Professional Employer Organization and HR Outsourcing News, Articles and Commentary

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Listing Date	Article Link	Article Review / Excerpt	Reader Comments
6/10/2008	Contractors must verify employees' legal status Source: El Paso Times	Effective June 10, 2008 all contractors and others who do business with the federal government must us the E-Verify system to verify an applicants right to work. Pat Villalobos, president and owner of Barnhart/Taylor, which provides engineering, heating and ventilation, bids on government contracts and has worked on various projects at Fort Bliss. "When it comes to my employees, I keep up with their documents...	Post the first comment
5/28/2008	State of Colorado passes PEO and Employee Leasing Legislation Source: State of Colorado	Colorado passes legislation that clarifies the rights and responsibilities of companies when hiring a professional employer organization. PEO and employee leasing arrangements have recognized legal status in Colorado. EACH EMPLOYEE LEASING COMPANY SHALL PAY WAGES AND COLLECT, REPORT, AND PAY ALL PAYROLL-RELATED TAXES FROM ITS OWN ACCOUNTS FOR ALL COVERED EMPLOYEES. EACH EMPLOYEE LEASING COMPANY SHALL PAY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION INSURANCE TAXES AND PROVIDE, ...	Post the first comment
5/23/2008	CoAdvantage Resources Acquires Gevity ASO Clients Source: StaffMarket	Article about the CoAdvantage - Gevity deal. Gevity’s foray into the ASO marketplace was the brainchild of former CEO Erik Vonk who departed the company in October 2007. Mr. Vonk led the drive to acquire HRAmerica for $10M in February of 2007. At the time HRAmerica was acquired by Gevity it had...	Latest Comment: - 5/27/2008 Back to the Basics Read All 1 Comments
5/20/2008	Most Small Business Owners Optimistic Source: Jacksonville Business Journal	Administaff survey claims that small business owners are optimistic about growth in the coming year. Nearly 78 percent of owners and managers of small businesses say their companies will meet or surpass growth expectations this year, according to a national survey. The Business Confidence Survey by Administaff found more than 26 percent of employers...	Latest Comment: - 6/2/2008 New Sales VP Read All 2 Comments
5/18/2008	Tampa Bay Companies Persevere Source: Tampabay.com	Brief article about the strengh of Tampa Bay PEOs and employee leasing companies. Bradenton's Bealls defies the national retail chains because it knows the Florida market well. And Clearwater's Frank Crum and Holiday's Southeast Personnel Leasing are big parts of an employee leasing industry that's become densely packed in this pa...	Post the first comment
5/16/2008	Businesses Benefit From Training Source: BLR	ADP TotalSource president discusses using a PEO to help implement training programs that reduce employee turnover and employer liability costs. An alternative to in-house training programs is to work with a Professional Employee Organization (PEO). PEOs provide small- and mid-size businesses with full-service human-resource management and payroll services. A major benefit of a PEO relationsh...	Post the first comment
5/15/2008	Worklife Financial Plans Growth Source: Oakland Business Review	Worklife Financial Plans PEO Growth Through Acquisitions. WorkLife Financial Co. provides financial administration services such as payroll, tax compliance, risk management and succession planning. The company was formed in April by CEO Steve Groulx using outside investment and by acquiring a Dallas-base...	Post the first comment
5/15/2008	The Risk of Using Independent Contractors Source: New York Law Journal	Misclassification penalties of independent contractors get more attention from the IRS and state agencies. The use of a responsible employee leasing organization is a practical and viable alternative that allows 1099ers to continue to provide services to the company, yet it substantially minimizes a company's exposure to liability under the tax, employee ...	Post the first comment
5/5/2008	Connecticut Advances Legislation for PEOs. Source: StaffMarket	Connecticut house bill 5113 is advanced for PEOs and Professional Employer Organizations. Coemployment relationship" means an ongoing relationship, rather than a temporary or project-specific relationship, in which the rights, duties and obligations of an employer are allocated between a professional employer organization and a client pur...	Post the first comment
4/16/2008	LMC Resources Acquired by TriNet. Source: Centerdaily.com	Longtime StaffMarket member PEO LMC Resources has been acquired by TriNet of San Leandro California. LMC has primarity served the Colorado PEO marketplace. The newly combined operation will capitalize on the best of local service joined with TriNet's industry leading employee benefits, technology, and human resource management expertise. Customers will see a seamless transition process as Richard Lang ...	Latest Comment: - 4/25/2008 Job for the LMC staff Read All 1 Comments
4/10/2008	California Flexible Work Week Defeated Despite Support from California Chamber of Commerce Source: Calfornia Chamber of Commerce	Party line vote kills employer flexibility in California. Benoit´s bill was sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce and received a wide array of support from California´s business community, with more than 43 local Chambers signing on as co-sponsors of AB 2127. ...	Latest Comment: - 4/16/2008 Too bad Read All 1 Comments
4/7/2008	Valued insurance far from assured with small companies Source: Rockford Illinois Star	How small companies are creating health insurance options for their employees through self-funded plans or by joining a Professional Employer Organization. To find the right plan, Muldowney turned the research over to Savant’s business manager, Scott Kaiser, who put together several options to choose from.Many companies, though, don’t have the luxury of one staffer with the time and expertise to find th...	Post the first comment
4/1/2008	Take Cover Source: Financial Planning	How Raymond James uses a PEO to access benefit programs for their groups of independent contractors. LPL Financial struggled for years to structure a health insurance program that would keep the distinctions clear, says Sal Zambito, senior vice president for business development. The broker-dealer put its legal counsel to work on the problem and las...	Post the first comment
3/19/2008	Professional Employer Organizations can help small companies cut costs Source: San Francisco Chronical	Article covers the basics of how small companies benefit from a PEO. Although sometimes aligned with temporary employment agencies and staff leasing firms, the organization provides a much different type of service. Unlike a temp agency, your employees are intended to be permanent and not moved around to a variety of ...	Post the first comment
3/10/2008	Starbucks and Convergys part ways Source: Daily News and Analysis	Outsourcing and Offshoring are often confused. Starbucks ditches offshoring arrangement with Convergys. Cincinnati, Ohio-based Convergys has call centre and back office operations in Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bangalore among other cities in India. The company recently said in an analyst meet that the deal termination would have no effect on its 2008 or 20...	Post the first comment
2/27/2008	Gevity goes back to basics Source: Bradenton Herald	Gevity announces plans to focus on core PEO model. Gevity deviated from its traditional role and found the venture 'disruptive and cash dilutive' ...	Latest Comment: - 2/27/2008 Good News Read All 1 Comments
2/15/2008	DOL proposes changes to FMLA rules for PEOs Source: StaffMarket	On February 11, 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed major overhaul of its FMLA regulations, including a specific amendment to the joint employer coverage regulation that will address PEO arrangements and clarifies the differences between staffing arrangements and Professional Employer Organizations. ...	Post the first comment
2/15/2008	St. Pete Times Commentary on Employee Leasing is misguided Source: StaffMarket	Jim Hamilton, president of StaffMarket Services replies to St. Pete Times editor about E-Verify compliance and employee leasing. ...	Post the first comment
2/14/2008	Entrepreneur.com magazine article about PEOs is misguided Source: StaffMarket	StaffMarket president Jim Hamilton replies to Entrepreneur.com business advisor. Most PEOs also offer an ASO product and many ASO offer a PEO product. Whether a PEO or ASO makes more sense for you company depends on your current insurance, HR and administrative service needs. Companies should look at both options depending on the...	Post the first comment
2/13/2008	Employee Leasing Companies May Become Singularly Liable for Wages Based Taxes Source: StaffMarket	Bush 2009 budget contains provisions that affect tax liabilities for employer wages Standards for holding employee leasing companies solely liable for such taxes would also be provided for employment tax returns required to be filed for wages paid...	Post the first comment
2/12/2008	Gevity Changes Leadership Source: Workforce Management	Article discusses changes in leadership and strategy at Gevity and their return to core PEO services. Based in Bradenton, Florida, Gevity started out as a professional employer organization aimed at small businesses. A PEO serves as a co-employer of the client companies’ employees and takes over a wide range of human resources functions, including pa...	Post the first comment
2/11/2008	Regulating PEOs makes sense for Wisconsin's small businesses Source: Wisconsin Small Business Times	Legislators in Wisconsin promote Bill that regulates PEOs AB 760 will require PEOs serving business clients in Wisconsin to register each year with the Department of Regulation and Licensing (DORL) and meet certain requirements to operate in our state. It's revenue neutral; the fees paid by PEOs will offset...	Post the first comment
2/5/2008	Regions Hot Job Growth Doubted Source: St. Petersburg Times	Article discusses how the growth of Tampa Bay Employee Leasing companies may be skewing local employment growth statistics. As late as last year, Tampa-St. Petersburg's higher-than-average job growth earned the area honors as Forbes magazine's seventh hottest jobs market in the United States. But the accuracy of the numbers has been called into question. That's because ...	Latest Comment: - 2/27/2008 Regions Hot Job Growth Doubted Read All 2 Comments
1/15/2008	Oasis Outsourcing Inc. acquires two Tampa Florida PEOs Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune	Professional Employer Plans and Advantage Employer Solutions have been acquired by Oasis Outsourcing of West Palm Beach. Oasis Outsourcing Holdings Inc., a privately held professional employer organization with an office in Sarasota, said Monday that it has acquired Professional Employer Plans Inc., Advantage Employer Solutions Inc. and related companies, which are hea...	Latest Comment: - 1/18/2008 Oasis buys Professional Employ Read All 2 Comments
1/9/2008	Help your Business Thrive in 2008 Source: American Chronicle	Good thoughts on surviving business cycles and outsourcing non-core activities Employee leasing is a fast growing opportunity, growing by over 20% per year. It's a way to outsource not only the employee contingent of the business, but generally the organizational aspect of employees. Most employee leasing groups handle all the ...	Latest Comment: - 1/10/2008 Good Ideas if we have a downtu Read All 1 Comments
1/3/2008	CoAdvantage Holdings completes acquisition of Bradenton professional employer organization Source: Orlando Sentinel	NELCO sells to Co-Advantage Holdings of Orlando. Both CoAdvantage and Nelco, which was founded in 1983 and is one of the country's oldest professional employer organizations, have each been major companies in their field, said Milan Yager, spokesman for the National Association of Professional Empl...	Latest Comment: - 1/3/2008 ELS - Employee Leasing Solutio Read All 2 Comments
1/1/2008	Hawaii Proposes PEO legislation Source: Hawaii House of Representatives	Hawaii proposes bill that would require client based workers' compensation policies for PEOs operating in Hawaii. NAPEO is working to amend the bill to more closely follow the NAPEO model act. Every professional employment organization that maintains or will be maintaining workers' compensation coverage for assigned employees shall register with the commissioner. An insurer may not issue a workers' compensation insurance policy to a profe...	Post the first comment
12/26/2007	Workplace Trends for 2008 Source: Kansas City Star	Article mentions that employers are gaining HR efficiencies with a PEO. Similarly, expect more small businesses to look for ways to reduce the cost of benefits administration by turning to professional employer organizations. With PEOs, some businesses take advantage of economies of scale and relieve their human-resource...	Latest Comment: - 1/18/2008 Cost of business Read All 1 Comments
12/26/2007	Human Capital Management Source: The Spectrum	Brief on NAPEO assessment of health insurance costs increases. After pay, health insurance is the most important inducement small businesses use to recruit and keep workers. Yet more than half the 365 small businesses in a recent survey said their premiums rose as much as 10 percent this year, and almost one in ...	Post the first comment
12/5/2007	Employee use of Internet limits needed Source: Chicago Tribune	With holiday season in full swing, employees spend lots of time surfing. That can sound scary to a company owner worried about work time lost to the Internet. But if you are tempted to ban personal Internet use outright, other business owners, labor lawyers and human resources professionals will advise against it. "It'...	Post the first comment
12/4/2007	Small Business survey on health benefits and government mandates Source: NAPEO	PEO clients were surveyed for their thoughts on health benefits and the recent government push for coverage mandates. The vast majority (95%) of the NAPEO survey respondents offer healthcare plans and will not raise employees' share of the cost of their health insurance plans in 2007. They will hold the line on employees' contributions toward the plan premiums, even...	Post the first comment
12/2/2007	OSHA issues final ruling about employers cost for protective clothing Source: OSHA	Employers are now responsible for covering the costs of personal protective equipment (PPE) with a few exceptions for clothing that can be worn off the worksite. Many Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) health, safety, maritime, and construction standards require employers to provide their employees with protective equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), when such equ...	Post the first comment
11/7/2007	US Citizenship and Immigration Services releases revised I9 - Employment Eligibility Verification form. Source: USCIS	New I9 Form is in place. The instructions for Section 1 regarding Social Security numbers were also revised. The instructions now state that an employee is not obligated to provide the Social Security Number in Section 1 of the I-9 form, unless the employer participates in t...	Post the first comment
10/31/2007	Cedar Hill - PEO Workers Comp administrator is sold Source: Insurance Newsnet	Cedar Hill a large insurance administator specializing in workers' compensation programs for the PEO industry has been purchased by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Cedar Hill Insurance Agency, Inc. is a retail property/casualty insurance program administrator and business process outsourcing firm. They specialize in workers compensation insurance programs for professional employer organizations and temporary s...	Post the first comment
10/31/2007	SOI - Strategic Outsourcing Inc. plans public offering. Source: CNN Money	SOI plans public offering through Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse for $86.2M. The Charlotte, N.C.-based professional employer organization said it plans to use the proceeds from the offering to repay a portion of a term loan. ...	Post the first comment
10/1/2007	HR Liaisons Help Small Companies Compete Source: IN Business Las Vegas	Article about Las Vegas businesses turning to PEOs. With employee-leasing companies, small businesses can consolidate their workforces to better compete with corporations for employees seeking a lucrative benefits package. Leasing companies also take over the painstaking chores of payroll, hiring and ...	Latest Comment: - 10/9/2007 PEO's help with health benefit Read All 1 Comments
10/1/2007	Frank Crum - Extreme Makeover Source: Smart Business	FranCrum reengineers - branding and software for future growth While rebranding the company and getting everyone working together was a major part of the process, gaining efficiencies from the newly united companies was the other part. And those efficiencies were only going to happen if people were using the sam...	Post the first comment
9/24/2007	Cost of Health Care System Bugs Employers Source: Financial Week	USA employers paid over two thirds of the $694B (with a B!) total premiums for employee health insurance. Maybe they should have a say in how the system is reformed. It’s ironic: the main reason people do not have coverage is because they can’t afford it,” she explained. “We must put in protections that control costs too. And this isn’t for the sake of large employers, who already spend an average $9,000 a year ...	Post the first comment
9/20/2007	West Virginia Considers PEOs and Work Comp Transition Source: West Virginia Record	As West Virginia moves from a monopolistic to a market driven workers' compensation insurance program, legislation needs to consider hybrid employment structures like Professional Employer Organizations. Article discusses actions by NAPEO and others to ensure PEO workers comp plans are effective solutions for West Virginia employers. He said legislators did not act on PEO proposals last year because they felt they needed more information and time. "We made some progress but they wanted to make sure we got it right," Tucker said. "We make workers comp a good line for insurers to w...	Post the first comment
9/7/2007	Many Employers Think Applicants Lie on Resumes Source: The Journal Record	Survey shows that staffing problems start in the hiring process and explores ways problems can be prevented. For that matter, don’t trust the average worker, either, results from a recent survey by the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) suggest. The group, which represents companies that do human resource chores for small bu...	Latest Comment: - 9/13/2007 Employers need to do the same. Read All 1 Comments
9/1/2007	Using PEOs to Handle Human Resources and Assist in Employment Law Compliance Source: AICPA	Brief discussion about PEOs from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Rudimentary discussion about how to research a PEO. "We have a PEO because we are competitive, and because of the PEO we stay competitive" says John Maddox CPA. ...	Latest Comment: - 9/18/2007 Making a choice Read All 1 Comments
8/30/2007	PEOs Stake Claim to Marketplace Source: The Business Ledger	Chicago based PEOs and HR experts discuss the lack of awareness about Professional Employer Organizations in their area and the advantages for medium sized businesses. "Do your homework and do a cost benefit analysis," said Mary Lynn Fayoumi, president and CEO of the Management Association of Illinois in Downers Grove. "Get multiple quotes from PEOs and make sure that you are getting a plan that is designed for you...	Latest Comment: - 8/30/2007 Best PEO in Illinois? Read All 2 Comments
8/28/2007	Workers' Comp falls for fifth time Source: Daytona Beach Business	Work comp rates may be dropping once again for Florida employers. NCCI is proposing a 16.5 percent rate reduction. The latest decrease, the fifth in five years, will trim rates to just half the level in 2002, before the Legislature enacted stricter rules for paying benefits to injured workers, according to Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty. Costs of claims ros...	Latest Comment: - 8/30/2007 Squeeze the lawyers and save m Read All 1 Comments
8/27/2007	StaffMarket Sponsors 2007 NAPEO Conference Source: StaffMarket	StaffMarket again sponsors annual NAPEO conference. This year's annual conference being held October 21-24 in Chicago, Illinois in the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. Hosted by NAPEO – the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations. StaffMarket will be sponsoring the musical entert...	Post the first comment
8/20/2007	DHS Issues SSN - Final Mismatch Rule Source: DHS	The Department of Homeland Security issues the Final Mismatch Rule effective 9/14/2007. The Social Security Administration (SSA) delayed the issuance of SSN mismatch letters from 2006 W-2 returns, that now will be released in to employers across the nation. The DHS has indicated that the fines for known violations will be going up by up to 25 percent, and by the end of the 2007, it expects to mandate that federal contractors participate in the E-Verify Program. DHS Rules for IRS - SSN Non Match letters....	Latest Comment: - 8/24/2007 Check out this article in the Read All 3 Comments
8/9/2007	Labor laws force businesses to outsource HR Source: Las Vegas Business Press	Las Vegas based business has $1.14M fine levied by the Labor Department Wage and Hour division for improperly recording employee work hours. PEO owner discusses how outsourcing HR tasks with a PEO can prevent these problems. A PEO eliminates many of the employer responsibilities and liabilities, as well as eliminates non-productive administration functions. It also allows a small business to re-focus on its bottom-line activities, create predictable operating costs, redu...	Latest Comment: - 8/24/2007 Not a HR professional Read All 3 Comments
8/7/2007	PEOs assist employers with EEV - Basic Pilot Program Source: StaffMarket	Brief article on what Professional Employer Organizations are doing to assist business owners with the Employment Eligibility Verification Program offerd by USCIS. Since compliance with employment law is one of the core services of a PEO, many PEOs are reviewing the rules being established by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service and various state bodies for compliance....	Post the first comment
8/7/2007	PEOSelect.com Source: StaffMarket	Malicious website experience Further research show that address listed as the office for peoselect.com is also the address for many business that appear to be using the address as a business front. A Google search of their address shows 10 pages of business all using the same ad...	Post the first comment
7/16/2007	PEOs get a boost in Hawaii Source: Hawaii Reporter	Hawaii resolves general excise tax problems for PEOs. This year after more than seven years of being debated in the legislature, a measure has passed and been signed into law that recognizes that the amount of reimbursement for wages, salaries, benefits and insurance premiums is really not gross income...	Latest Comment: - 8/24/2007 Pass through costs Read All 1 Comments
7/9/2007	The Bigger Picture: No more HR headaches? Source: Physicians Practice	Many medical practices are considering hiring a PEO. Some of the concerns over costs in the article are a bit overstated. Ronald L. Evans loved the PEO he used as a manager at a nine-physician cardiology practice. “The transition to the PEO went rather smoothly for us,” he recalls. “The practice saved a considerable amount of money on group health insurance expenses, an...	Post the first comment

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