ICFiles
SOC 2
Secure File Transfer Soc 2 starts at $1 per month
A Resource to Outsource
General Business News
March, 2001
A Resource to Outsource
Itâs time for a little slight of hand this month.
Several months ago, we told you that your single most important resource was probably your employee(s). We then went on to tell you how to keep those employees so you wouldnât spend a fortune hiring replacements.
Wellâ¦
â¦This month we are here to tell you there is a good possibility that you donât need to have any employees â not even yourself.
Have we got your head spinning now? If we do, donât worry, we arenât quite as radical as we sound. We are, however realistic and well aware that some employee benefit solutions are too expensive for smaller firms.
Letâs face it, if you are General Motors trying to provide health insurance or 401(k) plans for your employees, you are going to get a much better deal than you would if you have only two employees. In fact, some of the better 401(k) solutions require minimum annual deposits that are impossible for small employers to meet.
So whatâs the solution? In a word â outsource. Or, if you are a professional organization, maybe PEO (Professional Employee Organization). Sometimes this outsourcing is called employee leasing, but all it boils down to is you pay someone else to take care of your human resource needs.
How does employee leasing work?
An employee leasing organization basically hires the employees for you and pays all of the associated costs for the employee. In turn, you pay them for the costs of the employees plus a percentage to cover the administrative overhead.
If you already have employees, many employee leasing organizations will hire those employees as their own. Then, the employees (including you, if you wish) are leased back to your company. You get the best of both worlds.
On one hand, you no longer have the headache of finding insurance companies or tax table updates for withholdings. You donât have the weekly or monthly payroll checks to calculate and write, nor do you have the administrative burden of accounting for all the paperwork associated with payroll.
On the other hand, you still have the employees you want. You may be able to provide them with better benefits to boot!
For example, take a company with 13 employees. After running through the numbers, this company could increase the employeeâs take home pay at a net cost of approximately $15,000.
âHold on, you said this would save me money,â you may say. At first blush, this doesnât tie in with what we have said previously. However, in this actual example, most of the savings comes from a reduction in health insurance costs. If you factor in the average health insurance cost increase for this company versus that of the staffing agency, the net savings to the employer in year two would be $20,000 to $40,000, if past experience holds true for the future.
Staffing agencies can also provide better options for health insurance policies than can most small employers as well as providing stronger 401(k) and other pension plans.
Other benefits are often available with staffing agencies that arenât generally available with small employers. Availability of affordable group life insurance, credit unions and group disability can add up to a big advantage in attracting and retaining employees in a tight employment market.
All in all, at a relatively small cost or no cost at all, staffing agencies can do wonders for small employers and their employees.
How do I decide if employee leasing is for me?
There is no magic answer as to what is the best route to take â leasing verses directly employing personnel. On a case-by-case basis you simply have to run the numbers.
You can scan the web to find out what leasing agencies are available in your area and have the products you need. Ultimately, however, you are going to need a quote from several vendors to determine if the costs are reasonable. Then, you talk to other clients of the agencies that interest you.
If these steps lead you to the decision leasing is good for you, then you speak to your key employees and sell them on the idea. Remember, employee buy-in on any major organizational change is critical in your companyâs success.
Donât have the time for all the investigation and numbers crunching? Donât worry, we do. Give us a call and letâs discuss whether people are a resource you can outsource. After all, thatâs why we are here.
Several months ago, we told you that your single most important resource was probably your employee(s). We then went on to tell you how to keep those employees so you wouldnât spend a fortune hiring replacements.
Wellâ¦
â¦This month we are here to tell you there is a good possibility that you donât need to have any employees â not even yourself.
Have we got your head spinning now? If we do, donât worry, we arenât quite as radical as we sound. We are, however realistic and well aware that some employee benefit solutions are too expensive for smaller firms.
Letâs face it, if you are General Motors trying to provide health insurance or 401(k) plans for your employees, you are going to get a much better deal than you would if you have only two employees. In fact, some of the better 401(k) solutions require minimum annual deposits that are impossible for small employers to meet.
So whatâs the solution? In a word â outsource. Or, if you are a professional organization, maybe PEO (Professional Employee Organization). Sometimes this outsourcing is called employee leasing, but all it boils down to is you pay someone else to take care of your human resource needs.
How does employee leasing work?
An employee leasing organization basically hires the employees for you and pays all of the associated costs for the employee. In turn, you pay them for the costs of the employees plus a percentage to cover the administrative overhead.
If you already have employees, many employee leasing organizations will hire those employees as their own. Then, the employees (including you, if you wish) are leased back to your company. You get the best of both worlds.
On one hand, you no longer have the headache of finding insurance companies or tax table updates for withholdings. You donât have the weekly or monthly payroll checks to calculate and write, nor do you have the administrative burden of accounting for all the paperwork associated with payroll.
On the other hand, you still have the employees you want. You may be able to provide them with better benefits to boot!
For example, take a company with 13 employees. After running through the numbers, this company could increase the employeeâs take home pay at a net cost of approximately $15,000.
âHold on, you said this would save me money,â you may say. At first blush, this doesnât tie in with what we have said previously. However, in this actual example, most of the savings comes from a reduction in health insurance costs. If you factor in the average health insurance cost increase for this company versus that of the staffing agency, the net savings to the employer in year two would be $20,000 to $40,000, if past experience holds true for the future.
Staffing agencies can also provide better options for health insurance policies than can most small employers as well as providing stronger 401(k) and other pension plans.
Other benefits are often available with staffing agencies that arenât generally available with small employers. Availability of affordable group life insurance, credit unions and group disability can add up to a big advantage in attracting and retaining employees in a tight employment market.
All in all, at a relatively small cost or no cost at all, staffing agencies can do wonders for small employers and their employees.
How do I decide if employee leasing is for me?
There is no magic answer as to what is the best route to take â leasing verses directly employing personnel. On a case-by-case basis you simply have to run the numbers.
You can scan the web to find out what leasing agencies are available in your area and have the products you need. Ultimately, however, you are going to need a quote from several vendors to determine if the costs are reasonable. Then, you talk to other clients of the agencies that interest you.
If these steps lead you to the decision leasing is good for you, then you speak to your key employees and sell them on the idea. Remember, employee buy-in on any major organizational change is critical in your companyâs success.
Donât have the time for all the investigation and numbers crunching? Donât worry, we do. Give us a call and letâs discuss whether people are a resource you can outsource. After all, thatâs why we are here.
These articles provide general information on tax, accounting, and financial topics for small businesses and individuals. They are educational in nature and are not specific legal, accounting, financial, tax, or other professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such. This content was prepared by Service2Client and may have been reviewed or edited by the website owner for accuracy and compliance. Look for a trust mark below for verification details. No representation is made that any approach described will achieve a particular result, and no regulatory or professional body has reviewed or endorsed this content. Because each situation is different, readers should consult a qualified professional about their specific circumstances before acting. Images accompanying these articles are protected by copyright and may not be copied or reused.
Dynamic Content Powered by Service2client.com
SEO Content Powered by DynamicPost.net
