Solve HR

03/27/2023

Guide for Two–Factor Authentication
What is Two-factor Authentication (2FA)?
Two-factor Authentication (2FA) is an extra layer of security to protect critical information, like your online accounts. Every time you log into an account with a password and receive a verification code via email to verify your identity, you are using 2FA. It means that, in addition to your password, you need a second credential to confirm your identity before logging in.

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Guide for Two–Factor Authentication What is Two-factor Authentication (2FA)? Two-factor Authentication (2FA) is an extra layer of security to protect critical information, like your online accounts. Every time you log into an […]

09/21/2022

Wellness and Wellbeing of Your Team
Studies have found that teams who feel that their leaders care about their overall wellbeing achieve higher customer engagement, profitability, productivity, reduced attrition, and fewer safety incidents. These are all significant advantages, but they don’t demonstrate how leadership behavior can specifically improve employee performance and how to focus on the employees as individuals.
The overall Employee Experience is just now starting to get the attention it deserves, and it’s not all about benefits and perks. A lot of companies mistakenly think that because they offer free soda and pizza on Fridays, or other general concessions, that they’ve met the Employee Experience standards or expectations. Often, this can be in response to office chatter or noticed lack of employee engagement. To employees, this can be perceived to be disingenuous or inconsistent.
COVID and how it has impacted a variety of people in a variety of ways, has highlighted the need for leaders to have a more focused and attentive approach to the wellbeing of their employees. People’s expectations of work have fundamentally changed after their experiences with the pandemic.
The terms “wellbeing” and “wellness” are often used interchangeably, but their meanings are quite different.
Wellness describes a healthy lifestyle, whereas wellbeing consists of the broader holistic aspects of a well-lived life, of which wellness is only one part.
People have innate psychological needs that affect their wellbeing and motivation. We naturally and actively seek ways to meet these needs because our brain recognizes them as a reward; if we’re not able to meet them, our brain registers this as a threat.
• Feeling a sense of ownership and direction in their work.
• Providing input when deciding how work gets done.
• Expressing ideas and opinions.
• High energy and enthusiasm
• Feeling connected, understood, and valued by others.
• Being committed emotionally to the organization and their team.
• Being liked and getting along with colleagues.
• Sensing value from people at work.
• Knowing they make a difference.
• Using their strengths every day.
• Being confident in their abilities.
• Feeling a sense of accomplishment in their jobs.
The goal is not to ask people to be touchy-feely or intrusive with engagement; instead, the concept nudges people to care about others. Critical to the success of an employee wellbeing program is the demonstration of empathy, which is simply the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This is most easily accomplished by asking quality questions that make employees feel valued, capable and in control. Not everyone welcomes an emotive approach or wants to bleed out their emotions and feelings, so it’s important that the questions promote thoughtful reflection about the issue at hand.
Many people think that mental toughness is bulldozing your way through obstacles or worse, remaining silent. That might work in football, but not in life. Instead, mentally strong people understand how to manage their thoughts, emotions and behavior in ways that will set them up for success. Emotional Intelligence allows leaders to understand not only others in greater depth but themselves as well.
When developing an employee wellbeing initiative, align it with the overall needs of employees:
• Clarify how it will help people live fuller lives.
• Assure people that when they take an active role, others will listen.
• Expressing ideas and opinions.
• Take care not to offer extrinsic rewards which can undercut the intrinsic motivation that wellbeing provides people.
Often, there is a significant disparity between what leaders believe is happening and what their teams perceive to be happening. So, it takes more than a simple approval by leadership to ensure employee wellbeing programs attract the employee’s attention. To get the best results, get buy-in from your employees. Consider people’s lived experiences; get their opinion on what wellbeing looks like to them and their thoughts on work-life balance, leisure, job quality, social connections, and trust.
Show commitment and longevity so that people understand that wellbeing is more than a passing fad. They need to see how it will help them to solve problems both at work and at home. Creating and fostering a culture of employee wellness and wellbeing is crucial in this new post COVID world we are living and working in.
And…. Company culture is the result of values plus behavior. It’s what people in the workplace do when no one is looking.
Unlike many wellness programs, employee wellbeing initiatives don’t require a lot of specialized training and everyone can contribute on some level.
All it takes is to 1) observe, 2) listen, and 3) ask meaningful and specific questions. And when leaders take the initiative to do those three things, others will follow their example in a trickle-down effect.
Here are some suggestions:
Observe. Which employees exhibit low energy? Struggle to deliver on timelines? Appear distracted or disengaged? Take a lot of sick days? Come in late? Keep to themselves?
Listen. Let people know that you’ve observed their behavior in a non-judgmental way. Open the topic up and then leave room to listen to their response. Listening well takes time, skill, and a readiness to slow down, to let go of expectations, judgments, and defensiveness. Before helping people, you need to show them that you understand their fears and anxieties are real. You need to listen to them and let them know you are there to help them get through these difficult times and having a seek to understand conversation can be the first step.
Ask. One of the best questions is, “How are things going for you today?” A more general question like, “How are things going?” is usually answered with an automatic response: “Fine.” But when you add the phrase “for you today,” it acknowledges that we all have highs and lows and that you care about how they are doing now. Finally, follow up with the individual to let them know you heard them, that you sincerely care and that you follow up and/or follow through with any actions you determined or discussed to make.
The next phase of Employee Wellness and Wellbeing starts with each and every one of us. Employee engagement, fostering a trusting culture, open and welcomed communication and pulse checks on the heart of the team by asking meaningful questions with movement towards action. This is the recipe for continued success in the workplace.

08/20/2022

COVID-19 Changes this Month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled significant changes on August 11th as part of a sweeping effort to overhaul the agency's COVID-19 guidance.
"This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives," CDC's Greta Massetti said in a statement announcing the changes.
Among the biggest differences in the new recommendations:
• The CDC's COVID-19 prevention guidance will no longer differentiate by whether people are up-to-date on their vaccinations.
• Testing to screen for COVID-19 will no longer be recommended in most places for people who do not have COVID symptoms.
• The CDC says people who have tested positive for COVID-19 can stop wearing masks if their symptoms have improved and they test negative twice in a row — initially on the sixth day after their infection began, and then again on the eighth day.
• And the CDC says that "to limit social and economic impacts, quarantine of exposed persons is no longer recommended, regardless of vaccination status."
The CDC told reporters on August 11th that the recommendations are being revised to simplify the myriad of federal COVID-19 guidance into an easier "framework."
Please visit CDC link for more information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html

06/24/2022

Communicating to Build Trust
How you communicate with employees matters so much more than just the words and ideas you convey. At work, your communication skills are critical to building and maintaining trust.

When you communicate with employees, you’ll want to gain and build their trust. That leads to quick clarity and understanding.

Lead with empathy

Create a sense of togetherness when you share information, showing how it affects all of you in similar ways. You can also show compassion by recognizing how it will affect the team or individuals in different ways. Your caring tone of voice and body language are as important as the words themselves.

Be transparent, accountable

Employees want to trust what their bosses say. It’s important to treat workers as adults and be direct and truthful, especially when it’s bad news. Be transparent, explaining what you know, how you know it and how and when you’ll share more.

Communicate regularly

Managers can’t just drop information on employees and let it sit. You want to make sure employees don’t feel ignored after you’ve shared critical information.

The best way to maintain trust and employee engagement is to communicate relevant information often. Add “Ask Me Anything” discussions or daily email updates to your communication tools.

Make it a two-way talk

As much as you share information, you’ll want to get input and insight. Use employee voices to communicate up the line of management, sharing their valid concerns and expectations.

Even better, schedule time when employees can communicate directly with higher management for productive exchanges. Avoid gripe sessions. Complaints should be accompanied by practical solutions and suggestions that benefit the entire team

08/11/2021

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (also known as DEI) are starting to take over the conversation in the workplace. Employers across the business world are now taking steps towards increasing DEI in their workplaces to foster a more equitable work environment for their employees and customers/clients.

Businesses now need new ways to think about how to make this ideal work environment a reality, as the traditional pledge to always say “do better,” but then doing little about DEI is beginning to wear thin on employees who expect bold action from their leaders.

Below we discuss what really is diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and give you 5 actionable steps that you can take to building this ideal workplace for your employees. DEI is something that is not easy to obtain, and when you get there, it takes real work to maintain it. Yet the commitment that you make to your employees speaks loudly about what your organization values in people.

What is Diversity?

Diversity can be defined as the presence of differences within a workplace. This can include differences in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic class, and more. It could also refer to differences in physical ability, marital status, whether your employees have kids—all these differences are what make up a diverse workplace.

While we often think of differences as being physical and visible differences among employees, you will find that it is important to be mindful of the more invisible differences that people possess amongst themselves.

What is Equity?

Equity in the workplace is ensuring that every employee is guaranteed to get a fair and impartial deal. Every employee wants to get fairly compensated for their work, and you will be hard-pressed to find someone who enjoys being taken advantage of in the workplace.

Equity is also more than just ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities. Employers need to recognize barriers and advantages in the workplace to ensure the best possible outcomes for employees across the business. This is what differentiates “equity” from “equality.” Each employee’s needs in achieving their goals and their potential could be different so treating everyone the same ignores those individual needs.

What is Inclusion?

Inclusion happens in the workplace when people feel like they belong and are contributing to the goals of the business. This happens when employees feel like they are being supported by their work and can be their most authentic selves.

Employees should not have to go to work feeling like they have to change a part of their identity, and with inclusion, diversity cannot be maintained. By including marginalized workers in the organization’s conversation, they can focus on how they will impact their work rather than be worried about being the “diversity hire”.

5 Ways to Increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace

Knowing about what each of the words in DEI means and acting on them are two very different things and something that businesses often struggle with. Thankfully though, we have outlined 5 ways that you can begin to build a better workplace for your employees:

Start a Conversation in your Workplace

Opening a dialogue on challenging issues like DEI in the workplace can seem difficult but understanding if your business leadership is equipped to have these conversations in the first place is a big first step. Making clear to your customers, employees, and informing both on where you stand with the issues is also important to get the conversation going. Some employees might not be ready or willing to talk about how they feel in the workplace, but management should be equipped to handle it if employees collectively say that discussion needs to happen about these issues.

Educate your Employees

DEI starts with your employees and how they interact with each other in the workplace. This is where educating your staff on DEI can have the biggest impact on your DEI strategy. Starting with your leadership team can be the instrumental move in your DEI efforts, as it is your leaders that interact with your employees daily.

Set DEI Goals for your Organization

By establishing clear and concrete diversity goals, as with any other strategic aim in your business, you can better position your organization to act on your DEI strategy. Start by conducting an audit on your companies’ culture to see where there could be potential diversity biases in your existing organizational structure. This can help you see where your business is falling short with DEI efforts and help create a benchmark to see how you can improve.

Listen to your Employees

Ultimately your inclusive efforts are decided by your employees and what they think of their workplace. By creating a line of dialogue directly with your employee you can begin to better understand where your current DEI is in your workplace and see what needs to be improved on.

Form an Inclusion Committee

Forming a DEI committee in your workplace of 6-8 leaders who help with goal setting, hiring, and addressing workplace diversity issues is a great step for DEI efforts. Have the committee meet quarterly to discuss inclusion efforts, address feedback, and deliver messages to the rest of your employees about DEI efforts. Inclusiveness should also not have to fall on the shoulders of the underrepresented groups of your workplace, try to find the people who are the most willing and able to bring about change in the workplace to staff the committee.

DEI seems like it should be simple to understand, but people often forget that we have just barely begun to take the first steps towards creating the ideal workplace. It will still be sometime before we start seeing the changes that DEI brings to the business world, but the best time to start these changes is today.

08/04/2021

Technology Updates and Assistance
Data security is concerned with securing sensitive data. Data security is primarily focused on preventing unauthorized access to data, via breaches or leaks, regardless of who the unauthorized party is. To achieve this, Pinnacle is using tools and technology such as firewalls, user authentication, network limitations, and internal security practices to deter such access.

Privacy, however, is concerned with ensuring that the sensitive data an organization processes, stores, or transmits is ingested compliantly and with consent from the owner of that sensitive data. This means informing individuals upfront of which types of data will be collected, for what purpose, and with whom it will be shared. So, privacy is less about protecting data from malicious threats than it is about using it responsibly, and in accordance with the wishes of customers and users, to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Too often, the terms security and privacy are used interchangeably, but you can see that they are in fact different—although sometimes difficult to distinguish between. Whereas security controls can be met without also satisfying privacy considerations. In other words, privacy limits access, whereas security is the process or application for limiting that access. Put yet another way, security protects data, and privacy protects identity.

Client features of Dnet

A very important feature we offer at our Client Portal is electronic onboarding. If you are interested in electronic onboarding, you can email us [email protected] and provide your information. Our team will follow up with you and schedule a demo followed by providing the required documentation to get you started.

A good feature about electronic onboarding is you can onboard your new hires directly via Dnet portal without having to go through all the paperwork which is manual. The employee will finish the paperwork electronically via our client portal and submit it for review. You as an owner can review and approve the documents submitted. We can provide login access to existing employees as well, which makes it easier for you and the employees to look at their paycheck stubs and any other personal information.

Custom reports from Pinnacle

If you are looking for any custom reports for PPP Loan or anything in general, please contact your payroll coordinator with specific details you need on the report. We will usually provide you these reports within 48 hours, depending on the complexity of the report. We also provide a PEO relationship letter if needed for your lender. Pinnacle also has reports that can help you load your payroll costs into QuickBooks. These require some programming to customize them for your company.

New features our team is working on

Pinnacle IT Department is working on Benefits open enrollment via our Dnet Portal. This allows the employees to enroll to the benefits offered to them electronically. Employees can complete, review, and submit the enrollment forms electronically via our Dnet portal. Our Team is currently testing this feature and we are hoping to release this feature soon to our clients. We will keep you posted on our further development as time progresses.

Technology trends affecting our industry

Cyber-Security – how to prevent an infection

Never click on unsafe links: Avoid clicking on links in spam messages or on unknown websites. If you click on malicious links, an automatic download could be started, which could lead to your computer being infected.
Avoid disclosing personal information: If you receive a call, text message, or email from an untrusted source requesting personal information, do not reply. Cybercriminals who are planning a ransomware attack might try to collect personal information in advance, which is then used to tailor phishing messages specifically to you. If in any doubt as to whether the message is legitimate, contact the sender directly.
Do not open suspicious email attachments: Ransomware can also find its way to your device through email attachments. Avoid opening any dubious-looking attachments. To make sure the email is trustworthy, pay close attention to the sender and check that the address is correct. Never open attachments that prompt you to run macros to view them. If the attachment is infected, opening it will run a malicious macro that gives malware control of your computer.
Never use unknown USB sticks: Never connect USB sticks or other storage media to your computer if you do not know where they came from. Cybercriminals may have infected the storage medium and placed it in a public place to entice somebody into using it.
Keep your programs and operating system up to date: Regularly updating programs and operating systems helps to protect you from malware. When performing updates, make sure you benefit from the latest security patches. This makes it harder for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities in your programs.
Use only known download sources: To minimize the risk of downloading ransomware, never download software or media files from unknown sites. Rely on verified and trustworthy sites for downloads. Websites of this kind can be recognized by the trust seals. Make sure that the browser address bar of the page you are visiting uses “https” instead of “http”. A shield or lock symbol in the address bar can also indicate that the page is secure. Also exercise caution when downloading anything to your mobile device. You can trust the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, depending on your device.
Use VPN services on public Wi-Fi networks: Conscientious use of public Wi-Fi networks is a sensible protective measure against ransomware. When using a public Wi-Fi network, your computer is more vulnerable to attacks. To stay protected, avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions or use a secure VPN service.

07/29/2021

Team Based Performance
Performance Management systems can be used to help focus the actions of your employees to better align with the goals of your organization. Yet, even the most sophisticated PM systems still struggle with how they manage team performance. A team-based performance management system will not only ensure that the right teams in your organization are being recognized, but it can also unlock the ability for your teams to operate at their full potential.

In this article we’ll be focusing on how to refine the performance management system for your teams. Through a series of high-quality communications, team goals, and reward systems you can lay the foundation for improving your existing results.

What is Performance Management?

Performance management is a set of processes that help managers monitor and evaluate employees’ work using a variety of tools such as creating and measuring goals, objectives, and milestones. The theory behind these types of systems is to create an environment where your employees can perform to the best of their abilities and produce the highest-quality work.

A performance management system allows your employees to understand their expectations, goals, career progress, and how their work aligns with the business’s overall vision. Performance management systems will view employees in the context of the broader workplace, allowing them to work towards peak workplace performance as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Now, a team PM system differs from a regular PM system, in that a team-based PM system is focused on the goals and performance of the team rather than the individual. Team PM is a set of interventions on the individual, team, and organizational level that improve the way your team members work together towards the mutual goals of the organization.

How to Build an Effective Team-Based System

Building an effective team-based PM system requires just a few tweaks to focus on team performance while still also paying attention to individual performance. The similarities in the two systems will allow you to integrate your team PM system into your existing individual PM system with ease. Just like a regular PM system, how you build it depends on how your organization is structured, but most effective team PM systems have these five characteristics in common:

Team Goals

Just like an individual PM system, goals are important for focusing your team’s performance. Strategy is built centrally to let teams complete their goals and operate more effectively. Aligning team goals with organizational goals can also help channel your team’s efforts and provide helpful benchmarks with how they are performing.

Team Appraisals

Evaluating how a team functions and behaves can help you better manage them through focused feedback on their performance. Also incorporating team-based behaviors into your individual employee reviews can help you build up your employees to better operate in a team.

Team Development

Making sure that your teams are developing and being held accountable towards their goals is an excellent practice. By making team development an ongoing conversation you can ensure that you have a positive impact on their performance. The feedback that you give your employees also must change when switching to a team-based PM. Defining the core behaviors of a model team member, strength-based focuses in 1-on-1s, and goal creation are some of the things that can help your teams develop.

Team Rewards and Recognition

Rewarding and recognizing your teams can be a strong motivating factor towards great performance. Outstanding team performance could be rewarded with monetary compensation, gifts, praise, or anything really, if it’s appropriate for the work that your team put in to achieve their stellar performance.

Strong Leadership

Strong leadership is required to get the most out of your teams’ performance. Within your teams, there should be leadership that provides effective coaching and mentoring to help the team meet their goals. Good leadership encourages teams to excel in their roles and exceed expectations, these leaders can help guide your teams to better performance.

Pivoting your existing PM system towards a team-based one can ensure that your organization is on track to meet its goals. Not only will your teams be able to better respond to your organization’s challenges, but they will also be able to unlock hidden potential and operate at their absolute best.

07/01/2021

In 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), a law that altered U.S. immigration law, making it illegal for businesses to knowingly hire illegal immigrants and placing financial and other penalties for companies that hired illegal immigrants.

To enforce these laws, the federal government requires employers to verify a potential employee’s eligibility to work in the United States by completing the Employment and Eligibility Verification Form (Form I-9). By completing Form I-9, the employer is certifying that it has viewed documents proving that the potential employee is authorized to live and work in the United States.

Filling Out Form I-9
Completing Form I-9 requires accurate detail. Employees working less than three business days must complete Sections 1 and 2 of Form I-9 before beginning to work. If the individual is hired for work lasting longer than three days, the form must be filled out before the end of the third day of employment.

Employers can hire an outside business or contractor to verify a potential employee’s eligibility, but the employer is ultimately responsible for the contractor’s actions and the employee’s status.

Form I-9 has three sections— the first section is completed by the employee, the second is completed by the employer or an authorized representative on behalf of the employer, and the third is completed only when rehire, re-verification, or a name change of the employee.

Section 2 must be completed and signed within three business days of employment, and the employer must physically inspect one document from List A or a combination of documents from List B and C. The documents that are acceptable for each of the lists are as followed:

List A
- United States Passport
- Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Card, Form I-551
- Unexpired foreign passport with a temporary I-551 stamp
- Unexpired Employment Authorization Document containing a photograph: Form I-766 Employment Authorization Document
- Unexpired foreign passport with an unexpired Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94, bearing the same name as the passport containing an endorsement of the alien’s non-immigration status (if that status authorizes the alien to work for the employer)
- Passport issued from the Federal State of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with a valid Form I-94 or I-94A

List B
- Driver’s license or identification card issued by a state or possession of the United States containing a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address
- School identification card with photograph
- Voter’s registration card
- Military card, draft record or military dependent’s identification card
- An Identification card issued by federal, state or local government agencies or entities containing a photograph and name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address
- Coast Guard Merchant Marine Card
- Native American tribal documents
- Canadian driver’s license
- Those under 18 can present a school record, report card, clinic or doctor record, or a day-care or nursery school record

List C
- Social Security Number Card issued by the Social Security Administration
- Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by the state, county, municipal authority or outlying possession of the United States bearing an official seal
- Certificate of birth abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545 or Form DS-1350)
- Unexpired employment authorization document issued by the Department of Homeland Security
- Form I-197 U.S. Citizen Identification Card
- Native American tribal document
- Form I-179 Identification Card for Use of a Resident Citizen in the United States

Employer Penalties for Violation of IRCA
Under IRCA, employers can be fined for not complying with Form I-9 guidelines, accepting fraudulent documents when determining employment eligibility or discriminating against individuals based on their nation of origin or citizenship status. Monetary penalties that can occur for violating IRCA can be quite large, with repeat offenders receiving penalties on the higher range of the scale.

It’s important to properly verify every employee’s citizenship status when hired to avoid such costly fines. It is also important to conduct internal audits regularly to ensure your business is complying with the law. You may also want to consider consulting an attorney to review your procedures and forms to be as prepared as possible in the event of an audit.