Businesses that operate multiple locations may have a more difficult time providing reliable human resources services to employees. When people are working in different offices, not to mention other states, it can be a strain on the HR professionals trying to ensure regulation compliance, effective benefit administration and general support for employees. An outsourced HR technology platform can help these types of enterprises better manage employee needs throughout all of their locations.
Building a more cohesive unit
BizLibrary noted that when a company operates in multiple locations, it becomes easy to forget that employees in the other offices exist unless everyone is in constant communication with one another. Since this isn't always the case, HR professionals will want to avoid causing those workers in one location to feel as though they aren't part of the corporate whole. Maintaining cohesion across all offices is important for morale and productivity. Part of this unity can be built from within the HR department. Consistent procedures for all employees when it comes to submitting paid time off requests, receiving paychecks and learning about benefit options are important.
Maintaining tax compliance
For businesses with locations in multiple states, familiarity with each state's tax regulations and filing requirements is enormously important, though often confusing. BizFilings discussed this issue, stating that a state's income tax affects payroll tax withholding and reporting. Disability programs also vary from state to state and can affect the ways in which a business files returns each year. In addition, New Hampshire and Tennessee are slightly more complicated, in that they impose income tax but only to employee dividend and interest income. There are even some cities or counties around the country that impose municipal-level taxes.
Some businesses also have to take into account employees that work in one state but live in another. An employee may commute from Indiana to an office in Chicago, or from New Jersey to an office in New York. These workers will require slightly different tax approaches. Employers should be aware of any reciprocity that exists between states, as this can change the ways these particular employees need to file taxes.
Improving accuracy
Rather than asking employees to take it upon themselves to deliver paperwork on PTO requests, benefit changes or time and attendance tracking, an outsourced HR technology platform provides a more efficient and accurate method for tracking this information. Employers can avoid massive amounts of paperwork piling up on one HR professional's desk from a multitude of office locations by streamlining these processes. This avoids the risk of inaccurate entries or incorrectly filled out paperwork and gives employees and managers more time to focus on their own duties. It's also important that businesses effectively track their labor force. This is harder with multiple locations. Making more informed decisions on workforce and labor processes is possible with HR technology.
Maintaining high quality professional development
It's no secret that the key to retaining the most talented employees over time is for HR to provide opportunities for learning and growth. However, with many people in different states or offices, this task often falls by the wayside. Outsourcing HR technology takes the pressure off of both managers and employees themselves to seek out career development. A service-oriented team of experienced HR professionals can provide an enormous amount of support to businesses and their employees when it comes to career development. Since outsourcing is a more affordable option, these enterprises can also increase the value their workers contribute, while saving on what would otherwise be an expensive investment in an internal HR department.
Corporations attempting to manage multiple locations should consider outsourced workforce management technology sooner, rather than later.