This week kicks off National PEO Week! The first PEO week was celebrated in 2023, as proclaimed by Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN), who is also a former PEO employee. Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) like ESC serve small and mid-size businesses and provide business owners with peace of mind with reduced liabilities, greater employee benefit options, relief of administrative tasks, compliance assurance, and dedicated HR support and service. Partnering with a PEO provides business owners and leaders the peace of mind and support they deserve. According to NAPEO, businesses that partner with a PEO grow 7 to 9 percent faster, and have 10 to 14% lower turnover rates than businesses that do not partner with a PEO. Utilizing a PEO can also be more cost-effective compared to hiring one HR professional at a full salary! The PEO Service Model The PEO service model helps businesses and organizations grow and thrive by allowing them to focus on the work they love to do: their mission. From handling to day-to-day administrative tasks, to supporting HR strategy, PEOs provide the following: HR Strategy and Implementation HR Technology Platforms Payroll and Tax Administration Benefits Administration Compliance In today’s business world, HR compliance laws and regulations can keep business owners and leaders up at night. An architect who opened their own firm may not have thought about managing employees and all that comes with it. Some business owners realize that they have more things to worry about than they anticipated when it comes to employment administration and maintaining smooth operations. Thankfully, PEOs take care of that. From running payroll, creating employee handbooks, ensuring compliance, and administering employee benefits, PEOs can do it all. By partnering with a PEO, these tasks will be taken care of so you can focus on growing your business and becoming more profitable and outperform against the competition. Human Resources The duties that encompass HR have evolved over the past few decades. From mounds of paperwork and onboarding, to now nurturing your employees for the long run. Having a strong HR team can protect your business, set company policies and expectations, develop your employees, and more. Having a strategic plan for the future of your business lies within HR. From growing and recruiting your team, to succession planning, HR is essential for success. As time has progressed, many business leaders have found themselves moving records and paperwork from a binder to a digital space. HR technology has boomed in the past few years, allowing users to view employee data with ease. Onboarding, payroll, benefits administration, reports, and more are now more automated and organized in one place; saving the business money and leaving users with less manual work. Compliance Laws are ever changing, and keeping up with new state and federal compliance laws may feel challenging. For example, for the past few years the biggest trend in the workforce has been the rise of remote work. A business that has employees spread across multiple states needs to consider each state’s minimum wage laws, different tax charges, among other considerations. As employers continue expanding remote work opportunities in the US, consideration of state and federal employment laws need to be considered to prevent potentially costly penalties. Partnering with a PEO can provide the support and long-lasting relief that you can rely on. Retention & Culture Partnering with a PEO gives your business the opportunity to offer Fortune-500 level benefits packages, continued training and development sessions for employees to learn from, and a solid foundation to foster a positive culture. Creating a culture of appreciation, recognition and accountability will create strong teams and open communication for employees. Having a strong HR team can create standards and expectations that in the long run, you can have a culture that people want to be a part of! What Makes ESC a Top-Class PEO? HR: We never lose sight of the “human” in human resources. We have a team of 24 HR professionals with expertise in many different areas. We provide on-call and on-site support, custom employee handbooks, policy development, and more. Our HR strategy can help clients take their business to the next level, including working with them to create dynamic corporate cultures where top-notch employees will thrive, and providing training and development to improve employees’ skill sets. We are Local: ESC is a locally owned and operated PEO located in Buffalo, NY. We are a local business that wants to support and serve other local businesses in WNY. We are proud to provide on-call and on-site support to our clients. From facilitating training to handling delicate employee situations, ESC’s HR professionals arrive on-site ready to support you. Designated Team: Our clients have a designated team that they build a relationship with. At ESC, there is no such thing as calling a 1-800 number looking for help. You can always reach out to one of your designated team members who knows you and your business needs. Customer service: We value customer service, because without our clients, we would not be in business. Our team is always an email or phone call away whenever you have a question or request. We work collaboratively as a team to problem solve, trouble-shoot and make your day easier. Check out our friendly team! Cutting-Edge Technology: We utilize innovative HR technology that allows you to navigate your employee data with ease. Need to run a payroll report? No problem. From time-tracking to ATS and LMS systems, we’ve got you covered. ESC is proud to be a member of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO). For the past 29 years, we have been helping local WNY businesses grow by providing our top-of-the-line PEO services. We practice what we preach and have been recognized as one of WNY’s Best Places to Work! If you would like to learn more about partnering with a PEO and how ESC can help your business and give you peace of mind, please contact us.