Category Archives: Employment

Pre-employment Background Checks 5 Reasons Why Smbs Should Conduct Them

Posted on by

Labor experts tell us that 8 out of 10 hiring professionals do some form of pre-employment background screening. Yet many medium and small businesses and are still dependent on traditional methods of pre-employment background screening, such as checking up on references. This article explores why many SMBs avoid professional employment background checks, and the risks and dangers of doing so.

Why Many SMBs Don’t Do Pre-Employment Background Screening

Lack of concern. Some SMB managers believe that only cops, teachers, and doctors should be subject to employment background checks. That point of view is outdated. Nowadays, many private companies are consistently performing pre-employment background screening, for the reasons listed in the second half of this article.

Lack of Internal Support and Expert Knowledge. Many SMB leaders assume that any pre-employment background screening they do must be done in-house. The prospect of training an employee to carry out background checks is intimidating to most managers, especially since it could very well take a person months to research the best background check procedures. However, partnering with pre-employment background screening outsourcing firms allows all companies quick, convenient access to employment background checks.

Overestimation of Cost. Many SMB leaders hold a misconception about pre-employment background screening, namely that it’s exorbitantly expensive. If you’re open to the possibility of outsourcing your employment background checks, you can typically conduct pre-employment background screening for no more than $50 per job candidate.

Top 5 Reasons Why SMBs should Conduct Employment Background Checks

1. Decreased Costs. You’ll find better job candidates if you conduct pre-employment background screening. Improved hiring means that you’ll spend less money counteracting negative PR, lose less money to negligent hiring lawsuits, and see fewer employee-generated losses, such as embezzlement. Finally, it’s typically much less expensive to outsource employment background checks, rather than doing them in-house.

2. Fewer legal trip-ups. Each state has its own law in place regarding negligent hiring. These laws are intended to protect the public by preventing dangerous individuals from being hired for delicate positions. As an example, many states’ alcohol laws require that employees have three years of felony-free history before they can be hired for a job that involves serving alcohol. Failing to check out candidates backgrounds through pre-employment background screening opens you to the risk of being sued or fined for failing to do your due diligence on new hires.

3. Safer Employees. Human Resource gurus estimate that 1 out of 10 job applicants have a criminal history. If you don’t carry do employment background checks, it’s more likely that you’ll hire a dangerous individual who could hurt your employees, your customers, and your business’ reputation.

4. Accelerated hiring. The majority of pre-employment background screening companies offer results in 48 hours. In this sense, outsourcing employee background checks can mean speedier hiring. In just a day or two, you can get the information you need to determine if that seemingly perfect candidate has any skeletons lurking in his or her closet.

5. Discover dishonesty in applications. Here’s another scary HR statistic for you: researchers calculate that approximately 4 out of 10 resumes feature deceitful omissions, if not total lies. Employment background checks reveal such dishonesty so that you can avoid hiring mendacious individuals.

As we’ve seen, there are many reasons why owners of small and medium-sized businesses should arrange employee background checks.

Requirements For Singapore Employment Pass Eligibility

Posted on by

There are three categories of Employment Passes in Singapore: the P1 Employment Pass, P2 Employment Pass and Q1 Employment Pass. Before considering to apply for a particular employment pass, it is important that you possess all the required criteria to be eligible for the employment pass you are applying for.
The basic requirements to be eligible for a Singapore Employment Pass is that the foreigner applicant must have a fixed monthly salary of at least S$2,500 and must possess the recognized qualifications which includes acceptable degrees, professional qualifications or specialist skills. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is the authority that evaluates each EP application and qualification, based on a criteria that includes the following: global and country institution rankings by independent accreditation boards, hiring history by top companies in Singapore, validation by HR consultants in listed countries, employment outcome of the institution’s graduates, and the institution’s enrollment standards.
In addition to the foregoing basic requirements of monthly salary and recognized qualifications for a Singapore EP, each of the three categories of EPs have specific eligibility requirements and this article will discuss each of these categories briefly:
P1 Employment Pass
A P1 Employment Pass can be given to an applicant who performs a Professional, Managerial, Executive or Specialist job and has a fixed monthly salary of at least S$7,000.
P2 Employment Pass
A P2 Employment Pass can be given to an applicant who performs a Professional, Managerial, Executive or Specialist job and has a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,500 and not more than S$7,000.
Q1 Employment Pass
A Q1 Employment Pass can be given to an applicant who performs a Professional, Managerial, Executive or Specialist job and has a fixed monthly salary of at least S$2,500 and not more than S$3,500. An applicant who does not possess the recognized qualifications as discussed in the first part of this article can still be eligible for a Q1 EP provided he possesses compensatory factors such as skills and years of experience, depending on the discretion of the MOM. A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience is a plus factor.
A fixed monthly salary, as discussed above, refers to the total regular income of a foreign employee earned from his job, including his basic salary, and this income must be paid to the employee on a fixed monthly basis, regardless of his performance.
A fixed monthly salary and/or basic salary does not include the following: additional payment by way of overtime, bonus or commission; any form of reimbursements or in-kind payments; any sum paid to an employee or contract worker to defray special expenses incurred by him owing to the special, unusual or hazardous nature of the employment; any productivity incentive payments and any allowances which are variable in nature; any contributions paid by the employer or employee to any pension or provident fund; or any gratuity payable on discharge or retirement.

Entrepreneurial Options

Posted on by

Very few people ever got rich by working for someone else. Leaving aside pop musicians, sportsmen and similarly gifted people, the only way to acquire wealth by work is to build a business of your own. The type of business you decide upon will depend on: a) how much money you have available as start-up capital and working capital; b) your business idea; and c) your confidence level.

There are three types of business: 1) the traditional one in which you are reliant solely on your own efforts; 2) a franchise where you follow a proven idea and receive considerable training and back-up from the franchise company; and 3) network marketing.

Each business type has its pros and cons.

The traditional business requires considerable financial input, either from your own resources or part-funded by your bank. You may need to rent premises; buy equipment; hire staff; pay for advertising, brochures, stationery, and stock. A frighteningly high percentage of this type of business fails in the first year. To succeed you need: a good idea, considerable financial backing, good health, an understanding spouse, and stamina. If you do succeed you will own the business outright and benefit from all the profits.
Franchises have a high success rate. Banks like them because each franchise operation has a proven track record and thus the banks can accurately judge the risk, consequently they will lend money for this sort of start-up. However, all the support and training comes at a price: the initial entrance fee is likely to be very high, and a percentage of the business’s turnover has to be paid to the franchise company.
Network marketing, also known as multi-level marketing, has many advantages and few disadvantages. The entrance fee is low and the ongoing expenses are even lower. A network marketing business can be started in your spare time – in fact that is the best way to approach it. Start small, and keep at it. The secret is perseverance, get past the first year and you should find the business has a sound foundation from which you can build a serious income. It is said that 95% of those who survive ten years in network marketing become wealthy beyond their wildest expectations.

So which type of business is for you? If you wish to provide a service or product where you have previous experience from, say, a former employment, the traditional business will be probably be the best choice. However, if you are just tired of working for someone else and making them rich and wish to strike out on your own, then a franchise or network marketing must be the preferred option.

The choice then is determined chiefly by the funds you have access to, and the time and effort you wish to put into your enterprise. A franchise will require substantial funds and 100% commitment. You are jumping in at the deep end, although the franchise company will provide training and support to help you to swim.
On the other hand you can ease yourself gently into network marketing by starting part-time while you continue with your current employment, building your business by ploughing back profits if necessary. Persevere and there will come a time when the income from your own business will be sufficient to support you financially. You will then be able to leave your employment and concentrate on your business, spending more time on it or enjoying considerable free time with your family.

Inland Revenue P46 Tax Questions With Notes On Accepting The P46 Form

Posted on by

A new employee may not have a P45 due to circumstances of first job, student, first employment in the current financial year, immigrant worker, P45 lost or perhaps not issued by a previous employer or issued late. If a new employee does not give the new employer a P45 on the day employment commences then the employer has a responsibility to ensure the new employee completes a P46 form

Completing the Inland Revenue P46 form is the method an employer uses to advise HMRC about the employment of a new employee who does not have a P45.

2. P46 forms should be sent to HMRC on the first pay day they are paid allowing a short period of time for a new employee who does not have a P45 to obtain one.

3. A new rule was introduced from 6 April 2008 if the employee has ticked either box A or B then the P46 revenue form does not have to be sent to HMRC until that employee earnings reach the lower earnings limit. PAYE records still need to be produced by the employer but official notification to HMRC is not required unless the lower earnings level is exceeded.

Should the earnings of the employee continue to be below the lower earnings limit then the earnings and employment would still be advised to HMRC on the P35 annual employers return.

4. If the new employee does not complete the Inland Revenue P46 form before the first pay day then the new employer should complete section one. Section one includes the employee name and address, date of birth and national insurance number.

5. If the employee does not have a national insurance number then the employer must also advise the job centre. It is important to advise the authorities when the employee does not have a number to avoid illegal employment laws. The P46 revenue form can still be submitted to HMRC without a national insurance number who have the facility to trace the number from the information supplied.

While preferable for the employee to sign the P46 form the P46 tax form can be submitted by an employer without the employee signature.

6. If the employee does not complete the P46 the employer must deduct tax using a BR tax code taxing all earnings and excluding personal tax allowances.

7. The tax code to be applied to new employee earnings is dependent upon when the employee joined and which of the boxes A, B or C are ticked on the P46 tax form.

If box A is ticked then apply the emergency tax code which from 6 April 2008 is 543L and after 7 September 2008 and the new tax code 603L. Tax is deducted on a cumulative basis. If box B is ticked then apply the emergency tax code which from 6 April 2008 is 543L and after 7 September 2008 and the new tax code 603. Tax is deducted on a week 1 or month 1 basis.

If box C is ticked then apply the BR tax code. Income tax is deducted on cumulative basis.

If none of the boxes A, B or C are ticked then apply the BR tax code and deduct tax on a cumulative basis.

8. If the new employee has ticked box D then student loan deductions should be made with effect from the first pay date provided the earnings level for deduction of student loans has been reached. Refer to the student loan deduction tables at Student Loan Table to determine how much should be deducted.

9. P46 forms can be filed online by an employer. When the Inland Revenue P46 form is filed online the employer should also have kept a record of how the information submitted was obtained.

10. Before the P46 Inland Revenue form can be filed online the employer must have obtained the facility to do so by registering with HMRC for a PAYE scheme. The HMRC website contains free software that can be used for this purpose.

Unfair Dismissal from employment

Posted on by

Many employees are facing different types of problems from the employers which is not related to them or not for their mistake. Sometimes they will get fired from job for reasons that do not apply for them. Have you been forced to leave the job for petty reasons? You may have a cause of action against the employer for unfair dismissal if it is not the case.

The exact definition of unfair dismissal is when an employer action is the termination of the employment contract is contrary to the Employment Rights Act 1996. For example, if you were fired without reasonable cause or dismissal if your employer has not followed the correct procedure or even if you were fired for cause automatically unfair, such as maternity leave.

There are some that are automatically unfair dismissals and if you feel any of these situations, it is most likely a case of legal action. If your employer has completed its work in trying to exercise a legal right such as maternity leave, minimum wage, time off for public service as a juror or parental leave, must verify their claim arose and then continue with the action the right way. If you feel you have been discriminated against on grounds of sex, race, sexual orientation or disability, do not be intimidated by the job. Unfair dismissal is taken very seriously by a court and must be taken seriously by the employer as well.

A claim for unfair dismissal must be removed within three months after the last day of employment in order to solve the problem quickly and more accurately. The case must be brought before an employment tribunal and the prosecution side can come with or without legal representation. If you feel that you have a case to sue for unfair dismissal, you may want to contact your local council to local citizens before acting. There are procedures to follow when a claim which must be observed.

First, you should try to solve the problem with your employer, can be a simple case of misunderstanding. You can contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), who are working to resolve disputes without going to trial. They can talk to an expert to help mediate the situation and possibly resolve it. Other than these there are few legal agencies that can help to solve such issues legally in short period.

If this problem persists, you can take legal action. Most employees must have worked at least one year for the employer before they can make a claim if it is a breach of your legal rights. To make your claim, you must complete an ET-1 form. You can contact a lawyer for the job before making the final decision to proceed as they will be able to ensure that any actions you take are correct. Online forms will be sent directly to the right person and then forwarded to the employer who has 28 days to give reply. If you have no time to do all these things then it is better to seek the help of professional lawyers.