TOPICS

415 ARTICLES

ADVERTISEMENT

Ad for Slavic

ADVERTISEMENT

Ad for thinkware

ADVERTISEMENT

Ad for Globalization Partners
415 ARTICLES

THE 5 BIGGEST MISTAKES SALESPEOPLE MAKE

This year marks my 35th year in the PEO space and this article is my 80th penned for PEO Insider. I always try to strike a positive tone, although this article will discuss the mistakes salespeople make in selling PEO. It’s okay to disagree with these mistakes, because we could certainly add many more. The most important thing, however, is that we learn from these mistakes and don’t make them again. 

BY CLAY M. KELLEY, PHR

April 2020

THE INS & OUTS OF CLIENT-SPONSORED & MASTER BENEFIT PLANS

More and more often, benefits are becoming a larger portion of the value proposition of well-run PEOs. PEOs can offer benefits through client-sponsored plans (CSPs), through master medical plans (master), or potentially both.

BY JOHN HARMAN, CFP,® CLU

April 2020

A DEEP DIVE INTO WORKERS’ COMP STATS

Over the past decade, the workers’ compensation (WC) industry experienced the quintessential highs and lows of a market cycle. The goal of this article is to share and discuss recent trends in both the WC and PEO WC space sand provide thoughts on the direction of the market over the next year. We will wrap up the article by sharing some ideas that PEO leadership and risk management professionals can consider to prepare themselves for the more challenging times that will inevitably come.

BY FRANK HUANG

March 2020

BUILDING THE RIGHT TEAM FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Even though many PEOs share much in common and might look the same from the outside, no two PEOs are built the same way. It might be a unique service offering or a niche client base that distinguishes one PEO from another. For Burlington, Massachusetts–based Genesis HR Solutions, it’s the company’s management structure. Bob Burbidge founded the company in 1991 and still serves as CEO, but his top two executives share the role of co-president. Patty Hilger and Diane Stevenson were promoted to the role in 2014 when Burbidge recognized that the time had come to hand over day-to-day operations.

BY CHRIS CHANEY

March 2020

EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS & PEOS

Some PEOs wonder about the implications when a client employer has established an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, for its bona fide common-law employees. There is certainly no harm in being cautious. Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) lawyers will be the first to tell you that there has been a significant amount of litigation related to the alleged mismanagement of ESOPs, and any PEO would quite naturally not want to get caught up in needless legal disputes.

BY MALCOLM SLEE, ESQ., JOHN BARLOW, ESQ., AND SETH PERRETTA, ESQ.

March 2020

HELPING CLIENTS DEAL WITH ICE VISITS

When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes knocking on a client’s door, it can be an intimidating event. Under the Trump administration, onsite investigations have increased exponentially, with ICE initiating 6,848 worksite investigations, 5,981 I-9 audits, 779 criminal arrests, and 1,525 administrative arrests in Fiscal Year 2018 alone. Although employers may want to refuse entry to ICE officials, employers must allow the officials to conduct their business, albeit in accordance with employers’ rights.

BY TODD J. KAISER, ESQ., CURTIS Y. CHOW, ESQ., AND JEFFREY W. PARKER, JR., ESQ.

March 2020

MILD GROWTH FORECAST FOR 2020

Most PEOs showed increased revenue in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to NAPEO’s Pulse Survey, though the extent of growth was the lowest in the study’s history.

BY

March 2020

THE POWER OF MANY

In September 2019, NAPEO gathered in Austin, Texas, for its Annual Conference & Marketplace. It was a remarkable conference in many ways, but the most remarkable was the astoundingly successful kickoff of the NAPEO Gives Back initiative.

BY BARRON L. GUSS

March 2020

Trends, Stats, News

TRENDS WHERE IS HR GOING IN 2020? The HR Trend Institute, founded in 2014, has been following human resources trends and publishing reports for the past five years. For 2020, here are some of the trends it predicts will unfold: • Holistic HR, using technology and being more human-centric; • Working more closely with employees to find their needs rather than focusing on improving the process...

BY

March 2020

WHAT I’VE LEARNED ABOUT WORKING WITH BROKERS

While there are many pros and cons of working with independent agents to fill up your sales pipeline, PEOs of all sizes are harnessing this rapidly growing channel to fuel growth. Of the many shapes and forms an independent agent takes, I’ve had the most success with one segment: property and casualty agents and brokers (i.e., brokers).

BY VIC TANON

March 2020

APP UPDATE

After months of development, we released the Nextep app in May 2019. Our goal was simple: Give our clients and their employees the power to manage their info any time, any where, and on any device. I talked about how we developed our app in an article on page 54 of the September 2019 issue of PEO Insider.® This article follows up with feedback about the rollout and what clients found most valuable in the new app.

BY BILLY MILLER AND JA’VON BERRY

February 2020

CASE STUDY: PAYROLL CRISIS MANAGEMENT

We live in a technology-centric world: So much so that it’s easy to become dependent. People are always connected. Instant feedback is expected. Financial transactions are easily processed and tracked online. But what happens when that ability is lost?

BY BILL MANESS

February 2020

IS CALIFORNIA’S NEW AB 5 LAW A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOS?

On September 18, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law legislation known as Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5). If you are not operating in California or do not routinely work in business sectors that use the services of independent contractors, you may rightfully be asking, “What is AB 5 and why do I care?” PEO companies familiar with the legislation and the California landscape do care and, as you will see, perhaps you should too. Many PEOs see AB 5 and the business climate it creates as a business opportunity.

BY STEVEN A. PLETCHER, ESQ.

February 2020

NOT YOUR MAMA’S MEWA

Last year, many PEOs began receiving inquiries from state insurance commissioners about whether they were operating multiple-employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs) in their states. This article will provide a high-level overview of the history of MEWAs and the potential implications for PEOs being categorized as such.

BY NICHOLAS KAPIOTIS, ESQ. AND SETH T. PERRETTA, ESQ.

February 2020

PEO INDEX: RECOVERING FROM RECENT LAG

The PEO Employment Index continues to show recovery from its recent lag. Once again, the very strong labor market has record low unemployment, rising wages, and a widening skills gap across almost all sectors.

BY JOHN J. SLAVIC

February 2020

REGULATORY UPDATES, STATS, NEWS FROM MEMBERS

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule to update the regulations interpreting joint-employer status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule provides a four-factor balancing test for determining FLSA joint-employer status in situations in which an employee performs work for one employer that simultaneously benefits another entity or individual.

BY

February 2020

SUCCESS STORY: HOW TO SOAR AS A NICHE PEO

Over the past few years the PEO industry has seen tremendous growth amid rising levels of awareness. Businesses across the country are warming to the idea of using a PEO and are ready to reap the benefits. For New York City-based Little Bird HR, those businesses are schools. Charter, private, and pre-K schools, along with some other non-profit mission-driven organizations, make up its client list.

BY CHRIS CHANEY

February 2020

WHAT IS ON YOUR RADAR IN 2020?

Other than the usual topics, some things on my radar outside of our organization are the effects of increasing private equity investment in the space and the prospect of additional software, insurance, and other service providers entering the PEO market

BY

February 2020

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: GETTING A MASTER HEALTH PLAN

There are numerous options for the expanded and improved services a master plan can bring, so before you begin, you must align on what you want to provide under your master plan.

BY WILLIAM J. KROPKOF, CEBS

February 2020

Holiday Party Etiquette, Spreading Cheer, Communicator of the Year

• While holiday parties are meant to be fun, things can go awry if you don’t comport yourself professionally. Luckily, there is no shortage of advice from the experts. • A few years ago, when NAPEO member Steve Bentley’s hair and beard turned white, children and adults alike started whispering in his ear, saying, “I’ve been good all year” and “Hi, Santa.” • NAPEO Board Member Charlie Vance was named “CEO Communicator of the Year” recently by the Cincinnati chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

BY

December 2019/January 2020

HOW TO SET UP COMPLIANT RETIREMENT PLAN GOVERNANCE

A cornerstone of effective retirement plan governance is identifying the individuals who will serve as fiduciaries with oversight responsibility for the plan. Effective plan governance is key to controlling risk such as fiduciary, litigation, and compliance risk. This article will address how to properly establish a fiduciary committee (often referred to as a “retirement plan committee” or “investment committee”) in a way that limits the liability exposure of a PEO’s governing body, senior management, and others who are not involved in plan-related activities, as well as steps a PEO can take to protect the committee.

BY ROGER J. ROVELL, J.D., LLM

December 2019/January 2020

PAYROLL & ACCOUNTING: A VITAL CONNECTION

In the PEO world, most of us would agree that the accounting function is a bit atypical when compared to a traditional business model. PEO accounting departments many times take on a more substantial role in supporting clients; members of the accounting team tend to be more client-facing than in other industries. For that reason, it is extremely helpful, if not essential, that the accounting department has a strong connection with the payroll team to optimize the client experience and facilitate timely and accurate issue resolution.

BY WENDY KATZ

December 2019/January 2020

PEO PULSE SURVEY Q3

NAPEO’s Pulse Survey for the third quarter of 2019 shows that profits are less robust, and most PEOs expect modest worksite employee (WSE) growth for 2020. 

BY

December 2019/January 2020

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE OCTOBER PUSH

Yes, we know it’s December already, but here at NAPEO we’re still basking in the glow of the October Push, our month-long effort to help “move the needle” on industry awareness and visibility. The premise was simple: If we all commit to marketing for the month—in other words, if everyone does something—we will make a difference and we will raise the profile of our industry.

BY KERRY CARRUTHERS

December 2019/January 2020
MORE

ADVERTISEMENT

Ad for iSolved