PEO

October 25, 2021

Facing Open Enrollment? A PEO May Be Your Best Option

Large and small businesses alike are receiving their employee health plan renewals this month. Costs rise each year, and 2021 is seeing a 9-12% increase range across the board. Open enrollment is a time for reevaluation for both you and your employees. If you are looking to offer a different solution for health benefits, a Professional Employer Organization, or PEO, may be your best option. What is a PEO? A PEO offers a co-employment model for its members, allowing employers […]
March 17, 2021

BAGI Member Carrington Homes on Offering Employee Health Insurance

Many BAGI members come to us when they feel they can begin offering employee health insurance. Carl McIntyre of Carrington Homes reached out in 2019 for two reasons: “To attract and retain good employees, you have to offer a competitive package that includes health insurance. And I wanted good health insurance for myself and my family.” Carrington Homes has been around since 1992 and now has 16 employees. We took him through the many options available through his BAGI membership, […]
August 19, 2020

How PEOs Help Small Businesses Weather the Pandemic

Professional Employer Organizations, or PEOs, have traditionally been driven by group health insurance. Their co-employee model allows small to mid-size businesses to tap into employee benefit packages typically offered by large organizations. However, the coronavirus pandemic has brought into focus the additional value PEOs bring to their members – human resources expertise and payroll services. PEOs offer Pandemic- Related HR Policies Few organizations anticipated needing to completely shift their business model in a matter of days. Policies and procedures covering […]
July 8, 2020

How A Local PEO Helped This Indiana Small Business Save on Employee Health Benefits and More

Like the rest of the country, Hoosier businesses are struggling to balance the increased costs of providing employee health benefits with maintaining a strong bottom line. One Indiana small business looked to another Indiana business, WorkSmart Systems, for a cost-effective and streamlined solution and found what they were looking for. A manufacturing and installation organization with 15 employees, this company has been committed to attracting and maintaining its workforce by providing employee benefits. However, with the double-digit premium rate increases, […]
June 11, 2020

Why A Cloud-Based HRIS is Better for Your Business

If you are an employer looking to streamline your HR activities, a robust cloud-based HRIS (Human Resource Information System) is your best option. A centralized, easy to use and well-supported system will allow you to focus your energy on more important aspects of your business. Benefits of a Cloud-Based HRIS: 1) HR Management in One Place – There is no need to manage your employment functions across multiple websites, log-ins and vendors. From initial job postings to separation procedures, every […]
May 13, 2020

Managing the Employee Discipline and Termination Process

Being an employer means you will have the occasional employee who requires disciplinary action or even termination. You can make that difficult situation a bit easier by preparing ahead of time, understanding how you will address the situation when it occurs. Best Practices for an Employee Discipline and Termination Process Outline Disciplinary Procedures in Your Employee Handbook Having an employee handbook that clearly outlines how disciplinary issues will be handled sets expectations for all employees. And, taking the time to […]
April 15, 2020

PEOs Make HR Administration More Efficient

In these days of increasing regulation and reporting, having employees has become more complicated. Payroll has moved beyond tracking taxes and vacation, with new federal requirements for overtime designation and health insurance reporting coming into effect over the past few years. Businesses without large human resource departments find it difficult to stay on top of the complexities of managing a workforce. Where companies are experts in what they do, professional employer organizations, or PEOs, are experts in HR administration. Partnering […]
March 11, 2020

Should Your Company Have a Social Media Policy?

Organizations have to consider the role of social media not only in their marketing efforts but also in their employees’ activities. Creating policies addressing time spent on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and the like at the office must be weighed carefully. Limiting employee access to digital communication tools can impede how they do their job or diminish morale. If it appears that no one in the office is abusing the privilege or is not communicating in a way detrimental to the […]
February 18, 2020

The Ins & Outs of a Cloud-Based HRIS

Human Resources Information System, or HRIS, are centralized computer programs to manage the processes associated with having employees. While they have been around for a long time, the introduction of cloud-based HRIS systems has made them even more powerful. Employers who have not used this new technology may not be fully aware of what these updated programs are capable of, particularly in terms of efficiency, trackability and compliance. At WorkSmart Systems, our newly launched cloud-based HRIS offers a great deal […]
January 29, 2020

How One Company Saved Time and Money by Outsourcing HR Services

In recent years regulations for the workplace have increased rapidly, making the job of administrating human resources complex and time-consuming. Organizations can become bogged down in the ocean of employment rules and policies, losing time and money in the effort to keep up with compliance. And, the consequences for falling behind have become steeper with the increase in fines. In search of a cost-effective solution, some companies have turned to outsourcing HR services from Professional Employer Organizations or PEOs. PEOs […]
November 20, 2019

Why Employers Continue to Offer Employee Health Benefits

Renewal season is coming soon for most companies that offer employee health benefits. As the costs of offering health care have continued to rise, this time of year can come with hard choices. Some businesses have considered abandoning offering health benefits but continue to hang on regardless of their bottom line. Others have chosen to eliminate their plans, increasing employee pay instead to help them afford their own insurance. However, those employers are now returning to their previous ways. Why […]
September 18, 2019

The PEO Difference in Payroll Services

As a business owner, you have many options for managing your payroll. However, there are key advantages to using Professional Employer Organizations, or PEOs, over other types of service providers: 1) The Value of Co-Employment Contracting with a PEO like WorkSmart Systems means you enter into a co-employment agreement. By grouping together all of the employees they serve, WorkSmart is able to offer you the benefits of economies of scale. These benefits go beyond cost-savings. You also gain the service, […]
August 14, 2019

The Benefits of Partnering with a Local PEO

The shop local movement is alive and strong in Indiana. Knowing where the products they buy come from and being able to call upon an actual person when a problem arises is important to consumers these days. The same is true for businesses, particularly when they are outsourcing critical services like payroll or health insurance. Contracting with a local PEO, or professional employer organization, ensures you have a partner that understands your unique needs, and is readily available to assist […]
July 24, 2019

The Benefits of Outsourced HR Services

For many small businesses, managing the activities usually performed by a human resources department are done on the fly. Performance reviews, creating an employee handbook, or even setting vacation and PTO policies are dealt with as issues arise rather than strategically. The expense of a full-time HR professional is not always in the budget, so employee management duties fall to the owner or designated support staff. Or, the human resources director is being pulled in too many directions. The fact […]
July 17, 2019

PEOs: The Difference Between Full Co-Employment and ASO Models

As business leaders review the PEO marketplace for human resource services like payroll, employee benefits and HR administration, two options emerge: a full co-employment model and an ASO model. What are the differences? Why choose one over the other? A co-employment PEO is a Professional Employer Organization that provides small to medium-sized businesses with HR services through a co-employment model. An ASO PEO is an Administrative Services Organization that also serves as a source for HR services but without a […]
June 11, 2019

The Value Proposition of a PEO

How we work has changed quite a bit over the last decade. We’ve seen growth in the gig economy, and in the complexity of employment regulations. Even if your organization is fortunate enough to still have human resources professionals on staff, it can be difficult for them to stay up-to-date in this quickly changing world. A Professional Employer Organization, or PEO, offers your small to medium sized business the opportunity to efficiently manage these employee-based business operations. When you partner […]
March 11, 2018

Did Your Employee Group Health Insurance Rates Skyrocket? You Have Options.

Our clients who renewed their employee group health insurance plans for December 1, 2018 saw an average of a 10-12% rate increase. We expect the same for 2019. With the drastic changes in health insurance over the past few years, no one knows when this upward trend will level off. Fortunately, Wharton & Power Insurance has access to unique options for employers of at least two employees to reduce their benefit costs sooner rather than later. 1) PEO Program Professional […]
February 18, 2015

Managing the New Affordable Care Act Employer Reporting Requirements

As of January 1st, 2015, businesses with 100+ full-time employees must be in compliance with the Affordable Care Act mandate to provide affordable employee health benefits or be subject to penalties. (Click here to read our blog post about what this change means for your business.) Along with the benefits mandate came a whole new layer of employer reporting requirements. The costs of non-compliance are now stiff, making it worthwhile to find a viable option to fulfill your obligations under […]
September 24, 2014

What the Heck Is A PEO and How Would It Benefit My Business?

If you own a small to medium-sized business that employs people, you could use a PEO. PEO stands for Professional Employer Organization, which is an entity that offers employers a way to outsource everyday Human Resource tasks like Payroll, Employee Benefits and Workers’ Compensation. Taking advantage of the power of a PEO’s pooled resources can offer greater efficiency within your business operations.  Benefits of a PEO: Full-service Human Resources Department at your fingertips, leaving the intricacies of compliance to the […]