COVID-19 READINESS STATEMENT
Dear Valued Clients, We want to assure you that we take the health and well-being of our community, clients, and associates very seriously. Like you, we’re closely monitoring the quickly developing effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are practicing social distancing, and we are offering all of […]
Core Values Shape Your Organization
Core values are the foundation of any business. They direct how a company thinks and behaves. Without them, you don’t have a solid culture, mission or vision statement. Sure, you can run a business without them…to a point before you start losing employees and customers. Let’s take a closer look at how to create core […]
How to Determine if a Candidate is the Right Fit: Listening for Better Understanding During an Interview
Your company is only as good as the people you hire to help grow your business. The decision on who to hire is a critical one, which requires an initial vetting process, whether recruiting from the outside or within the organization. For an external candidate, a positive referral and impressive resume is a good start, […]
New FLSA Overtime Pay Rules are All the Rage
Human resources matters are nothing if not dynamic. With the new year comes new changes to how employees are compensated. Updates to The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a federal law–which establishes minimum wage and overtime pay eligibility–take effect on January 1, 2020. The new law applies mostly to so called white collar salaries, including […]
The Benefits of Outsourcing HR Functions for Small Businesses
Small business owners are pulled in a thousand different directions, always with the goal of sustainability and growth. However, something has to give, and unfortunately, it is often human resources functions. The DIY approach to HR has too many pitfalls and can lead to lost time and money and non-compliance with the law, which puts […]
Create a Winning Work Culture by Seeking Employee Feedback
Employees are on the move. HR Dive projects that more than half of U.S. workers will look for a new job in 2019, leaving their current one in less than a year. To say that employee engagement is a problem in America is stating the obvious. Free food, casual dress codes, and company outings are […]
5 Things Employers Need to Know About Illinois Recreational Cannabis
Recreational cannabis is the law of the land in Illinois, and beginning January 1, 2020, adults 21 and older can legally buy and use the product. This doesn’t mean that everyone will be coming to work stoned. Relax. The Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act has specific provisions that allow employers like you to create […]
New Protections Against Sexual Harassment: What You Need to Know
A new bill providing more protections for employees against sexual harassment and discrimination goes into effect on January 1, 2020. Changes to the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) will require that every employer in the state provide training on the prevention of sexual harassment. The training must clearly explain sexual harassment, provide specific examples, and […]
Illinois Equal Pay Act Update: Don’t Ask Candidates How Much They Make
“What is your current salary?” Is a question you can no longer ask when interviewing a candidate for a job, thanks to a change to the Illinois Equal Pay Act that took effect on September 29, 2019. The new law, which received bipartisan support, intends to close the wage gap between men and women doing […]
We are growing…looking for HR Consultants (PT)
Looking to get back into HR?Do you want work/life balance?Is occasional work ok with you?Do you prefer to focus on results and not time? If so I am looking for an: HR Consultant My company is Focus HR, I provide project and fractional (outsourced) HR services to small businesses around the Chicagoland area. My clients […]