employee handbook Archives

COVID-19 and Your Employees: Can You Require Vaccination?

April 27, 2021 | posted by Abacus Payroll

As of April 2021, many adult Americans are finally eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. To keep employees and customers safe, employers may be wondering: Can I require my employees to be vaccinated? It is a little more complicated than a simple yes or no answer. While it is a personal health issue, federal and state […]

How to Handle Annual Performance Reviews in Your Small Business

December 1, 2019 | posted by Abacus Payroll

Annual performance reviews provide, in theory, a welcome check-in and debrief period for employees and employers alike. Unfortunately, arbitrary rating criteria and a lack of communication between employers and employees can lead to annual performance reviews becoming nothing more than busy work that’s dreaded by everyone involved. While critiquing an employee’s performance never gets easier […]

6 Tips for Making Smarter Hiring Decisions

June 11, 2019 | posted by Abacus Payroll

Hiring and training new employees is one of the toughest jobs you face as a manager or business owner. Even when there are plenty of applicants, finding the right one is still time-consuming. Here are some tips for each stage of the process – from identifying your requirements to interviewing candidates. 1. Know Exactly What […]

Updating Your Employer Handbook for 2019

May 31, 2019 | posted by Abacus Payroll

Your employee handbook should be a go-to compendium of resources to help both you and your employees keep your workplace compliant and employee-friendly. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy for you to let your employee handbook’s contents go without an update for long enough that it no longer mentions relevant criteria, thus landing you […]

Better Job Descriptions for Better Hiring

May 22, 2019 | posted by Abacus Payroll

While not a required aspect of the hiring process, a proper job description can be the difference between a well-oiled machine and total pandemonium. Unfortunately, what can be a pivotal document often becomes overburdened with legalese, tired phrases, and a profound lack of inspiration. Here are a few ways you can attract inspired candidates and […]

Tips for Employers on Disaster Proofing Your Business

March 21, 2019 | posted by Abacus Payroll

Regardless of whether you’re hundreds of miles away from hurricane zones or right in the middle of one, here are a few ways you can ensure that your employees know what to do to react to—and even prevent—disasters. Practicing Responsible Actions Some of the most catastrophic side-effects of any disaster are often man-made and panic-induced. […]

Dress Codes: Revisiting Company Policy in 2019

March 6, 2019 | posted by Abacus Payroll

For many businesses, gone are the days of requiring employees to wear three-piece suits, shined shoes, and cuff links. The “Silicon Valley effect”, as some call it, has facilitated changes in dress code ranging from business-casual five-day weeks to straight-up jeans and hoodies. This seems as good a time as any to remind business-owners of […]

How Do You Protect Remote Workers?

February 27, 2019 | posted by Abacus Payroll

As property costs continue to rise, many employers have turned to a cost-effective alternative: the remote employee. Unfortunately, while the benefits of employing remote workers outweigh the cons, there are some safety-related downsides to having an extensive list of remote employees on payroll. Here are a few ways you can cut down on the risks […]

Marijuana and Your Workplace: Developing an Effective Cannabis Policy

October 3, 2018 | posted by Abacus Payroll

In the era of decriminalized marijuana, you may find yourself struggling to keep a drug-free workplace while accommodating recreational or medical users. While your first instinct may be to initiate consistent drug tests, the truth of the matter is that vigilance and clear policy are more effective in the long run. Here are a few […]

Creating a Remote Work Team

July 5, 2018 | posted by Abacus Payroll

Telecommuting is one of the hottest commodities in modern business: companies offer the ability to work from home as an incentive or reward, productivity apps geared toward remote management are virtually unavoidable, and an unprecedented number of traditionally brick-and-mortar services have opted for the lower overhead which accompanies this phenomenon. If you’re interested in creating […]