Human Resources Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Spokes

Can you fire a volunteer?

August 26, 2023 by Michael Simkins

In a recent Spokes roundtable, the topic of the “dysfunctional volunteer” came up. Most volunteers are valuable assets for or organizations. We couldn’t do what we do without them. But occasionally, we experience a volunteer who is not contributing, or worse, creating a drain on the organization.

There are various forms of dysfunction. A volunteer may promise but not deliver. He may not have the knowledge or skills to be of help. She may distract staff or other volunteers from what they need to be doing.

As with hiring employees, the best approach to recruiting volunteers is to have a sound system for vetting them, learning about their talents and interests, and matching those to the tasks your organization needs accomplished. Sometimes, though, things just don’t work out. For the benefit of both the organization and the volunteer, it may be time to part company.

The following two resources provide sound advice on how to let a volunteer go in the most respectful and productive manner.

Retaining Staff

June 19, 2023 by Michael Simkins

Finding qualified new staff can be very difficult, so at Spokes June 2023 Symposium we focused on how to retain the staff you already have on board. It’s a national problem! Consider:

In 2022, a record 50.6 million U.S. workers quit their jobs, accounting for 70% of total separations. This is the highest level in the history of the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which dates back to 2001.
While quits are down from the record highs of 2022, in January 2023 dipping below the four million mark for the first time since May 2021, they were back up to above four million this February.
This year, 56% of surveyed U.S. workers said they’re likely to seek a new job compared to 51% in 2022.

Here are some resources recommended by our panel of experts:

Working with Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman
The Management Dilemma, white paper from Collaboration Business Consulting
Me-To-We: The Shift Every Business Leader Must Make for Lasting Success, by Michael Gunther
Start with Why, by Simon Sineks
RSA Video: Daniel Pink’s “Drive”
Essentialism, by Greg McKeown
DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right, by Lily Zheng
Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change, by Mary-Frances Winters & The Winters Group Team
Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work, by Ruchika Tulshyan

Two Important New Employment Laws

December 17, 2022 by Michael Simkins

Pay Transparency

Among the new employment laws that go into effect January 1, 2023, two deserve special mention. One, referred to as “Pay Transparency,” applies to your nonprofit if you have 15 or more employees. Starting January 1, you’ll need to include pay range information in any job posting. In addition:

ALL employers must provide a pay scale to any current employee for their position upon request.
Employers must also maintain records of a job title and wage rate history for each employee during employment and for three years after separation from the company
All private employers with 100 or more employees must file pay data reports with the State’s Civil Rights Department, regardless of whether they are required to file a federal EEO-1 with the EEOC. (Note: nonprofits are considered “private employers.)

Retirement

The other change has to do with retirement programs. The CalSavers Retirement Savings Program is a state-run retirement program for employees who work for employers not offering a private-market retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan. Previously, the law only applied to nonprofits with 5 or more employees. As of January 1, it applies even if you have only one employee.

Learn more

Spokes members can view the 60-minute video overview of these and other new HR-related laws for 2023. Sign into your account, click “access member benefits,” and go to the Video Library. You’ll find the recording in the Past Classes showcase. Not a member yet? Check out the member benefits.

Compliance Checklists

January 28, 2022 by Michael Simkins

When you’re running a nonprofit, you want to spend your time pursuing your mission, not filling out forms. But there’s no avoiding the fact there are a lot of details to worry about to keep your organization in compliance with various federal, state, and local laws and regulations. If you have employees, especially if you have many employees, compliance can be a big issue. Here are a few checklists that can help you keep track of some key compliance issues.

Nonprofits Compliance Checklist. CalNonprofits offers this basic checklist of key filings every incorporated nonprofit needs to be aware of and complete if appropriate. It includes such things as the Statement of Information which you need to file every other year, the Annual Registration with the Attorney General’s office, and the Federal Annual Information Return (forget to do that for three years running and you’ll lose your tax exemption!).

HR Compliance Toolkit. UST provides this set of ten resources that you can download for free (assuming you’re willing to share your email address). The HR Audit Checklist is a four page document that easily leads you through a simple self-assessment of what you’re doing right and what you might want to work on. Other handy tools in the kit include an interview checklist and an exit interview checklist.

Compliance Calendar. Do you offer medical benefits to your employees? If you do, you have more things you may need to file. Morris and Garritano provides an annual Compliance Calendar that can help you comply in a timely fashion.

Is AmeriCorps Right For Your Nonprofit?

July 26, 2016 by Spokes For Nonprofits

August will be here in a few weeks and so begins a new AmeriCorps season. Soon, thousands of young people will start a year of service working for our local nonprofits. If you’re not familiar with the AmeriCorps program, it is a division of CalSERVES often described as the “Domestic Peace Corps” (more information about the program on their website). The program is credited with cultivating hundreds of today’s nonprofit leaders.

For nonprofits, AmeriCorps offers a subsidized full-time staff person for a period of 10-12 months. Nonprofits apply to host an AmeriCorps member and agree to pay half of the AmeriCorps member’s stipend. For many nonprofits, AmeriCorps provides critically needed staffing capacity at a greatly reduced cost. However, it is an employment program and, just as in any other hiring scenario, participating nonprofits can suffer AmeriCorps “mis-hires.”

If you are considering hosting an AmeriCorps member, we’d like to offer the following tips and
suggestions to ensure that your organization’s participation in the program is as successful as possible:

1. Have a very clearly defined job description.

AmeriCorps must take the candidates who have applied for positions and match them with hosted positions. You enable AmeriCorps to identify the best possible match for your organization when you can be very clear about the skills and abilities you need. What minimal experience do you need your AmeriCorps member to bring to your organization to serve you well? What day-to-day responsibilities will they have? What end product do you hope they deliver at the end of the service term?

Stay true to your job description. It is your right and privilege to request another AmeriCorps candidate if you feel the first one presented to you is unable to fulfill the defined role and responsibilities.

2. Remember that AmeriCorps members are often new to corporate and business environments.

AmeriCorps members are mostly college students who have had minimal, if any, corporate or business environment experience. Nuances of professional behavior and dress may be unknown to them. AmeriCorps offers some training to support its members, but as a host, you will be required to offer additional training and guidance. If you are asking your AmeriCorps member to help with your marketing you may have less training to do than if you’re asking them to interface with donors or clients. Do you have time to offer the guidance and mentorship an AmeriCorps member will need to serve you well?

3. Read the AmeriCorps contract carefully to understand its terms.

Because “mis-hires” happen, it’s important to understand the terms of the AmeriCorps contracts and the amount of time allowed to exit the contract and receive a refund if the AmeriCorps member is not performing to expectations. You’ll also want to confirm the proper procedure for documenting and addressing performance issues related to your AmeriCorps volunteer and what protocol to follow when there are grounds for immediate dismissal, such as incidents of theft. What recourse do you have if suddenly your AmeriCorps volunteer stops showing up for work? Unfortunately, it happens.

4. Re-confirm that the AmeriCorps program is the right fit for your organization.

After following each of the steps above, take a moment to reflect with your board or colleagues if an AmeriCorps volunteer is the best solution for your organization’s needs. If you don’t have the time to successfully mentor your AmeriCorps candidate or if AmeriCorps candidate presented to you is not a good fit for the job, perhaps hiring a part-time employee with more work experience and the ability to work independently is a better use of your limited resources, both with respect to your available time and finances.

AmeriCorps can be a tremendous boost to your organizations productivity when you do the due diligence to support your success. Use these steps to make sure you do.