Staffing

You’ve Heard of the Big Quit, but What’s the Big Reason?

Tiffany Moore

VP, Client Partnerships

January 14, 2022

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, millions of people lost their jobs or were furloughed. But in the months following, millions more quit their jobs in search of a new situation. You may be an employee considering joining in the “Big Quit,” but what’s your big reason? Our staffing experts at That’s Good HR can help candidates analyze why you are thinking about shifting your career focus… and we can also help employers eliminate retention issues for current employees and hiring barriers for new employees.

Why are you considering the Big Quit?

Whether you lost your job or are choosing to leave, it’s time to think about what is most important to you. In this era of hiring, workers have the option to be more selective. As you apply for new jobs, what do you want most out of your career? Is it flexibility in working hours or the option to work from home? Do you want expanded insurance and benefits, higher compensation or specific perks you couldn’t find in your old position, such as paid training or tuition reimbursement? That’s Good HR will help you evaluate the benefit offerings for the open jobs you are interested in and help you decide which ones fit your needs the best.

Reevaluate why you work

Speaking of family, did you have to adjust your family structure during quarantine? Many parents found themselves watching toddlers with daycares closed or supervising virtual schooling. During this time, some families decided that they were comfortable with one parent working and one caring for children or aging family members. Others realized from that time at home that a career is very important to them.

Beyond family situations and needs, what else forms your “why” for working? Reexamine your lifestyle, mental and physical health and overall life goals. Is it time for a change from full-time to part-time or vice versa? Are you ready to make a move into a brand new career field? Do you want to fall back in love with your current career — or maybe want to look for a new position within your current field? No matter your job search goals, That’s Good HR staffing experts are here to help.

How is the Big Quit impacting employers?

As a part of the Big Quit, we are all likely aware of staffing shortages and how that is impacting day-to-day life. We have a number of open positions to fill for our employer clients, and we are working hard to match the best candidate to each one. However, there is still more that organizations can do to not just hire new employees but retain their current workforce.

Offering more benefits and perks

Our biggest recommendation for our employer clients is to look at your current processes for both hiring and retention, and determine how they can work even better. Eliminating hiring barriers, such as biases against gender, age or resume gaps, will make a huge difference in the candidates you find applying to your open positions.

Offering expanded job perks will also help you gain interest from candidates, such as full-time or hybrid remote work schedules, more wellness resources, mental health plans, child care assistance and stipends for education or setting up a home office. And as you revamp your job perks, don’t forget about your current employees. Revamping your benefits package should not only entice new candidates to apply, but should apply to your entire workforce to show your appreciation for their dedication to the company during these hard times.

Whether you are a candidate looking for a new career or an organization looking to hire new employees, we are all being affected by the Big Quit — and That’s Good HR can help. Let us come alongside whichever side of the search you are on by contacting our office online or at 317-469-4141 today!

Staffing

Are You Taking a Spring Break?

Mary Springer

Partner

March 27, 2019

Many employees across the U.S. are getting ready for Spring Break. Did you know that this time off from work may actually extend your tenure at your job? A recent IBJ infographic noted for every week that employees took off, it extended their stay at their company by eight months. We at TGHR know how important tenure is since our entire client services staff has been with the company for 10 years or more! In addition, as a result of every 10 vacation hours an employee took, their performance review was 8 percent higher.

Vacation is good for the soul as reported by the American Psychological Association in their annual Work and Well-Being Study. Sixty-eight percent of workers claimed they were more positive after returning from taking vacation time and 66 percent claimed to have more energy. This translated to 57 percent of employees feeling more motivated and 58 percent of workers saying they were more productive.

But does everyone use all their vacation time? In 2018 there were 212 million unused vacation days and only 41 percent of US workers said they felt encouraged by their companies to take their vacation. But companies who encouraged their employees to go on a vacation like Spring Break had employees that felt more valued and who were satisfied with their job. One of the most important statistics? The employees who worked at places who encouraged taking vacation said they were likely to recommend their employer as a good place to work, 81 percent versus 39 percent.

But having workers out on vacation can cause added stress on a company, but there’s no need to fret. That’s Good HR places people on temporary assignments for as short as one day. If you have someone headed out on Spring Break or if you are prepping for a summer vacation give us a call. We are ready to help so vacation can be stress-free for you and your employees!

Taxes

Tax Changes are in Effect

Greta Cline

Partner, CFO/COO

January 14, 2019

Please note, this content was written for informational purposes only, consult your own tax or accounting professional before filing your taxes.

Our tax blog summarizing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was one of the most read blogs of 2018. The new laws that were passed in late 2017, will go into effect with your 2018 tax return that is due April 15,2019. As a reminder, one thing that will make an impact is the change in the dollar amounts and percentages of the 7 different tax brackets. Here’s the breakdown so you can see which bracket you fall into.

A new W-4 form was also released in February of 2018. A W-4, simply put, is the form you fill out when you start a new job. The W-4 determines your withholding from your paycheck. You can update this at any time even if you haven’t recently changed jobs. A copy of this form can be found here. Give your updated form to your payroll department. They will ensure the changes are recorded properly in your payroll record.

Next, there are new amounts for a standard deduction. As a taxpayer you can chose to take the standard deduction or itemize your deductions. For a single filer (or if you are married but filing separately), the deduction has increased from $6,350 to $12,000. For Head of Household, the deduction has increased from $9,350 to $18,000. For married couples, the standard deduction has increased from $12,700 to $24,000.

Normally about 30% of taxpayers file their returns utilizing itemized deductions. Because of the increase in the standard deduction amounts, be sure to compare your total itemized amounts to the new standard deduction. It could make sense to claim the standard deduction this year.

Also, educate yourself on the itemized deductions that have new limits, or if you are no longer eligible to deduct that item at all. A $10,000 limit was added to SALT (State and Local Tax itemized deduction). Property taxes are local taxes that would be included in the new limit. Some common deductions – like your tax preparer fees – are no longer deductible starting with this filing. Other deductions that have gone by the wayside include un-reimbursed employee costs, moving expenses, employer-subsidized parking, loses due to theft, and union dues.

This is a high-level glimpse of some of the inaugural changes our 2018 tax returns will experience. We hope this inspires you to meet with your own tax/accounting professional before filing your 2018 return.

Healthcare

What is the #1 Benefit for Job Seekers?

Greta Cline

Partner, CFO/COO

October 3, 2018

Unemployment has continued to be at an all-time low, which means the labor market is tight. Finding qualified candidates can be a challenge. It’s a simple case of supply and demand, less people looking for work means quality candidates have more options. There is one key benefit that top employees look for when considering a new opportunity. Good news – it’s a benefit offered by That’s Good HR so you don’t have to worry about providing it to temporary or contract employees.

According to a recent study conducted by Essential Staff Care (ESC), availability of affordable, usable health benefits is a core indicator of employee interest in a position, attitude and longevity on the job. In addition, 87% of temporary employees say medical benefits are their most desired perk when job searching. Employees enrolled in the healthcare insurance plan that we offer are also more likely to stay on the job almost 4 weeks longer than those who do not have this valuable option.

More than half of Americans hold less than $1,000 in savings, meaning that one illness or injury could result in significant financial hardship. Having the option to enroll in TGHR’s health insurance option helps alleviate financial stress and gives temporary employees an affordable healthcare option, with no added expense to our client companies.

Another benefit to our candidates? The plan rates – which are paid weekly – have remained unchanged since 2010. This is just one way we can show we are committed to our candidates and prove that we want to attract the highest caliber employees for our clients.

Seasonal

Did You Take a Summer Vacation?

Mary Springer

Partner

August 16, 2018

As the dog days of summer begin to wrap up, more and more vacation days will go unused. According to a study conducted by Glassdoor, the average employee has only taken about half of their eligible vacation in the past 12 months. This could be because more Americans (66 percent) report working on vacation more than three years ago.

The average number of vacation days employees take has been steadily declining over the years. Thirty years ago, the average was around 20 days, but that has dwindled to just 16 days in recent years. The study also indicated that in 2016, 662 million vacation days went unused and if those had been taken, it would have contributed $236 billion in spending for our economy.

The study also revealed that forfeiting vacation time can have an impact on an employee’s performance, proving that a little R&R benefits both the employee and company. In addition, 47 percent felt shame at work for taking their vacation. There’s a simple solution to combat this shame. Book a temporary employee to cover during your worker’s vacation time. That’s Good HR has temps ready to go at a moment’s notice. You keep productivity up, your employee returns refreshed and guilt free – it’s a win-win.

So how do you get started? Easy – call us and describe your employee’s responsibilities. We’ll send you resumes to review of available temporary employees and you’ll be meeting them in no time. Then everyone can sit back, relax and take a well-deserved vacation without worrying about the company’s bottom line. Take advantage of summer before it’s too late!

About TGHR

What Do Employees Value?

Mary Springer

Partner

May 10, 2018

Recently, That’s Good HR was recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana. In fact, in the small business category That’s Good HR took home the fourth-place spot. To say we were thrilled to be in the Top 5 the first time we applied for the award is an understatement. But we don’t share our accolade to brag, but rather to share how to build a corporate culture that matters to your employees.

That’s where it starts – with your employees. And the number one thing you can do to make a difference in your corporate culture is to ask your employees what matters to them. Multiple industry studies cite better health/dental/vision insurance as the number one benefit an employee looks at when choosing a job. Can you make changes to your health benefit package that would help your employees?

Or perhaps your employees would rather a benefit that helps them achieve a better work-life balance like flexible hours or the ability to work remotely. Once again, you won’t know until you ask them. Is unlimited vacation time the answer? According to the Society of Human Resources (SHRM) only 1 – 2% of companies offer unlimited vacation time, therefore this may be a way to stand out from other companies in your industry.

Other benefits that employees value include tuition assistance, free/paid gym membership, employee outings such as lunches and team building events. For us at That’s Good HR, there’s a combination of benefits that our employees value – the key is finding out what works for your company. One of the advantages of participating in a program like the Best Places to Work, is participating companies, no matter what their rank, get a detailed report of what their employees value and what areas need some work. This can provide company leadership with a road map for future policies and updates.

Want to know more about our company culture and how we can help you find great employees who will love working for you? Contact us today, we are happy to share our experience with you.

TGHR News

Employee on unexpected leave…now what?

Tiffany Moore

VP, Client Partnerships

March 29, 2018

Having employees out, even it’s just for one day, can lead to undue stress on other employees. Not to mention, leave work unfinished and business unattended. Research shows that more than 10% of the workforce is on a qualified FMLA leave at any given time. Since it was signed into law more than two decades ago, 100 million employees have used this benefit.

There’s a simple solution if you find yourself with an employee unexpectedly out. Hire a temp through TGHR! Using temporary employees is a common solution. According to the American Staffing Association (ASA), staffing companies nationwide employed an average of 3.19 million temporary and contract workers per week in 2017. This is the third highest number of temp employees since right before the recession (2006). Temporary employees worked an average assignment of 10.7 weeks in 2017.

Temporary workers can work for as little as one day to cover your front desk or for a few months to run your payroll due to an extended leave of absence. At That’s Good HR, we’ve helped provide temporary workers for a one-day absence in a mail room or for a receptionist to cover a front desk for a day. We have provided temporary accountants for one week to three months and more. If you need HR support, a medical verification specialist or a customer service representative we have temps for those positions too.

Didn’t plan ahead? Not a problem. That’s why we are interviewing people daily so we can be ready for your call. We see this all the time and are happy to help in these times of need. Need a temp? Call us today!

TGHR News

Our Key to Success = Company Culture

Mary Springer

Partner

March 5, 2018

People before profits. That’s our company motto. Whether we’re placing a temporary employee out in the workforce, catering to one of our clients, or talking to our internal staff, we put people first.

This October That’s Good HR will celebrate 20 years in business and over the years That’s Good HR has never lost focus on what matters most – people. Ten out of our 15 employees have been at That’s Good HR for 5+ years and four team members can celebrate 10+ years with the company.

What’s our secret, you ask? Cultivating a positive company culture. We’ve never bragged about this before, but recently were honored as a Best Places to Work in Indiana. How did we achieve this honor? By creating a supportive, family-friendly environment by providing flexible schedules, including part-time options and work-from-home when needed options. TGHR employees like to come in the office too for employee appreciation lunches, pop-up smoothie bars, chili cook-offs and more.

We are always looking for innovative ways to appreciate our employees. So last year, after reading an insightful article, we introduced a new concept for TGHR – bonus days. Each employee, full and part-time employee alike, receives one bonus day per quarter. This day is designed to be used to do something for yourself like take time to pamper yourself, go shopping or take a long weekend. Bonus days are scattered through the quarter ensuring that not the entire office is off at once.

TGHR does many standard practices for employees, including offering great health benefits available from your first day of work, to having an employee of the quarter, complete with a comically large trophy, and a swinging holiday party celebrated in January with spouses.

Twenty years ago, That’s Good HR was founded out of a desire to do staffing better. This includes treating people better too – our candidates, our clients and our internal employees. Want to work with us and see why we’re one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana? Reach out and our team would be happy to show you.

Healthcare

What Makes Temp Employees Stay on the Job Longer?

Greta Cline

Partner, CFO/COO

October 5, 2017

With unemployment rates still at an all-time low, retaining temporary workers continues to be top of mind for employers and staffing agencies like That’s Good HR.

The current debate regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not help as benefits are a top reason talent is retained. That’s Good HR offers the required ACA health care plans to all full-time temporary workers, but there is low participation in these plans.

We are committed to our candidates and want to attract the highest caliber employees for our clients. One of the ways we do this is to offer other health insurance options, including a fixed indemnity insurance plan. Indemnity plans offer the freedom for employees to choose their own health care professionals and visit almost any hospital they choose. Employers have been using traditional indemnity plans since the World War II era. Interestingly, before World War II only 10% of employees had health coverage from any source, but by 1955 (10 years after the War) nearly 70% of workers had health insurance, according to The Essentials of Managed Health Care.

We believed that this type of insurance plan could be a better fit and more useful to a temporary employee. This month a study was released that confirmed that this was the right decision. Essential Staff Care, known as ESC, tabulated data from more than half a million temporary staffing employees across the country. The study revealed that temporary employees enrolled in an ESC Indemnity Plan stayed on their assignment 47% longer than employees not enrolled in an indemnity plan. That is good news for That’s Good HR, since this type of plan is the most popular option for our candidates. Another benefit to them? The plan rates – which are paid weekly – have remained unchanged since 2010.

Offering insurance options to our candidates helps attract better and more qualified candidates to fill open positions. The ACA requires us to offer specific plans to maintain compliance, but we also chose to offer the indemnity plan that temporary workers can afford and use. Temporary employees with this health insurance are more likely to recommend their employer to other job seekers and have fewer health related absences, according to the study.

According to the study, more than half of Americans hold less than $1,000 in savings, meaning that one illness or injury could result in significant hardship. Medical benefits rank as the number one job perk that employees are looking for and 69 percent of candidates nationally say they would consider one job over another if the benefits were better. Having the option to enroll in the indemnity insurance helps alleviate financial stress and gives temporary employees an affordable option in addition to the ACA compliant plans that we offer.

Providing this insurance and explaining the options to employees is just one of the many services That’s Good HR provides our clients – saving them time and money. The American Staffing Association states 60% of employers feel overwhelmed with the increased complexity of managing benefits packages and 7 out of 10 employers believe they cannot keep up with the changes. The good news? That’s Good HR isn’t one of them. Give us a call, we’ll take it from here. In your newfound free time, read the full study by ESC.

HR Insights

5 Ways Health Benefits Help Your Company

Tiffany Moore

VP, Client Partnerships

December 15, 2016

Think health care benefits aren’t excruciatingly important? Think again. A Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey found 95 percent of HR professionals ranked health care as one of the top three benefits for employees. This explains why nearly 20 percent of companies have changed their health benefits in order to retain talent.

So why all of this buzz about health care? With rising health care costs and federal coverage mandates, employees are valuing health care benefits now more than ever as an extension of their income. But the value extends to employers, too. Here are the top five reasons health benefits should matter to you.

1. Talent Recruitment

A business is only as good as its employees—which makes hiring quality workers a top-notch priority. With the competitive job market, the best companies are leveraging health benefits to find the best talent. Not only that, companies are also ensuring future employees understand the value of health benefits. According to the SHRM survey, only 14 percent of HR professionals felt their employees were “very knowledgeable” about their health benefits. Yikes. As your company recruits new talent, it’s important to educate—and woo—your future employee with ins and outs of your health benefit plan.

2. Talent Retention

Hopefully you’ve already hired some awesome employees who do great jobs. Now the trick is to keep these talented gems from leaving for greener grass. This Monster survey found employees rank health care plans as the most important benefit offered by employers. So while having more desirable health plan options might cost you money up front, it can also save you hiring time, money, and headaches in the long haul.

3. Job Satisfaction

We all appreciate feeling valued—in our families, relationships, and at work. When you offer a high-quality health plan to your employees, they will get the message that your company cares. You’ll hopefully end up with employees who are happier at work and more likely to give you their best.

4. Healthier Employees

The cost of health care has risen dramatically over the years, but companies that offer health benefits make care more affordable and more likely to be taken advantage of. Most solid plans include preventative care, cancer screenings, and reduced prescription costs, giving your employees accessible care when they need it most.

5. More Productivity

Our productivity at work is closely linked to job satisfaction and health. When our employees feel valued in their job, they tend to care more about the quality of their work and being productive. The same goes for health—a healthy employee is more likely to use fewer sick days and get more done. This increased productivity boosts business and can save your company valuable time and money.

Health benefits are continually becoming critical HR tools for many companies. At TGHR, we provide multiple health care plan options to our employees. Let us take care of your company’s staffing needs, and we take care of providing health care benefits to your temps and temp-to-hire employees, giving you less to worry about—and happier, healthier employees at your place of business. Want to know more? Get in touch today!