Blog
We’re the people behind payroll.
Payroll Management is a family-owned and operated independent payroll processing, HR, time and attendance, and tax support services provider for small and medium-sized businesses that want personalized service from real people.
What are effective ways to manage remote employees and monitor their work?
Answer from Sarah, PHR, SHRM-CP: Managing remote employees can certainly be a challenge. Here are some of the practices we recommend: Set measurable goals around quality of work. Whether employees get their work done to your satisfaction is more important to your...
How to Design a Powerhouse Team
Many Americans get their first job working at a fast-food chain. You may have been one of them. If so, you probably remember your first day. Maybe you started at a register. Or perhaps you began in the kitchen. Either way, you had a lot to learn in a short amount of...
One of our employees has taken on a second job, and I’m concerned the additional work might hurt his performance or interfere with his work for us. What do you recommend?
Answer from Kyle, PHR: If you haven’t had previous issues with this employee’s performance, I wouldn’t worry too much about his taking a second job. Side jobs are common, and many people manage them just fine. You can certainly reiterate your performance expectations,...
We have under 100 employees and are not required to mandate the COVID vaccine. We’re considering doing so anyway, but we’re also interested in other ways of encouraging our employees to get vaccinated. What incentives have been most effective?
Incentives are a good idea if you don’t want to mandate the COVID vaccine. Bonuses have been shown to convince at least some hesitant employees. You could, for example, establish a policy that every vaccinated employee gets $100. If you go the monetary incentive...
What questions should an employer avoid asking during the recruiting and interview process?
Answer from Brody, PHR, SHRM-CP: You should avoid questions that are not job-related or that cause an applicant to tell you about their inclusion in a protected class. These would include questions about race, national origin, citizenship status, religious...
What should I do if an employee moves to a different state and will be working from there?
Answer from Emily, SPHR: There are several things you need to do if an employee moves out of state: If you don’t already have other employees there, you’ll need to set up payroll tax accounts in the new state. The state in which the employee physically works is the...
What is a leave entitlement?
Answer from Kyle, PHR: The term leave can refer to just about any type of time away from work, but it’s often used to describe time an employee is entitled to take by law or company policy. Common leave entitlements include vacation, personal days, and sick days....
Maine Law Alert: Alert Icon Maine Bans the Box, Expands EEO, and More
Maine has banned the box, added familial status and status as a domestic violence victim to its list of classes that are protected from employment discrimination, and added caring for a sick grandchild as a reason to take family and medical leave. All changes are...
Performance Reviews and How They’re Good for Your Business
In some businesses, end of year performance reviews consist of a manager lecturing employees on their behavior of the past year with little room for employee input. No wonder reviews can make employees nervous and discourage engagement! Break the mold and elevate your...
What is a disability?
Answer from Kim, SPHR, AAM, CPIW: Our definition of disability comes from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the ADA, an individual with a disability is a person who: Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major...
Some of our employees have been careless on the job and broken company property. Can we deduct the cost of replacing the broken items from their paychecks?
Answer from Monica, SPHR, SHRM-CP: Probably not. Many states have imposed significant limitations on what kinds of things employers can take a deduction for, and often the deduction also requires employee consent. In addition, most deductions that would take an...
What are protected classes?
Answer from Kyle, PHR: Protected classes—also sometimes called protected characteristics—come from anti-discrimination law. We talk about them with respect to employment laws, but they also come into play in housing and education. The classes and characteristics...
Payroll Management, Inc.
550 Center Street STE 1210
P.O. Box 1837
Auburn, ME 04211-1837