| Volume 18 | Issue 8 |
Source for Employer Empowerment |
August 2010 |
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Training and Orienting New Employees
Consider the following scenario. An employer spends a lot of time, effort, and money recruiting the perfect candidate for an open position. The perfect candidate is found and is offered the position. The soon to be new employee is excited and eager to begin working in their new position. The new employee arrives to work on their first day only to be greeted by the receptionist who explains that she was not expecting a new employee and the supervisor is not currently in the office. The receptionist offers the new employee a seat in the waiting area. The supervisor strolls in an hour later and briefly greets the new employee but explains that he has to make a phone call and that he will talk to the new hire after he’s done. After the supervisor’s done, he explains to his new employee that a desk and a computer are not yet available and that the new employee can start organizing some old files. The supervisor leaves and the new employee quickly becomes discouraged and wonders if they have made the wrong decision in accepting the position. This scenario may be an extreme example of what not to do when a new employee starts work, but some companies don’t provide new employees with the guidance needed to be a productive employee. Non-existent or ineffective training and orientation programs may lead to high employee turnover and lower morale.
Orientation is the process of pointing new employees toward successful employment and giving them the guidance and information they need to become productive on the job. An effective orientation program supports a company’s recruitment efforts. Research shows that effective orientation reduces staff turnover, increases productivity and boosts morale. An effective orientation and training program will make a good impression of the company from the first day of employment and will help employees adapt quicker by making them feel comfortable and needed. It will also introduce new hires to the company’s history, structure, products and services, facilities, personnel policies and procedures, compensation practices, and benefits.
A good training and orientation program will start before a new employee begins work. There are several things a company can do to prepare for a new hire. It may be a good idea to send new employees a letter outlining when, where, and to whom they should report. The letter should also include information about parking, building locations, security procedures, and equipment or uniforms as appropriate. Inform staff members of the new employee’s scheduled start date and provide some background information, such as their name and work experience. Order any supplies, equipment, tools, and uniforms the new employee will need to do their job and be sure to set up their workstation and test any equipment they will be using to be sure it works properly. Also, have the new employee’s supervisor develop a list of simple assignments to complete during the first week. Have the supervisor select assignments that will help familiarize the new employee with their equipment and job without overwhelming them. If possible, a co-worker could be assigned to help orient and train a new employee. Like a supervisor, a co-worker can show the newcomer around the department, answer basic how-to questions, and help familiarize the new employee with the habits and day-to-day procedures of the job. Supervisors should carefully select a co-worker for orientation assistance and help them rearrange their regular workloads to allow time for orientation activities. The co-worker chosen to help orient the new employee should be well-versed in organizational and departmental policies and practices, demonstrate excellent work behavior, and be friendly and enthusiastic.
The new employee will need to complete Resource Management’s orientation before beginning work or within three days from their start date. Your RMI HR Representative can provide you with instructions on how this orientation is conducted for your company. During the RMI orientation, the new hire will complete all of the necessary paperwork to become an employee and will receive their Employee Handbook, which contains the policies and procedures for your company. The benefits for which the new employee is eligible will also be explained during this orientation.
Be sure to greet the new employee on their first day and take some time to meet privately with them to go over the first day’s schedule. Discuss with the new employee the work hours of the job, lunch-hour and break policies, and how and where they can obtain keys, security passes, identification cards, and parking permits if applicable. Review important policies that are included in the Employee Handbook and make sure the new employee understands basic policies, such as appropriate dress, timekeeping, absence reporting, vacation scheduling, overtime requirements, safety precautions, use of equipment, and how to obtain supplies. Give the new employee a tour of the company’s facilities, including a tour of the department or floor where they will be working. Point out the location of restrooms, break rooms, printers, photocopiers, fax machines, supply cabinets, emergency exits, and anything else the employee would need to perform their job. Introduce them to their co-workers. If possible, and as appropriate, introduce the new employee to supervisors and members of management of the company. Show the new employee their workspace and where they can put their personal belongings. Give them an overview of the supplies and equipment in their workspace. Discuss with the new employee their job description, review their specific duties, and review the department’s organization, structure, major responsibilities, goals, priorities, and relationship to other departments. Begin training the employee on their job duties by having them complete the work assignments their supervisor previously selected. These first assignments should be explained to them and should not be complicated, but also should not mindless or menial.
At some point during the orientation process, the new employee should receive an overview of the company’s history, philosophy, values, goals, and objectives. This overview will help instill pride in the employee and in the work they perform. Some companies provide this overview informally while others provide formal presentations. The initial orientation process can last anywhere from an hour to a couple of days depending on the company. Companies should tailor the orientation process to their needs and what they find works best for their employees. Many companies have an introductory period for new employees. An introductory period is a period of time established by a company during which the company and the employee evaluate whether a successful employment relationship can be created. Companies should use the introductory period as a chance for ongoing training and orientation with the new employee. Check in regularly with the employee during this period to see if they have any questions or concerns and provide additional training as necessary. Observe how well the new employee’s skills fit the position and perform a formal performance evaluation with the employee near the end of the introductory period. If for any reason the new employee is not a suitable worker, be prepared to discharge the individual before reaching the end of the introductory period.
An effective training and orientation program for your new hires will support your recruitment efforts and help to increase productivity, boost morale, and reduce turnover. For more information on training and orientation, contact your local RMI HR Representative. |
| New Branch Manager in RMI's Seattle Office |
| RMI is pleased to announce that Neal Jorgensen has been promoted to manage the branch office in Seattle, Washington. Neal has worked in RMI’s Corporate Office for the past two and a half years as a Human Resource Specialist. Neal graduated from California State University Fresno with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Although Neal will be missed at RMI’s Corporate Office, the staff and clients in Seattle will benefit from Neal’s leadership and extensive HR background. Neal is excited for this new challenge and looks forward to meeting and working with all of RMI’s clients in the Seattle area. |
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| Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (Hire) Act |
Employers may qualify for two new tax breaks when they hire someone who has not worked for more than 40 hours in the past 60 days. These breaks are part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act.
You may claim an additional new hire retention credit, up to $1,000 for each qualified employee you keep as an employee for at least a year and whose wages are not significantly reduced in the second half of the year. You claim it on your income tax return for your business, usually in tax year 2011.
You may qualify for these tax breaks if you are a small or large business, tax-exempt organization, public college or university, Indian tribal government or farmer. Household employers and federal, state and local government employers, other than public colleges and universities, do not qualify.
Qualified Employees:
A “qualified employee” is an employee who:
- Begins employment with you after February 3, 2010, and before January 1, 2011.
- Certifies by signed affidavit, or similar statement under penalties or perjury, that he or she has not been employed for more than 40 hours during the 60-day period ending on the date the employee begins employment with you. This can be accomplished by having the employee sign an IRS Form W-11. Click here to download this form.
- Is not employed by you to replace another employee unless the other employee separated from employment voluntarily or for cause (including downsizing).
- Is not related to you. An employee is related to you if he or she is your child or a descendent of your child; your sibling or stepsibling, your parent or an ancestor of your parent, your stepparent, your niece or nephew, your aunt or uncle, or your in-law. An employee also is related to you if he or she is related to anyone who owns more than 50% of your outstanding stock or capital and profits interest or is your dependent or a dependent of anyone who owns more than 50% of your outstanding stock or capital and profits interest.
If any of your employees qualify for this tax credit, please do the following:
- Complete the revised Employee Compensation Acknowledgment Form that is now available on RMI's website at www.rminc.com.
- Have the employee complete the IRS Form W-11 that is also available on RMI's website at www.rminc.com.
- Submit both forms to your payroll manager at RMI.
Once RMI receives these forms, we will review your answers to confirm the employee qualifies for the tax credit.
RMI will still withhold FICA tax for all qualified employees when each payroll is processed. These taxes will be credited back as an invoice adjustment in the following quarter.
If you have any questions, please call the RMI Payroll Department at (888) 764-0200 or (801) 355-0200. |
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Supplemental Product Spotlight
Pre-Paid Legal Services and Identity Theft Shield |
Do you need to have your will prepared or updated?
Have you ever signed a contract of any kind?
Do you have teenage drivers in your house?
Have you ever received an inaccurate credit rating?
Has a company ever refused to honor the warranty on a product you purchased?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could benefit from having a policy through Pre-Paid Legal Services. More and more employees are taking time off from work to attend to family legal matters. Often, much of that time is spent seeking quality legal advice at a price that the average employee cannot afford. The voluntary pre-paid legal program offers a way for employees to have access to qualified legal assistance at their fingertips and to have the knowledge that someone is watching out for their identity.
Prep-Paid Legal Services offers two different programs. One is called Pre-Paid Legal and the other is called Identity Theft Shield. Here are some of the benefits of these plans.
Pre-Paid Legal can assist you with the following:
- Employees can contact an attorney for legal advice on every day issues.
- Written letters and phone calls can be made on your behalf for any legal matter.
- Personal documents can be reviewed.
- A standard will can be created for you as well as yearly updates as your life changes.
- Assistance with moving traffic violations.
- 60 hours of attorney time if you are named a defendant in a lawsuit.
- 50 hours of attorney time if you receive notice of an IRS audit.
Identity Theft Shield can assist you with the following:
- An up-to-date credit report, including your credit score and an analysis of your credit history.
- Continuous monitoring of your credit file at all three credit bureaus.
- Identity theft restoration in the event that your identity is stolen.
- Protects all five areas of your identity - Driver’s license, character/criminal, Social Security, medical and financial.
RMI has formed a partnership with Pre-Paid Legal Services and is able to offer both plans at a discounted rate. Premiums are payroll-deducted so that RMI can make payments to Pre-paid Legal Services on your behalf. You can also continue your coverage if you ever leave RMI’s employment.
If you are interested in finding out more about RMI’s Pre-Paid Legal Program, please contact our Benefits Department at (888) 764-0200 or (801) 355-0200 for more information. |
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| Timely Reporting of Employee Injuries |
If an employee is injured, please complete an Employee Injury Report and submit it to RMI within twenty-four hours of the occurrence. Delays in reporting injuries can result in problems in filing a worker’s compensation claim, increased costs on the claim, and possible delays in recovery. Please always submit an Employee Injury Report even if the employee does not initially seek medical treatment: having a report on file is important if they need to seek treatment at a later time. Be sure to indicate if the employee has missed any time from work as a result of their injury.
You may download the form from our website and send the completed Employee Injury Report to your HR Representative at your area RMI office. |
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| Current Vehicle Crash Trends |
As a country, the United States continues to rely on vehicles of all sizes as an integral part of our lives and the economy. From small cars to large commercial trucks (weighing over 10,001 lbs), licensed drivers traveled 2,926 billion miles in 2008 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The vehicle fatality rate per 100 million miles traveled fell to a historic low of 1.27 in 2008. Another positive outcome was that the seat belt use rate for all drivers rose to 82% in 2008 according to the National Occupant Protection Use Survey. The large truck (>10,001 lbs) fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled also continued to decline to a rate of 2.04 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled during 2007.
Yet despite these positive developments, the problem of motor vehicle crashes and related fatalities remains a significant drain on families and the economy. An average of 102 people died each day in vehicle crashes, or, on average, one every 14 minutes. Motor vehicle crash fatalities continue to be the leading cause of work-related fatalities, and the leading cause of death for people from as young as three years old up through age 34.
While the 11,773 alcohol-related vehicle fatalities represented a 6% improvement from 1998, an alcohol-related fatality happened every 45 minutes. Based on an analysis of Liberty Mutual Commercial Market auto claims from 10/1/2008 to 9/30/2009, “Hit Other in Rear” vehicle crashes were the costliest while sideswipe-type crashes were the most frequent.
One effective approach to addressing the problem of motor vehicle crashes is to practice safe driving habits. By allowing more time and space to make driving decisions, vehicle crashes can be avoided. It is up to each driver to take the actions necessary so the frequency and cost of vehicle crashes will continue to decline. For more information on this topic, please contact you RMI HR Representative. |
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| Manual Material Handling: A Focus on Overexertion Injuries |
OSHA Standards
Material handling is the movement, storage, and control of goods and products. It can be achieved either by manual or mechanical means. Manual material handling (MMH) relies on force and effort supplied by the human body. It is most common in industrial settings, such as manufacturing or warehousing, but can be found in most any industry. Manual material handling is associated with performing lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, and carrying tasks. The 2009 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index of the top 10 causes of disabling injuries in 2007 (estimated at $52 billion) shows that overexertion represents nearly 13% of all injuries and 24% of all workers compensation costs for the WC insurance industry. Low back pain is a common complaint from performing these activities, but upper extremity disorders such as shoulder pain are common as well.
Proper identification and control of MMH exposures may help to reduce overexertion injuries and their resulting costs. Contributing risk factors include excessive weights and forces; frequency and duration; hand distance from body; lifting and lowering vertical distances; and push, pull, and carry distances. The combination of factors determines level of risk and likelihood of MMH injuries.
These risk factors can be reduced through ergonomics or designing the job to fit the capability and limitations of workers. Engineering controls are the preferred method of improving/reducing risk because they change the physical characteristics of the job (i.e., the work tools, methods, and procedures involved). For example, a lift table could modify the method that an employee would use to lift an object. Once engineering controls have been implemented, administrative controls may be used to supplement and further reduce risks. Examples of administrative controls are training and job rotation.
Tips For Reducing MMH Exposures
- Eliminate or engineer out the task. Several MMH tasks and processing steps can be avoided by redesigning the workstation or the product itself.
- Reduce the weight or force required to move the load.
- Increase the object’s weight, and handle mechanically.
- Never place an item on the floor if it must be picked up again.
- Convert the motion to a more efficient way of handling. For example, the same amount of force is needed to push 200 pounds as to lift 50 pounds.
- Keep materials in front of the worker, between knuckle and shoulder level.
- Use material handling aids. Lift tables and hoists can reduce the need for lifting and lowering, while conveyors, slides, and hand trucks can eliminate carrying, pushing, and pulling.
- Reduce the distance required to move the load. Work area layout and material handling equipment can reduce or eliminate both travel distance and vertical lift requirements.
- Keep loads close to the body, providing handles or grips.
For more information or safety training, please contact RMI’s Human Resources Department. |
| To access the online Workplace Safety Training Log click here. |
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Copyright © 2010 Resource Management, Inc. All rights reserved.
Client & Employee Newsletter, Source for Empowerment is published monthly by Resource Management, Inc. Client & Employee Newsletter features issues of importance to our clients and their employees. It is intended to provide general information and should not be construed as legal advice. We welcome your comments, questions, and concerns. |
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Toll Free: (888) 764-0200 | 510 South 200 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
www.rminc.com |
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