Think you don't have to worry about healthcare reform because you don't have 50 or more employees? Think again!

Most of the hype about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the healthcare reform law better known as Obamacare, has been surrounding the employer mandate. Employers with 50 or more…

There is no question that Registered Nurses (RNs) play an integral role in modern healthcare. As the population ages and healthcare reform requires all Americans to get insurance, possibly pushing more peple into the healthcare system, the services of RNs will become even more vital.  The question is, how will hosptials and other healthcare facilities deal with this demand?

A…

There's a new sheriff in town when it comes to worker misclassification.

Many employers use 1099 independent contractors (ICs) to reduce the costs associated with workers.  By utilizing ICs, employers avoid paying the employer share of payroll taxes, the expenses associated with Workers' Compensation and unemployment, employee benefits costs, and the time and money associated with administering various employment tasks.  However, employers can't just call a worker an…

If your client requests a credit check on a candidate for a professional contract assignment, you should do it, right? Not necessarily. You could actually be breaking the law if you comply with this simple client request!

Nine states (California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Colorado) have laws restricting the use of credit information in employment decisions. Colorado is the latest to pass legislation, which goes into…

According to a recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article, I-9 audits are on the rise (membership may be required). In 2004, only three audits were conducted compared with 3,004 in 2012. Simple paperwork errors can cost employers up to $1,100 per violation.

If you serve as the W-2 employer for your contractors, you are…

When you hear about contract-to-direct arrangements, you usually hear about how client companies use them to test drive candidates. These arrangements give companies the chance to see a potential new hire "in action" rather than just depending on the typical interview and hiring process to determine whether they are the right fit. They can evaluate a candidate's skills and work ethic before they make a direct hire commitment.

But a recent  …

According to Forrest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." The same could be said of hiring.  Despite companies best hiring efforts, they are often unpleasantly surprised by what they get.

Citing Careerbuider stats, a recent article from the Staffing Stream titled …

One of the trickiest things about running your own back-office is navigating the complex web of state and local laws.  Paid sick leave (PSL) is an area where recruiters need to be especially careful.  With no paid leave laws on the federal level, some states and cities are taking matters into their own hands. Most recently, the city of…

Chances are you've heard the phrase "Do what you do best and outsource the rest." That phrase rings particularly true when it comes to recruiters who make contract placements.

Contract staffing provides a great opportunity for recruiters to increase their sales and establish a steady, predictable income stream.  But it also comes with a number of time-consuming and complex financial, administrative, and legal duties associated with employing the contractors, including…

As expected, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 H-1B visa cap was met less than a week after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting petitions.

H-1B visas are issued to allow employers to hire foreign workers with specialized knowledge or technical expertise in disciplines such as science, engineering, and computer professions.  The USCIS sets a cap each year for how many H-1B visas it will issue.

On April 1, USCIS began accepting petitions for visas subject to…

The good news for staffing firms regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or Obamacare, is that it has the potential to push more companies toward contract staffing. Under the employer mandate, companies with 50 or more employees will have to provide healthcare insurance to them in 2014. By utilizing contractors who are the employees of a back-office or a staffing firm, smaller companies can keep from going over the 50-employee threshold.

But…

In the current employment environment, you likely won't have to tell many client companies what contractors can do for them. They already get it. They want the flexibility and cost savings that contract staffing offers and are actively pursuing contractors.  

But there are still a few employers out there that don't understand why they should use contractors and often question the cost. With these clients, recruiter Mario Fidanzi of MedTeam Staffing says recruiters…

A year and a half after it was launched, the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (VCSP) is not only still available, it has been expanded.

Through the program, employers who voluntarily reclassifiy 1099 independent contractors (ICs) as W-2 employees will only be required to repay a small portion of the back…

Staffing firms are being brought into the ongoing debate about immigration reform.

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, D-Iowa, is introducing legislation that would prohibit staffing firms from bringing in H-1B visa holders, according to Staffing Industry Analysts.  Specifically, it…

 “There isn’t any money in the budget." "We are under a hiring freeze right now.”

How many times have you heard these objections? Or how about "We'd love to use you, but we just can't afford the placement fee right now?" In this economy you may hear “no” to a direct hire more than you like.  But there is another option you could consider that helps the client and is easier on the budget: a contract-to-direct hire solution.  This allows the client to…

A lack of qualified health IT professionals could prevent some healthcare providers from receiving government funding to implement Electronic Health Records (EHRs) at their facilities, according to Staffing Industry Analysts, citing data from a PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) Health Institute…

Recruiters who can satisfy ALL of their clients' staffing needs as sole-source providers could find themselves in demand as companies look to streamline hiring processes.

Just as employers utilize contractors to run leaner and cheaper, they are also looking to cut costs and improve efficiency in their hiring processes. They are achieving those goals by adopting a "blended workforce" approach, according to a…

If you are running your own back-office for contract placements, you will need to start using a new version of Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) soon.

Employers are required to have an I-9 completed for each new hire to verify that they are authorized to work in the United States.…

If you are a recruiter, you are quite familiar with the phrase "cultural fit," but in most cases it's coming from a client who wants to make sure a new hire will fit in with the existing team. But cultural fit is an important requirement for job candidates, too, especially for Millennials.

A…

If your clients are planning to sponsor a foreign worker on an H-1B visa, you might want to advise them to start preparing now.

H-1B visas allow employers to hire foreign workers with specialized knowledge or technical expertise, such as scientists, engineers, or computer professions. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B visas subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2014 cap on April 1.

The cap on H-1B visas for those with…