Employee Handbook

Employee Handbook

Benefits of an Employee Handbook:

  • The employee handbook is important communication tool that gives your workers information about the organization's history, products and services, compensation and benefits and general employment policies and procedures
  • It establishes basic ground rules for employee conduct, setting the tone for employer-employee relations
  • Provides a point of reference for determining if policies are being carried out consistently and responsibly

What AmeriBen/IEC Group Provides:

  • All of our clients have access to our sample employee handbook, available from the Resource Center
  • We review myriad handbooks every year. Depending on the package you have, a handbook review could be included in the your annual service fees. If a handbook review is not included in the price of your package, ask your consultant for an estimate.
  • It takes the Resource Center 4-6 weeks to review a handbook line by line. Our recommendations are provided in either an electronic copy, in hard copy, or both, depending on client request.

Handbook Reviews are for Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Arizona and Washington. Reviews for states other than our core states, can be completed on a chargeable basis.

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Employment Application Review

Benefits of the Employment Application:

Employment applications allow employers to gather a factual, uniform record of each applicant's qualifications for a position. Compared with other hiring tools, job applications offer several advantages:

Employer Control
On resumes, applicants can decided how much to reveal and how to present their qualifications. In contrast, the set format of job applications leaves little discretion to an applicant.

Job-relatedness
Resumes can reveal personal information that is not job-related and can lead to selection decisions based on illegal considerations. Provided questions are carefully screened for relevance, job applications can limit the amount of extraneous information that enters the selection process.

Uniformity
Because of their rigid format, job applications ensure that comparable information is collected from all candidates. This uniform set of data makes it easy to compare candidates' qualifications and helps defend against discrimination claims.

What AmeriBen/IEC Group Provides:

  • All of our clients have access to our sample employment application, available from the Resource Center.
  • We can review your employment application to ensure you are asking the most lawful and pertinent questions to applicants. Some packages include this service with the annual fees, other packages can purchase this service for a discounted rate. Please ask your consultant for an estimation.
  • It takes the Resource Center 1-2 weeks to review an Employment Application. Our recommendations are provided in either an electronic copy, in hard copy, or both, depending on client request.

Application Reviews are for Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Arizona and Washington. Reviews for states other than our core states, can be completed on a chargeable basis.

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Human Resources Assessment

The HR Assessment, developed and administered exclusively by AmeriBen/IEC Group, is designed to help your organization ensure federal and state regulatory compliance. In addition, it provides a unique opportunity to evaluate your organization's current effectiveness and needs in a variety of areas that drive organizational performance.

Once your Human Resource Assessment has been reviewed, we will contact you to arrange an in-person meeting or phone conference to discuss our findings, make recommendations for improvement, and answer any questions you may have.

The HR Assessment covers the following areas with a total of 137 questions. The answers are quick and simple in a Yes or No format:

  • Policies and Procedures - 8 questions
  • Staffing - 35 questions
  • Performance Management - 17 questions
  • Compensation and Benefits - 46 questions
  • Training and Development - 6 questions
  • Employee Relations - 9 questions
  • Workplace Safety, Labor Relations, and HR Compliance - 16 questions

For more information on the HR Assessment, please contact AmeriBen / IEC Group at
1-888-432-8811.

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Employee Engagement Survey

A Window to the Soul of Your Organization

Your Primary Focus: Profitability and Productivity

Any employee issue or concern that disrupts your ability to provide high quality products and superior services to your guests impacts productivity and profitability.

Why You Really Do Want to Know the Opinions and Feelings of Your Employees

  • To focus on retention and reduce turnover.
  • To demonstrate you care about employees and their issues and concerns.
  • To improve communication.
  • To maintain positive employee relations and a union-free environment.
  • To identify management development and training needs.
  • To improve supervisory skills and competencies.
  • To identify and respond to any potential harassment, sexual harassment or discrimination issues and concerns.
  • To provide a formal confidential process to respond to employee needs.

Administration Objectives

  • Ensure credibility and trust in the process.
  • Maintain absolute confidentiality.
  • Provide a process for meaningful feedback to supervisors.
  • Provide for flexibility for on-site or on-line administration of the survey.
  • Provide meaningful statistical data that is easily interpreted.
  • Provide flexibility to clients to customize questions specific to their culture.
  • Provide a systematic process for addressing all issues and concerns identified.
  • Ensure commitment for communication of results to employees with action plans and management accountability.

Contact Us
For information on how AmeriBen/IEC Group can help you plan and administer a confidential Employee Engagement Survey, or to arrange an informational meeting, please call us at 800-536-1444.

We are also able to provide customized surveys to fit our clients' needs.

Contact us for more information.

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360 Degree Review

Coaching To Improve Leadership and Management Skills

"Employees do not leave organizations; they leave managers"

Retention of employees at all levels of your organization has never been more critical. Any manager who is ineffective in his or her leadership or management responsibility impacts employees and productivity. The relationship which is developed and maintained with employees will make or break the success and profitability of an organization.

Why you should develop leadership and management skills at all levels of your organization?

  • To demonstrate you care about the success and support of managers and supervisors.
  • To coach and develop leadership and management skills.
  • To provide competent and skilled managers who will effectively supervise employees.
  • To create personal accountability for managers.
  • To identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
  • To create personal action plans, which managers develop and implement.
  • To provide a formal confidential process to respond to manager and employee needs.

Administration Process-The 360° Review can be completed on line or on-site.

  • Ensure credibility and trust in the process.
  • Maintain absolute confidentiality.
  • Provide a process for meaningful feedback to supervisors.
  • Provide for ease of administration.
  • Provide meaningful statistical data that is easily interpreted.
  • Provide a systematic process for addressing all issues and concerns identified.
  • Ensure commitment for communication of results to managers with action plans and management accountability.

Contact Us
For information on how AmeriBen/IEC Group can help you plan and administer a confidential 360° Review, or to arrange an informational meeting, please call us at 800-536-1444.

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Affirmative Action Plans and Plan Updates

Do I need an Affirmative Action Plan?

If your organization employs over 50 employees

AND one of the following statements applies to your organization:

1. Your company is a recipient as a contractor or subcontractor of federal funds totaling $50,000 or more per year.

2. Your company serves as a depository of Federal funds in any amount.

3. Your company is a financial institution that is an issuing and paying agent for U.S savings bond and savings notes in any amount.

Then the answer is YES, you need an Affirmative Action Plan and AmeriBen/IEC Group can help!

What Can IEC Group Do?
AmeriBen/IEC Group can help you in all your affirmative action needs from Affirmative Action counseling to preparation of the actual plan. AmeriBen/ IEC Group uses a computer-assisted program which is specifically designed to fulfill the mandated regulations.

The program enables AmeriBen/IEC Group consultants to customize recruiting areas and census data specific to your organization. The electronic record-keeping of your Affirmative Action Program and corresponding data enables your organization to develop consistent follow-up programs accurately and efficiently. We are also available to conduct EEO/AAP audits and to assist with the implementation of an Affirmative Action Program.

What you get with AmeriBen/IEC Group:

  • An accurate and comprehensive plan with yearly updates
  • All materials (posters, forms) required for Affirmative Action compliance
  • Experience consulting staff to answer questions and help with implementation
  • A sophisticated Action Plan to address any under-utilization found in our analysis of your organization
  • Optional employee training

Contact Us
For information on how AmeriBen/IEC Group can help you prepare your Affirmative Action Plan, to check your current plan for compliance, or to arrange an informational meeting, please call us at 800-536-1444.

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In-House Training

Occasionally the need arises to have a training done in-house. Maybe you feel your organization needs to get on the same page about sexual harassment or maybe you want some team building exercises. Whatever the reason, we can help you out. AmeriBen/IEC Group offers myriad options for training.

We can customize just about anything to meet your organization's need. Our highly experienced consultants work with you in identifying needs and developing appropriate trainings to address your organization's areas of opportunity. Below is a list of the classes we currently offer.

If you don't see something that you're interested in, just ask us! We're always updating our developed course offerings, so chances are we can do that training for you or direct you elsewhere if necessary.

Developed Course Offerings:

  • Change Management
  • Coaching and Counseling the Problem Employee
  • Communicating Effectively in the Workplace
  • Conflict Management for Supervisors and Managers
  • Customer Service Excellence
  • Developing High Performance Teams
  • Leadership
  • Leads Training for Developing Managers
  • Managing Stress Before It Manages You
  • Motivation
  • Peak Performance
  • Performance Assessment
  • Process Improvement
  • Progressive Discipline and Termination
  • Putting the Incentive Back into Compensation
  • Retention Strategies and Turnover Reduction
  • Sexual Harassment Prevention
  • Team Building Exercises
  • Time Management: Your Key to Life Balance
  • AmeriBen/IEC Group has the ability to customize trainings to meet our clients' needs.

Contact us for more information!

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Recruiting Services Offered by AmeriBen / IEC Group

Let AmeriBen / IEC Group bring you top candidates for a significantly lower cost than a standard recruiting service.

Employee Recruitment

Recruiting is certainly one of the most critical human resource functions. AmeriBen / IEC Group can help member companies recruit and hire qualified employees. You can count on AmeriBen / IEC Group's highly-trained consultants to undertake all of the recruiting process on behalf of your company. You will have the reassurance that a professional recruiter is working with you to find just the right person for the job.

Recruiting Services to Fit your Needs

Recruiting services offered by AmeriBen / IEC Group include:

· Job advertising - AmeriBen / IEC Group has a variety of resources, including the best web-based recruiting sites and networking groups that will help attract the most qualified candidates.

· Review and screen all resumes - AmeriBen / IEC Group will thoroughly screen all resumes to select the top candidates for interview.

· Conduct screening interviews - AmeriBen / IEC Group will further narrow down the applicant pool by conducting both telephone and in-person interviews.

· Company interviews - AmeriBen / IEC Group will arrange for final candidates to meet with client.

· Notify unsuccessful candidates who were not selected.

· Conduct reference checks. AmeriBen / IEC Group would check up to five personal and professional references. The client would be responsible for criminal or credit background checks and for degree verification.

Outplacement Services

AmeriBen / IEC Group is pleased to offer career transition services. Our program has been developed to in the following ways:

· Dealing with job loss

· Assessing qualifications and strengths

· Considering the options

· Developing a self-marketing plan

· The resume

· The interview

· Letter writing

· Networking

· Use of the internet

· References

· Resources

· Getting off on the right foot

Our outplacement program will assist the individual in formulating a plan to begin their job search, in constructing an action-oriented resume and in polishing their interviewing techniques.

Orientation workshop:

· Overview of the outplacement services

· Self-marketing plan workbook

· Strengths finder 2.0: Assessment key and book

· Scheduling future one on one follow up

One-on-one coaching:

· Three to five one on one coaching sessions

· Resume updating

· Where to begin your job search

· Target markets and companies

· Alternate resources

· Interviewing to individual strengths

Orientation session and one on one coaching will be facilitated by Mimi Henninger, SPHR and/or Jennifer Paauwe-Riffe, SPHR; both are Senior Human Resources Consultants for AmeriBen/IEC Group.

 

Contact information:

Office Phone: 503-626-7527

Mimi's email: mhenninger@iecgroup.com

Jennifer's email: jpaauweriffe@iecgroup.com

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Compensation Design and Administration

AmeriBen / IEC Group's Compensation Design and Administration is a systematic approach to pay and benefits, designed to enhance your organization's ability to attract, retain and motivate employees, while controlling payroll costs. AmeriBen / IEC Group's compensation program uses internal equity and external competitiveness as a foundation. We will ensure that your organization's pay structure is right for you and compatible with your long-term compensation strategy.

Why does your organization need a Compensation Program? What benefits will it provide?

Too often, organizations approach compensation in an unpredictable or haphazard way. They pay what they think is right, without establishing a systematic, logical basis from which to make compensation decisions. As a result, these organizations over pay some employees, while wondering why they can't keep others. In contrast, AmeriBen / IEC Group's Compensation Program involves a comprehensive examination of your base pay, incentive pay, and benefits programs, which achieves the following bottom line results:

  • Attract the right employees to fill your open positions.
  • Ensure that each employee is paid equitably when compared with other employees within your organization.
  • Control payroll costs.
  • Ensure that your compensation system complies with federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Compensation Program Outline

  • Job description development
  • Class Specifications for each position
  • Salary market survey
  • Develop pay ranges for grades
  • Develop program costing
  • Develop policies and procedures
  • Performance evaluation
  • Management training

AmeriBen / IEC Group can customize the Compensation Program to meet your organization's needs. At the conclusion of the program, you will have the tools required to successfully manage your compensation package for years to come. For additional information, contact AmeriBen / IEC Group at (503) 626-7527.

 

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