Spring cleaning isn’t just for your closet, it’s for HR, too. In fact, now is a great time to review your processes and procedures to ensure compliance with best practices and any updated regulations.

HR Policies and Procedures:

Regulations and best-practices are always changing. Now could be a great time to audit your policies and procedures and ensure they’re compliant with regulatory changes that were effective in the beginning of 2019 and are prepared for upcoming proposals.

• Update your employee handbook and audit policies. Regulations change on a continuing basis, at the state and federal level, so review your handbook to make sure policies reflect HR and legal best practices.
• Audit payroll records to ensure you’re in compliance with minimum wage laws. Many states, counties, and municipalities increased their minimum wage in the beginning of the year; another wave of increases is slated for mid-year (e.g., City of Chicago).
• Ensure you have the most up to date federal, state, and local employment posters. Like minimum wage laws, many of these were updated at the beginning of the year. If you have multiple locations, you must be compliant in all locations.
• With possible changes to overtime eligibility, now is a good time to proactively examine job descriptions and compensation to make sure your employees are classified correctly, and you have a plan, should the proposal pass.

Records Retention:

• Verify you’re are using the latest version of forms provided by local and federal governments: COBRA notices, FMLA requests, Form W-4, and Form I-9.
• Organize employment applications. Applications for positions must be kept for one year after the position has been filled, including notes, cover letters, and resumes. Applications older than one year should be shredded; if you’re a government contractor, older than two years.
• Develop or review your record retention policies. Many employment documents are to be retained in specific ways and for specific periods of time. Make sure the policies reflect a commitment to confidentiality and are compliant with federal, state and local regulations.
• Clean up employee files:
  • Move terminated employee files to another secure location so you only have current employee files readily available.
  • Shred terminated employee files based on regulations.
• File Forms I-9 separately from employee files in case you must participate in an I-9 audit. If filed separately, pull terminated employees’ I-9s from the active ones and label with a retention date. Shred any that are past their retention date: three years after the date of hire, or 1 year after termination, whichever is later.

The Employer Group conducts HR Assessments and compensation studies, develops handbooks and policies, and monitors local, state, and federal regulatory changes to help clients manage these important requirements. Contact us to assist with your spring cleaning needs!