MAMTC MINUTES (MAY) - 8 Tips for an HR Compliant Workplace

A large number of manufacturers have indicated that they are currently experiencing or expect to experience workforce challenges in the next five years.  Yet, many of these manufacturers have not taken the steps towards becoming an employer of choice, a status which will help in the retention of skilled workers and attraction of new workers.  Here is a great place to start your transformation:  

One important aspect of being an employer of choice is ensuring that you have an HR compliant workplace.  While this may seem administratively burdensome, focusing on this ensures consistency, compliance and provides operational guidelines to support risk mitigation and reduced exposure.  This includes ensuring employment files are complete and remain confidential, handling state/federal regulations, addressing employee concerns, conducting performance reviews and administering other functions that support your company’s growth and success. Knowing which areas of your business that require improvement is the first step. Implementing a strategy to address the issues with the guidance of a full-fledged HR audit will be sure to optimize the inner workings of your workplace.

8 Tips to ensure an HR compliant workplace

■ Retain confidential information in a secure location.   Filing confidential documents (medical, forms with personal information, etc.) securely and inaccessible to any unauthorized individuals is required.

■ Set up your I-9 documents in a uniform format.   Keeping your employees’ confidential documents securely filed is mandatory for legal requirements and confidentiality purposes. It will also protect your company during any independent, state or federal audit, if necessary.

■ Streamline and simplify on-boarding processes for new employees.  On-boarding and training new staff members are essential components to overall individual and company success. Take the time to properly train your new hires and gradually increase the workload as they progress in order to give them a comfortable amount of time to learn your policies and their new job.

■ Create and regularly update your employee handbook.  Having company guidelines, policies and procedures as reference points for all employees is key to operational success. An employee's ability to understand company expectations helps them succeed, while protecting the business.   

■ Update job descriptions for your personnel records.  Maintaining detail-oriented job descriptions for each position provides employees and new-hires with a better understanding of your company and what the position requires. Update the descriptions as needed to remain current with changing industry and business needs.

■ Explain benefits and salary information.  Providing specific information on health insurance coverage, vacation time, sick days, overtime policies and salary is an important aspect of employee engagement. Having these details available to all employees provides a sense of commitment and security.

■ Conduct performance reviews semi-annually or annually.  Implementing documented metrics and feedback in your reviews will give your employees a comprehensive view of their progress. The more thorough your approach, the better your employees will respond to your feedback on opportunities for improvement and acknowledgement of successes.

■ Prevent issues of harassment.  Conducting mandatory training sessions for ALL employees will stress the importance of employee harassment avoidance. Provide your employees with their legal rights and courses of action should harassment occur. Implement an open-door policy and take every situation seriously should a staff member approach a manager with a harassment claim.

As the availability of skilled workers becomes more scarce, those manufacturers who have set up a solid foundation as an employer of choice will find that they have the competitive advantage in retaining and attracting employees.  Additionally, their businesses are better structured to mitigate risk that can be associated with having employees.   

Content provided by MAMTC's California MEP partner, CMTC.  

Contact MAMTC if you are interested in an HR audit to help you optimize your workplace HR operations and move closer towards becoming an employoer of choice.