NAPEO
September 2020
THIS MONTH'S FOCUS: Moving Forward After COVID-19
ECONOMIC & BUSINESS REPORT: AN OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE
As business owners and operators who serve small businesses day in and day out, PEO executives know well that the state of the U.S. economy is dire and it is unlikely to bounce back rapidly. Nonetheless, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic varies significantly by geography, industry, and occupation. With that in mind, this article explores the most up-to-date data and evidence available at press time on where there might be positive opportunities for PEOs in the current circumstances.
BY LAURI BASSI AND DAN MCMURRER
September 2020CONTENTS
FEATURED
CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS • MARKETING IN A PANDEMIC • BEING MULTI-DIMENSIONAL
Looking back on the past few months provides the reflective billboard of why a company should partner with a PEO. Issues like those arising from COVID-19 accentuate the strategic imperative small to mid-size businesses (SMBs) need to move ahead and sometimes just survive the challenges of being employers.
BY
September 2020REIMAGINING OUR PEO
To say 2020 has been an unusual year would be an understatement! Reflecting on our 2020 strategic planning, we envisioned a year of growth: new opportunities, new partnerships, and an expansion of our products and services. Then COVID-19 hit.
BY TARA CONGER
September 2020REMOTE WORKFORCES & THE FUTURE • THE IMPORTANCE OF A DIGITAL PLATFORM • THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE • BE OPEN TO ALL POSSIBILITIES
All of our staff, working remotely, at a moment’s notice? No one could have predicted this. Six months into this global pandemic that forced us home seemingly overnight, and I’m left asking: Why didn’t we work from home more often? How should future resources be allocated for office space and technology?
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September 2020THE POST-PANDEMIC BUSINESS PARADIGM & THE PEO MODEL
The shutdown prompted by the pandemic has brought wide-ranging economic consequences, including what many believe to be substantial and permanent changes to the way business is done. While the course of this pandemic is far from over, it is already evident that there are some winners and some losers in this chaotic economic climate. Clearly, the PEO model is a winner at this early stage, primarily due to the leadership and guidance PEOs have delivered in this time of extreme uncertainty.
BY JOHN J. SLAVIC
September 2020THE SHIFTING OF THE WORKFORCE
Raise your hand if you ever imagined running a business in the midst of a global pandemic. Yeah, me neither. Most of us probably would admit that it wasn’t even on the list of concerns or challenges our businesses would face. Internet interruptions, fire escape plans, natural disaster planning (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes), and even power outages were all events we could envision possibly happening to our businesses, no matter how remote the chances of them actually happening. Global pandemic? Not so much.
BY BILL MANESS
September 2020TRACKS
It’s crazy to have reached the final month of my tenure as NAPEO chair—and what a year it’s been! Just 12 months ago, many of us were finalizing plans for a very different kickoff to the new decade. Few could have imagined the circumstances we now find ourselves in, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to test the crisis preparedness of nearly every organization.
BY ANDREW LUBASH
September 202050 YEARS OF MAKING THE BUSINESS OF PEOPLE EASIER
Last month, Pensacola, Florida-based and long-time NAPEO member LandrumHR celebrated a milestone few businesses realize: 50 years of serving clients. It’s an impressive feat without question. Through a commitment to excellence, fostering genuine relationships, an ever-evolving technology offering, and a relentless drive to make the business of people easier, LandrumHR has grown immensely over the last five decades.
BY CHRIS CHANEY
September 2020ADDRESSING COVID-19 IMPACTS THROUGH EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
From significant work-life blend shifts to mounting financial pressures, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new host of stressors into the workplace—impacting both employees and employers. According to MetLife’s 18th annual Employee Benefits Trends Study, 67 percent of employees feel more stressed than they did before the pandemic, with work and finances topping the list of stressors.
BY GEOFFREY VANDAL
September 2020In normal times, you’d be reading this magazine at the NAPEO conference in Marco Island, Florida, or you’d be back home while others from your company were attending. But these are not normal times.
BY PAT CLEARY
September 2020BOSTOCK DECISION EXPANDS PROTECTIONS TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION & GENDER IDENTITY
An adverse employment decision based, even in part, on an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That was the June 15, 2020, holding of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.
BY LINDA GULLEDGE, ESQ.
September 2020COACHING YOUR CLIENTS TO REENGAGE EMPLOYEES ON CARE & CAREER
As businesses begin reopening, new challenges emerge for employers and employees. Though the idea of returning to normal may be welcomed, many employees are facing the difficult dilemma of how to handle returning to the workplace and finding suitable care for their loved ones. Other employees and their dependents are cautiously trying to reenter the healthcare ecosystem after months of delaying or postponing routine care or ongoing treatments.
BY MICHAEL BUX AND JENNIFER CORDES, J.D.
September 2020COVID-19 DISRUPTS REVENUE & PROFITS IN Q2, THOUGH PEOS REGAIN OPTIMISM
As could be expected, PEO metrics plummeted during the second quarter of 2020: Revenue growth fell off a cliff, with 44 percent of respondents reporting a decrease during Q2: Profits dropped nearly as much as revenue;
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September 2020HOW DO STATE MARIJUANA LAWS IMPACT WORKPLACE DRUG TESTING PROGRAMS?
While marijuana technically remains illegal under federal law, most states have legalized the use of marijuana in some manner, presenting a host of practical problems for employers. This article addresses some of the most common questions asked by employers who conduct workplace drug testing and are grappling with the legal issues around marijuana.
BY KATHRYN J. RUSSO, ESQ.
September 2020HOW THE PEO INDUSTRY HELPED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS
Since the COVID-19 crisis began, PEOs have been working overtime to help clients with an endless variety of new challenges, including everything from closing their businesses and laying off employees and getting Payroll Protection Plan loans to applying for loan forgiveness and following the complex matrix of reopening compliance measures. In between all of these new and complicated tasks, PEOs made the time to step up and help their communities.
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September 2020MAXIMIZING YOUR TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT
How can we cut costs? Are we spending too much time on projects? Do our workflows need improvement? These are a few questions we ask ourselves when seeking out a technology provider. We rely on technology to accomplish our daily tasks and access information at a moment’s notice.
BY BRADY VITZTUM-CHRISLER, CAPM
September 2020MEET SOME SMALL COMPANIES THAT ARE MAKING BIG STRIDES AGAINST COVID-19
I am a huge supporter and admirer of the entrepreneurs who have such a great impact in the U.S. and around the globe. Small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) are the backbone of the economy and truly the motor behind innovation. Their ability to quickly pivot their focus to impact their communities in the face of a global public health emergency is inspiring.
BY BURTON M. GOLDFIELD
September 2020NAVIGATING THE TECH SIDE OF MARKETING
Times have changed. It’s no longer enough for marketers to focus solely on brochures and presentation decks. Marketing is much more complicated (and fun) these days! We must stay current with technology advancements, privacy laws, search engine algorithms, automation software, and technical strategies. Here are a few areas of marketing technology critical to your success.
BY DEBORAH BROUSSEAU
September 2020WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING DIFFERENTLY AT YOUR PEO BECAUSE OF COVID-19?
It’s amazing how something as challenging as what has occurred this year can produce something positive. • Like everyone else, we’re already doing a lot of things differently, but it’s not fair to say we’re really planning. • We are not really changing much about the way we administer our services based upon the COVID-19 pandemic. We were built to be fluid and flexible.
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September 2020