything would return to normal. Now we are coming to grips with the idea that life and work as we knew it pre-pandemic may never be the same. Going forward employers will need to adapt to the “new normal” in order to successfully operate their business.
September 7, 2021

Five Benefits of Outsourced CFO Services

If you own a small business, you understand that managing your finances is the key to success. However, hiring an in-house accounting team can often be time-consuming and expensive. Outsourcing these services is one great alternative that can eliminate many of these concerns. There are a number of benefits that outsourcing accounting and CFO services can bring to your business!
July 8, 2021

Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce Today

In the past “soft skills” were dismissed as fluff—nice but not necessary for getting the job done. But in today’s business world, managers are finding that soft skills like good communication, conflict management, time management and a penchant for problem-solving are critical factors that impact productivity. Unfortunately, traditional classroom education doesn’t teach these skills, considering them to be personal characteristics that students should have been taught at home. This has led to what is called a “soft skills gap” in today’s workplace that has far-reaching consequences for both the employer and the employee. 
June 11, 2021

Hiring Great Employees

Hiring employees is a lot like dating – you have to invest the time in finding the right person or you spend valuable time trying to “fix” the relationship before you eventually “break up” when it doesn’t work out. Without a good interview process, you may have to (metaphorically) kiss a lot of frogs before you find a Prince (or Princess) Charming!
May 26, 2021

Harassment Complaints

The recent headlines about sexual assault complaints at LSU in Baton Rouge, sexual harassment complaints at LSU Medical School at Shreveport, sexual harassment complaints in the Louisiana Attorney General’s office, and accusations of sexual harassment by the Broussard Police Chief, should serve as a reminder to business owners that they need to review and update workplace policies to ensure that they are protecting their employees, their company and themselves from behavior that can damage the company’s reputation and productivity.
May 10, 2021

State Unemployment Benefits

State unemployment benefits were intended to help people who lost their job due to no fault of their own. During the COVID pandemic, the federal government has provided enhanced unemployment benefits to people whose jobs were affected by coronavirus. These enhanced benefits added $300 to existing state benefits through September 6, 2021 and are also available to self-employed workers who typically are not eligible for state unemployment benefits.
April 29, 2021

Risky Business – Time For An HR Checkup

Failure to comply with employment laws and to keep up with changes in the HR arena can result in serious and costly mistakes for employers.  Understanding what you can, can’t and shouldn’t do regarding employee issues can be a time-consuming and frustrating task for small business owners. An HR compliance review by a trained professional can uncover existing problems, provide solutions and help avoid lawsuits.
March 16, 2021

The American Rescue Plan Explained

Congress passed and President Biden recently signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package, into law. In addition to stimulus checks of up to $1,400 that are being sent to eligible Americans, there are several major changes that business owners need to know about.
March 8, 2021

How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Employee?

If you are like most small business owners, you spend up to 40 percent of your working hours on tasks that don’t generate income or that could be done by someone else. Is it time to hire your first, or another, employee so that you can focus your time and energy on growing your business? Can you afford to hire someone? How much does an employee really cost?
October 15, 2020

Why Your Business Needs HR

Hiring the right people, managing them to get results and staying legally compliant can be a full-time job, in addition to all the other responsibilities that go along with running a successful and profitable business. As a small business owner, you may not need a full-time Human Resources professional, but you do need help with employee issue:
October 12, 2020

Our Approach to Human Resources

One of the most important yet often overlooked areas in a business’ operation is human resource management. Companies either dismiss the idea they need an HR person or assign someone else in another position to handle the HR duties part-time. Unfortunately, both of these approaches can cause serious issues with employee relationships and performance, and can sometimes result in legal conflict. 
September 2, 2020

Human Resources and Your Business

As the world returns to normal, or at least the “new normal” during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s a good time to review your business practices and […]
August 25, 2020

Now Hiring: Bookkeeper

The Bookkeeper will support the accounting department by maintaining financial reports, records, and general ledgers; ad hoc reporting; and performing general bookkeeping. This position is remote (work from home) and part-time, 15 to 20 hours per week. QuickBooks experience is required. The ideal candidate will exhibit excellent communication skills, and have an ability to take initiative, and prioritize daily tasks.
July 28, 2020

How Will The New Medical Marijuana Law Impact Your Business?

Medical marijuana has been available in Louisiana since 2015 for patients with certain medical conditions including cancer, seizure disorders, epilepsy, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder and Parkinson’s disease. Effective August 1, doctors will be able to recommend medical marijuana for any condition that a doctor “considers debilitating to an individual patient.”
July 20, 2020

Enhanced Unemployment Benefits End Soon

The $600 weekly Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 will end on Saturday, July 25.  It is unclear whether Congress will pass legislation to provide additional benefits for workers who are unable to return to work due to business closures or down-sizing.
July 14, 2020

No Mask, No Service

For years businesses have displayed signs that state “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service.” Since 2007 it has been illegal to smoke in most buildings that are open to the public. Although not everyone likes these rules, we have learned to accept them. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must learn to comply with the latest restriction: “No Mask, No Service.”
May 27, 2020

Document! Document! Document!

“Document! Document! Document!” is the mantra of Human Resources professionals in the best of times and even more important now in the time of dealing with COVID-19 legislation.  Written documents are an employer’s best protection to prove that certain actions have been taken and how situations were handled.
May 11, 2020

Getting Back to Work

How do business owners encourage employees to return to work once the “stay-at-home” order is rescinded? In many cases, staying at home and collecting unemployment benefits may seem like a better deal to employees than returning to work and collecting regular wages. Although enhanced unemployment benefits ($600 per week) provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will end on July 31, some employees may be hesitant to return to work before then.
April 24, 2020

Rebooting Your Workplace

Hopefully, “stay-at-home” orders will be lifted soon and businesses will begin to return to normal.  We hear a lot of talk about “the new normal,” but the reality is that it will be different for each business.  Here are some guidelines to help you prepare for bringing employees back to the workplace:
April 13, 2020

Unscrambling COVID-19 Legislation for Employers

The federal government has passed several relief packages to help people and businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Understanding how these new laws interact is important so that you get the right combination of benefits to weather the economic impact of the “stay-at-home” mandate. At this point, we are still waiting for guidance from the federal government on much of this legislation.
April 8, 2020

Are You Selecting the Right Technology?

Selecting a new piece of technology for a business of any size is a long, tedious process. With an endless array of options and features, the task can seem intimidating to owners and leaders - but it does not have to be. By taking a deep breath and really analyzing your company’s needs, you can filter the options and select programs that will have an impact.
April 2, 2020

COVID-19 Employer Options – April 2, 2020

Employers are having to make difficult decisions about whether or not to keep employees on payroll during the “stay-at-home” order and the resulting economic slowdown. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) provide some options, but choosing the right combination of benefits depends upon the business.
April 1, 2020

Paycheck Protection Program Details Released – April 1, 2020

On March 31st, 2020, the Treasury Department released the first official application and information sheet related to the Payroll Protection Program. It answers many of the questions business owners have been asking over the past few days and gives us a glimpse into the actual process businesses will follow.
March 29, 2020

Life in the Time of the Coronavirus – March 29, 2020

Now that Congress has passed and President Trump has signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), here are some tips to help you navigate how this impacts your business and your employees:
March 13, 2020

A Different Message – March 13, 2020

Here we sit watching our news feeds, incoming emails, and the news channels as events and gatherings are canceled left and right. The NBA, SEC, PGA, churches, colleges, businesses, you name it – they are all deciding not to gather people around their activities due to a virus that I won’t name. I don’t need to. Everyone else is talking about it excessively.
February 13, 2020

Handling Office Romance

Workplace romances create challenges for business owners and supervisors, especially in the aftermath of #MeToo publicity.  Some employers try to avoid the drama that occurs while employees are romantically involved and the repercussions when the romance ends by prohibiting such relationships but the reality, according to a 2017 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey, is that 57% of individuals responding said they engaged in a romantic relationship at work.
January 28, 2020

EmployBR – Their Future is Your Business

Is your business experiencing growing pains? Do you wish you could find someone to share the workload but don’t have the time to hire or train a new employee? Although the unemployment rate in the greater Baton Rouge area is higher than the national average (6 percent in Baton Rouge compared to 3.6 percent nation-wide); business owners still find it difficult to hire employees who have the necessary job skills and work ethic (meaning they show up for work consistently, dress and behave appropriately, etc.).