Tag: hr consultant

URGENT: What NJ Employers Need To Know About Unemployment Reporting

Written by Joseph Campagna on August 1, 2023. Posted in HR Compliance, HR Consulting, HR News.

NJ Unemployment Reporting Just Got Harder. Outsource Unemployment Reporting Now!

New Jersey employers need to start preparing now for significant new unemployment insurance reporting rules that went into effect last month. Recent changes to the state’s Unemployment Compensation Law will require electronic submission of all communications with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL). New strict deadlines will also apply. Is it time to outsource your unemployment reporting? Yeah, we think so.

Did you know about the BC10?

We didn’t think so.

Currently, a form NJ BC-10 must go to every terminating employee. Many employers have no idea that they can be fined $50 PER DAY for not giving a terminated employee the BC-10 form. As HR Consultants, we see that most companies (that don’t use our services) are completely unaware of the requirement or the penalties. So what is the BC10? It is a form issued by the state of New Jersey that gives instructions to separated employees for claiming unemployment benefits. The law has been around for years, but no one seems to know about it.

Under the law, a BC10 must be given to every employee separating from employment. It doesn’t matter whether they are resigning, being laid off, or being terminated. Every employer has to fill out the form for every separating employee. If you are one of our clients who outsources the HR function to My Virtual HR Director, then don’t worry. We have you covered. If you are not using My Virtual HR Director to outsource your HR, then you should!

More New Requirements

Now, the NJ DOL will add a new form and it is going to require employers to report terminations of employment WITH the reasons for the separation. This means another step added to the process and an ugly twist: See many employers ignore requests for information about terminations as not to anger or provoke an employee who may be litigious if they are denied unemployment compensation. The new law makes it mandatory to provide the full truthful reasons for separation, so now the risk of lawsuits can multiply. That is a problem.

It also says that the reporting needs to be “immediate and simultaneous” to the termination. What that means remains to be seen as there is no time definition published as of yet.

These new obligations are expected to start sometime after July 31, 2023 But as of now, the Department of Labor has not provided the new additional form or a specific portal for reporting it. There is no guidance on how, once the NJDOL finalizes its electronic reporting systems, employers will be required to do so. The changes will transform how you handle separating from or temporarily laying off employees. Failing to comply could lead to substantial financial penalties for your business.

It’s critical that NJ employers immediately review these changes and take steps to get ready.

Here is a 5-Point Action Plan:

Transition to electronic UI reporting. Currently, employers must provide departing workers with printed unemployment benefit information using Form BC-10. Soon, employers will need to simultaneously send completed BC-10 forms to the NJDOL electronically as well.
Understand increased penalties. If you fail to provide required separation details or respond to NJDOL requests, they may charge benefits to your account. Penalties for non-compliance are also higher – up to $500 or 25% of fraudulently withheld benefits per violation.
Monitor guidance from the NJDOL. Make sure you are receiving email updates through your employer account online.
Be wise how you word your reasons for separation. Get guidance on what is the safest and most truthful way to report misconduct, poor behavior and other reasons. “Not a good fit” is not a good fit here. It is too obtuse and can get you sued for discrimination.
Get proactive. Open your NJDOL Employer Access account ASAP. Review your processes for handling separations and layoffs.

Or, simply…

Outsource Your HR To My Virtual HR Director

The team at My Virtual HR Director can guide you through these new UI reporting rules in New Jersey. Our HR experts specialize in compliance and are staying up to date on all regulatory changes affecting employers. Let My Virtual HR Director Do the heavy lifting! We can handle UI reporting fully through our outsourced HR services. Outsource Unemployment Reporting with us and you won’t have to worry about fines, penalties, or complicated processes.

Don’t wait – contact us today to start preparing!

It Is Not A Question of ‘What Is HR Outsourcing,’ It Is The Question of 'WHEN Should I Outsource Human Resource Functions?

Written by Joseph Campagna on July 14, 2023. Posted in HR Consulting, Outsourced HR, Outsourced Payroll.

Business owners and CFO’s have a lot on their plate. Operations, finances, and steering company strategy take priority, and HR tasks like payroll, compliance, and employee relations can become burdensome. But outsourcing these functions to an HR consulting firm that is specifically built to handle it can save you time and money while improving employee satisfaction and retention.

Here are the top reasons you need to start planning to outsource your HR:

Access to Real HR Expertise

Internal HR staff try hard. Often, HR was something that happened to them as opposed to something they were good at or focused on. For your company to save time and money, you need HR consultants who are experts in their field. An outsourced HR provider stays current on ever-changing employment laws and best practices. This expertise ensures you remain compliant and avoid costly lawsuits. If you choose the right HR consultants. they also bring experience managing HR for companies in your industry and your employee population size.

Save Money

From salary and benefits to office space and software costs, hiring an in-house HR staff is expensive. Even more so when they are a one-person show. Outsourced HR provides economies of scale and passes the savings to you. True HR experts offer flexible, scalable solutions to meet your HR needs without extra costs. You can turn a small or one-person internal HR department into a highly functional team of HR experts dedicated to your business.

Improve Efficiency

When you outsource HR tasks, your staff can focus on core business activities. HR Consultants can handle everything from recruiting and onboarding to payroll and benefits enrollment, in a much more efficient manner. This lifts administrative burdens from you and your team. And because you are having real experts and HR specialists doing the work, you, the business leader are not wasting your time fixing mistakes or putting out HR fires. HR consultants don’t quit a 5:00 either.

Enhance Employee Experience

HR consultants bring best practices through employee engagement surveys, training, retention incentives, and other programs. This expertise creates a positive and productive workplace culture that attracts top talent. If you are dealing with employee conflicts or discord in your company, there is nothing more effective than an objective outside HR consultant to engage employees and mediate to a solution.

Minimize Compliance Risk

Compliance may be the single biggest improvement from human resource outsourcing. Employment laws differ by state and local jurisdiction. HR consultants stay on top of the complex and changing legal landscape. This vigilance reduces compliance risk and protects you from lawsuits. HR consultants are also dealing with multiple companies and that gives them exponential exposure to employment problems… and that leads to exponential knowledge and experience that internal HR isn’t going to have.

Access Technology

Outsourced HR leverages specialized HRIS technology you may not have in-house or your HR staff hasn’t been able to master. This provides advanced analytics about your workforce and automated solutions to simplify HR processes.

Save time. Save Money. Save Your Sanity!

When you outsource HR functions to experts, you get strategic capabilities that support your business goals. This frees you to focus on growth and operations while avoiding the hassles of HR administration.

A Note On The Right HR Consultant

When we talk about finding the right HR consultant, we of course, mean us. We hate to be HR snobs, but the truth is there are a lot of consultants who work for 20 years at some big company and then hang out their shingle as a consultant thinking they can go from a corporate HR department for 2,000 employees to dealing with your unique population.

In order to outsource HR, you really need an HR expert with diverse experience or a consultancy with a diverse team of consultants. My Virtual HR Director has both. At HRConsulting.com you can see why we satisfy both. We are a little leery of most consultants because we correct other consultants’ poor work all the time.

We are built as a truly outsourced HR department and provide you with a team of HR experts at three levels of the HR spectrum: Executive, Manager, and Admin. Our clients get a real HR department with real experts.

Ready to learn more?

Contact us today to discuss your HR needs. Our team of consultants is here to provide strategic, cost-effective HR solutions tailored to your business. Book an appointment now to get started outsourcing HR the right way.