Recovering After the Capital One Crisis: What Employers Need to Know About Cyber Security

Data breaches are on the rise – here is what employers need to know

Cyber SecurityThe data breach at Capital One is a global security crisis that has impacted millions of people. Sadly, breaches like these are only becoming more common, and employers have a responsibility to protect their employees and their clients.

It is estimated that phishing scams costs the United States half a billion dollars each year. From direct deposit scams to fraudulent PDF files, there has been a shocking rise in these email phishing scams. Indeed, Microsoft’s Security team reports that these malicious phishing emails have increased by a whopping 250 percent.

So, what do employers and employees need to know in order to protect themselves from these scams?

First, it’s crucial that you educate everyone on your team about phishing scams and how to make safer choices online.

“It’s important to understand that it is not enough to simply be aware and cautious when it comes to your own online behavior,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and human resources expert. “Your entire company can be negatively impacted across the board if just one employee gives up access to your Office 365 account or similar program. Once the phisher has that foothold, they can access an entire wealth of information, and they can then use this position of power to gain access to more info and phish other people on your team.”

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The Top Five Payroll Pitfalls

Employment trends expert explains how to circumvent common payroll problems

PayrollPayroll errors cost your company more than just time and money, they also gravely harm the trust between you and your employees.

“When payroll makes an error, even a small one, it can make a major impact on the employee’s personal life,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and human resources expert. “They may feel as though their effort isn’t respected or valued by their employer, and it can lead to very costly and pervasive issues like absenteeism and presenteeism.”

Wilson’s employment solutions firm, Employco USA, helps companies of all sizes with their payroll. “We work with companies who still take the old-school approach of handwritten timesheets and we work with companies who do everything electronically,” he says. “Many of our clients come to us after they have experienced expensive errors from doing payroll on their own. While it is possible to submit your own payroll via Quickbooks and other technology, outsourcing payroll can be a wise move especially as our political landscape continues shifting and requirements are changing.”

Here, Wilson outlines the top 5 mistakes which he has seen negatively impact companies’ payroll.

Lack of compliance with state and federal regulations. “Keeping up with the reciprocal agreements between states is really important, yet I have seen clients neglect this issue or be confused about how to approach it,” says Wilson. “For example, if you have an employee who lives in Indiana but works in Illinois, you need to consider which state takes precedent when it comes to payroll taxes.”

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Podcast: The Top Five Payroll Pitfalls

Rob, Scott, and Jason with special guest Gerri LeCompte (Vice President of Payroll Services) discuss the top five payroll pitfalls; from late filings and tax deposits to staying compliant with changing regulations, voiding and reissuing adjustment payments, incorrect taxation of earnings, and more.

Running payroll is complicated. Small business owners, looking to control costs, occasionally decide to run payroll themselves. But even small errors can result in large fines and penalties, in addition to your time and effort to correct it. Employco can help alleviate the pitfalls associated with payroll, contact us today to see how we can help.

Payroll Pitfalls

Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com

Billions of Dollars in Burnout: “Sunday Night Dread” Speaks to a Costly Employment Issue

Employment trends expert discusses new research on employee burnout

Employee BurnoutA new study has found that ‘burnout’ costs the healthcare industry $4.6 billion a year. Another recent study found that nearly half of firefighters grapple with burnout which is linked with sleep issues and mental health concerns.

“Burnout is a common denominator across every industry,” says Rob Wilson, employment expert and President of Employco USA. “And research shows that workplace dread spikes around Sunday night, with workers experiencing extreme stress related to returning to the workplace on Monday morning. Millennials are hardest hit by this Sunday night dread, and a full quarter of them say that they experience mental burnout each day.”

Preventing employee burnout is important for a company’s bottom line, says Wilson.

“One million workers skip work each day due to the physical and emotional stress of employee burnout,” says Wilson. “It is estimated that employee burnout costs employers nearly $300 billion annually. So while some employers may balk at encouraging employees to enjoy their job, it could be a crucial part of your business’s success and longevity.”

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(Article) “By 2030, 20 Million Workers Will Lose their Jobs to Robots”

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, was recently quoted in an article for the Veterans News Report’s online journal VNR:

Robot Worker“As machines become cheaper to build and artificial intelligence technology becomes more comprehensive and affordable, many industries are going to become robot-centric,” says Rob Wilson, expert in the field. “Just look at the automotive industry: Starting in the 1980s, companies were spending billions of dollars to create robots to perform basic tasks in their automobile factories. Now, 43 percent of the world’s robots are used by the automotive industry. We should expect to see a similar trend in manufacturing as well, although the good news is that robots create jobs in some fields even as they take them away in others.”

Wilson cautions that battles over minimum wage could increase the application of artificial intelligence in some industries, especially as it relates to entry-level, unskilled work.

“Findings show that fast-food workers could be at serious risk of losing their jobs to robots in the next several years. One study found that each new robot added per 1,000 workers causes wages to drop in the surrounding area by around 0.25 and 0.5 percent,” says Wilson. “We can clearly see that in specific industries, the impact of automation can not only impact job numbers, but also a worker’s wages.”

Follow the link to read more:

Veteran News Report Logo

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Why Won’t the Aviary Fire Employee Who Assaulted Eric Trump?

Human resources expert offers commentary on the crime and the upscale lounges slow reaction

The AviaryAs the country continues to process the news that Eric Trump was spit on at The Aviary in Chicago, the upscale cocktail bar has released a statement regarding the incident. The statement reveals that the employee is on leave, but says they will not comment further about any internal H.R. matters at this time.

Chicago-based human resources expert, Rob Wilson, says this is a big mistake.

“When an assault has been committed, especially an assault which occurred in public with several witnesses, the only recourse a company should take is termination,” says Wilson, President of Employco USA. “Regardless of your politics, this is a crime, and right now The Aviary seems to be trying to appease everyone by opting to play the waiting game.”

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By 2030, 20 Million Workers Will Lose Their Jobs to Robots

Employment expert discusses breaking new study which spells disaster for manufacturing employees

RobotA new study from analysis firm Oxford Economics predicts that by 2030, over 20 million workers in the manufacturing industry will lose their jobs to robots.

“As machines become cheaper to build and artificial intelligence technology becomes more comprehensive and affordable, many industries are going to become robot-centric,” says Rob Wilson. “Just look at the automotive industry: Starting in the 1980s, companies were spending billions of dollars to create robots to perform basic tasks in their automobile factories. Now, 43 percent of the world’s robots are used by the automotive industry. We should expect to see a similar trend in manufacturing as well, although the good news is that robots create jobs in some fields even as they take them away in others.”

Wilson cautions that battles over minimum wage could increase the application of artificial intelligence in some industries, especially as it relates to entry-level, unskilled work.

“Findings show that fast-food workers could be at serious risk of losing their jobs to robots in the next several years. One study found that each new robot added per 1,000 workers causes wages to drop in the surrounding area by around 0.25 and 0.5 percent,” says Wilson. “We can clearly see that in specific industries, the impact of automation can not only impact job numbers, but also a worker’s wages.”

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(Article) “How AI Is Transforming HR With More Sophisticated, Less Biased Recruiting”

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, was recently quoted in an article for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s digital publication CO:

How AI Is Transforming HR With More Sophisticated, Less Biased Recruiting“Artificial intelligence is driven by algorithms — sets of rules based in part on historical data that computers use to guide decisions. For example, if history shows that employees possessing specific traits have proven successful in a given job role, AI algorithms rank highly applicants with those same attributes.

While AI automates mundane tasks, it’s the greater power of AI that gives HR pause. Employers know they are prohibited from asking applicants about marital status and religion, but if AI teases out that information indirectly, without consent, companies run the risk of violating discrimination laws.

“There are still a lot of bugs. One bug is discrimination. There are examples where women and older applicants have been weeded out,” said Rob Wilson, president, Employco USA, an HR outsourcer.”

Follow the link to read more:

CO by U.S. Chamber of Commerce

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

OSHA Inspections Continue to Climb to Record Numbers: Here is What Employers Need to Know

H.R. expert explains the growing number of OSHA inspections & why many employers aren’t prepared  

OSHAOn the heels of a frightening bridge crash in Miami, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta recently said that he “fully expects” OSHA inspections to increase once new inspectors are trained. Acosta’s remarks are in line with the significant increase in enforcement actions employers have seen in the past two fiscal years.

“The DOL’s enforcement actions across the vast majority of its offices and agencies have increased in the past two fiscal years,” says human resources expert Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, a national employment-solutions firm with locations across the country.

OSHA inspections exceeded 32,000 in both 2017 and 2018, compared to 31,948 inspections in 2016. And, increased inspections could be the reason why workplaces have seen decreased accidents, with 40,000 less workplace incidents and 43 less fatalities when comparing 2016 and 2017 numbers.

What does increased action by OSHA  mean for employers?

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