After the recession started in 2007, states were massively hit with having to pay unemployment benefits. This created a huge increase in state unemployment taxes, creating a rise of almost 44%. States have gone into debt, borrowing $45 billion in Federal funds, and they could only repay these loans by increasing taxes even more. A major problem for states, some states were forced by federal law to pay benefits that didn't make any sense when local conditions were taken into consideration.

However, the JOBS act is focusing on helping get people back to work and it could make an extremely positive impact on your business. What the JOBS act does is it helps states to keep unemployment taxes down and creates a major a push towards hiring. JOBS stands for Opportunity, Benefits, and Services Act, and with it states would have more flexibility in how they could spend their portion of $31 billion in remaining temporary federal employment funds. This way, they could choose to use those funds for things like preventing unemployment tax hikes and promoting job creation and hiring using reemployment services such as wage subsidies. This means that your business could experience an increase in better qualified employees because you won't have to worry constantly about an increase in unemployment taxes. Instead, you can spend that time focusing on job applicants, interviews, and your business overall.

With the JOBS act you won't experience any negative impact on how you pay your benefits. States will be able to keep on paying up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, and the states will have all the money they need to do just that. However, states will be able to decide if paying out fewer weeks of benefits is more sensible. Therefore, you'll still have all the money you need.

Perhaps most importantly, the JOBS act would not add to country's deficit. It can only enhance your business. Since the acts only promotes a reduction in taxes and more hiring, the economy can only take a turn for the better as more jobs are created. Your business can only thrive with the JOBS act.

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Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island introduced a measure earlier this month intended to encourage business to hire unemployed workers by providing businesses with tax credits for doing so. The Job Creation Tax Credit Act of 2011 (S. 1271) amends provisions in the 2010 HIRE Act. It gives employers who hire workers who were previously unemployed refundable tax credits based on their wages.

The credits would start at of 15% of 2011 wages and drop to 10% in 2012. If passed, the bill would take effect immediately and last until January 1, 2013. Qualified individuals would be those hired during that period who have not been employed for more than 40 hours during the previous two months. The bill includes a clause ensuring workers hired under the bill cannot be used to replace anyone currently employed unless that employee left work voluntarily or was fired for cause.

Sen. Whitehouse has stated that the bill is intended to reduce the cost and risk of hiring new workers during an economically uncertain time and that 'by providing refundable tax credits for new hires, this bill will help businesses hire the workers they need to expand." The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.

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Drug testing is an extremely popular process in the business world. Many businesses practice drug screening techniques in order to prevent drug abuse from occurring in the workplace. This can help to avoid possible accident, injuries, and errors while on the job. If you own a business, you can benefit from this screening process.

It's important to have a plan and policies in place before beginning testing. It's possible to require a drug screening process in order to offer employment to a potential employee. This practice has been ruled legal and constitutional continuously over the years. In order to practice these techniques, you will need to have a policy written out regarding your testing procedures.

How does pre-employment drug screening work? Applicants must show up at a testing site in order to give a urine sample. In many cases, negative results can be determined within 24 hours.

These tests take into consideration many different drugs. Most five-panel drug screenings test for Marijuana, Cocaine, PCP, Opiates, and Amphetamines usage. Employers also have the opportunity to use a ten-panel test in order to test certain prescription drug use. These tests are able to detect drugs that are present in an individual's system for certain periods of times. Many drugs are able to be detected if use has occurred within 2-4 days. Other drugs are able to be detected if drug use has occurred within 30 days.

It's a good idea to make applicants test within a given time period. This will not allow applicants to stop their drug use in order to illegally pass the urine test. Most drug testing laboratory centers can detect if a test has been altered to force favorable results.

The pre-employment drug screening process can be affordable. It's important to think of this service as an investment. As you put forth the money needed to accurately test applicants, you can avoid hiring employees who would perform poorly. If you don't choose to employ these testing methods, you may risk hiring an employee with drug use problems. With training and hiring and firing costs, you can actually spend more money by not including pre-employment drug screening into your hiring process.

If you want to look out for the overall well-being of your company, it's a good idea to create a pre-employment drug-screening plan. With this tool, you will be able to hire quality employees and will be able to minimize work accidents and problems.

Pre-employ.com offers a variety of drug screening tests as well as convenient solutions to integrate the drug screening tests seamlessly with our premier background check services. Contact Pre-employ.com to implement a drug screening program into your on-boarding process.

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!

While many human resource professionals used to be able to keep track of each individual that filled out an application or mailed in a resume, the internet has certainly revolutionized the way many applicants apply for vacant positions. Potential candidates can now send their information to multiple companies in a matter of minutes, and it is no longer possible to remember each person that expresses interest in a particular job. The good news is that an applicant tracking system can help a company keep up with the current technology that is making it so easy for job seekers to inundate prospective employers with their information.

An applicant tracking system is designed to streamline the selection process and makes it possible for an interviewer to search multiple resumes and applications at once. If a candidate is not an appropriate fit for a particular position, their information can be stored in a database and recalled at a later date. Few businesses have the space to store stacks of old applications and nobody has the time to spend countless hours reviewing the data. A well-designed system will allow the company to select search criteria and immediately review all resumes that have been previously scanned into the database that could prove to be a possible match.

Not only can a system be utilized to organize applicant data, but it can also help make the hiring process much more efficient. The pre-employment screening process requires a company to track every single step to ensure that everything is done in the proper order. Even something as simple as ordering a background check can be overlooked and cause an unnecessary delay in adding a new employee. Because there are a number of different legal requirements that must be met in reporting a new hire properly, a business could certainly be placed in a predicament if careless errors or oversights were to occur. A free applicant tracking system will help ensure that nobody falls through the cracks, and simply being able to show that one is being used can help in a labor audit.

It is no secret that hiring an employee is a process that requires time, effort, and money, but it certainly does not make sense to make the task harder than it needs to be. Spending money on advertising vacant positions is often not necessary for companies that have accumulated a database of prospects, and all it takes is a few quick clicks of the mouse to locate the best candidate.

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!

The Supreme Court has ordered California penal authorities to release 45,000 inmates to relieve state prisons that the Court has said are dangerously overcrowded. The controversial 5-4 ruling, one of the largest court ordered prisoner releases in the nation’s history, sharply divided the Court.

Beyond the obvious public safety concerns, such a massive early release of prisoners is bound to have enormous impacts on the community. In a dissenting opinion Justice Antonin Scalia called the ruling "staggering" and "absurd."  An understatement, when you stop to think about two very important issues the Judges who voted in favor of the ruling failed to consider: Where are these tens of thousands of ex-offenders going to live? And where are they going to find work?

If you are operating a business and you are not already one of the three out of four businesses nationwide that currently performs background checks, which can include criminal checks, as part of your preemployment application process – this news probably tells you it’s way past time you do so.

But not so fast! Yes, with suddenly 45,000 potential applicants with criminal records soon to be banging on your doors looking for work, it is probably more important than ever that you screen you applicants. But, if you do so improperly you could find yourself in hot water with the EEOC!    

The dramatic increase in the use of criminal background checks even before this court ordered prisoner release, has thrown up a “red flag” to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The commission has gotten extremely aggressive in going after companies that it perceives as having “blanket policies against the hiring of felons.” But the EEOC is not alone. State legislation such as “Ban the Box” is sweeping across the country and has now trickled down to the municipal level.

With potentially thousands of new applicants with criminal records looking for work thanks to this ruling, you have every right to protect your business. But you also need to do it right, to protect yourself from legal landmines and costly litigation!

Fortunately, Pre-employ.com a pioneer in pre-employment background screening services is offering a valuable Free Guide, 5 Tips: Avoiding Litigation during the Hiring Process.( http://www.pre-employ.com/bestpractices). The Guide is a helpful tool for employers who desire to proactively address potential liability in their employment application and hiring process. This guide was written with input from over a dozen of the nation’s leading attorneys in the employer defense arena.

Fortunately, Pre-employ.com a pioneer in pre-employment background screening services is offering a valuable Free Guide, 5 Tips: Avoiding Litigation during the Hiring Process.( http://www.pre-employ.com/bestpractices). The Guide is a helpful tool for employers who desire to proactively address potential liability in their employment application and hiring process. This guide was written with input from over a dozen of the nation’s leading attorneys in the employer defense arena.

In addition, employers can request and download the EEOC documents surrounding the litigation of three employers charged in the E-RACE initiative. Pre-employ.com can review your current screening program and ensure you are fully compliant with the FCRA and EEOC. Take advantage of our Free Analysis today http://www.pre-employ.com/quote

*We welcome relevant comments and questions from consumers, experts, and human resources professionals. Please do not submit comments with advertisements as they will not be posted publicly. Thanks for visiting our blog!