Month: October 2017

HR Halloween Horror Stories

EmploycoUSA

Halloween Costume Horrors 

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, was mentioned today in an article from The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The following excerpt, and full article, provides tips and best practices to help employers avoid an HR nightmare during the Halloween season.

Employco would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween!

A Holocaust victim. An anorexic woman. A flasher. A “tranny granny.”

Those are among the Halloween costumes now being sold at retail stores and online.

They may be OK for some parties. But when it comes to workplace Halloween festivities, don’t even think about going there.

What’s meant to be a lighthearted celebration of Halloween can—if not properly handled—devolve into an event that offends colleagues.

“Remind everyone to stay away from political, religious, overly revealing or gruesome costumes because those can easily offend people,” said Rob Wilson, president of Westmont, Ill.-based Employco USA, which offers human resource services to companies. “HR can have an extra box of appropriate and inexpensive costumes for people to change into if they come to work dressed inappropriately.”

(Continue reading…)

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Will Your Employer Stop Paying for Your Birth Control?

EmploycoUSA

Group insurance expert predicts how Pres. Trump’s decision will impact average American 

Many people are concerned that their employers are going to opt against paying for birth control now that President Trump has taken steps to reverse the federal mandate requiring companies to do so.

“Headlines across the country have frightened people into thinking that their companies are no longer going to pay for their contraception,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and group insurance expert. “Thankfully, this is going to be unlikely across the board.  Even before President Obama used the Affordable Care Act to require employers to pay for birth control for employees, 9 out of 10 companies already did so.”

Essentially, the ruling just allows for people to opt against covering contraceptive costs if it challenges their religious beliefs, however, the number of employers who fall in this category will be small, says Wilson. And, he says changes are even less likely when it comes to big firms.

“From a business standpoint, it’s wise to provide affordable contraception options to your workers,” says Wilson. “After all, birth control is much less expensive than the cost of pregnancy and delivering a baby, not to mention family leave. So, the reality is that despite the scary headlines, most employees should expect little to no changes in their contraception costs.”

Nor does he think employers would be wise to use this as a loophole to get out of paying for birth control. “One way or another, all employers pay a price for their workers’ reproductive decisions,” Wilson says. “Financially speaking, contraception is the least expensive option, provided it does not go against your religious beliefs.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

The “Hidden Jobs” Market: How to Find the 80% of Jobs That Are Not Posted on Jobs Boards

EmploycoUSA

Employment advisor weighs in

“Known as the ‘hidden jobs’ market, these positions are often more lucrative, and they often involve less competition,” says Rob Wilson, employment expert and President of Employco USA, a nationwide employment solutions firm. “If you want access to these job opportunities, you have to have connections. You can’t just hop onto Craigslist and see the job posting.”

So how does Wilson suggest that job-seekers find these desirable jobs?

“There is no replacement for in-person connections,” says Wilson. “Yet networking events can often be a bust, as most people at these events will be job-seekers such as yourself. This doesn’t mean that this won’t be valuable and a good way for you to brush up on your speaking skills, but really, the people who hire folks aren’t going to be at a networking event on a Thursday night.”

To that end, Wilson believes that the real power of networking lies in temp agencies and part-time positions. “You need to get in the door. You need to get out of the hotel lobby networking over a plastic cup of red wine, and into the office where you can prove your mettle and earn those relationships day-in, day-out. Not to mention, employment solutions firms can help to ensure that you aren’t left with large gaps in your resume or your skill-set.”

Wilson also believes that temp agencies and employment firms are a boon for employers as well. “It gives you a chance to take a risk on people you wouldn’t normally go for,” he explains. “Maybe you meet someone who has very little experience, but you just have a strong feeling about their potential and work ethic. A temp position gives you the chance to test them out and to see how they respond to your company culture.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.