Estimated Time On HR: Employee Relations & Compliance Tasks

How Much Time Do You Spend On Employee Relations & Compliance Tasks?  

While many initiatives and situations may take more time and involve more people than just one person, here are our estimates for the average time required of an HR Manager for employee relations and compliance tasks: 

• Research and pitch morale-boosting initiative: 2-10 hours, depending on metrics required and preferred methodologies; longer for larger companies 
• Plan, communicate, and administer morale-boosting initiative: 4-15 hours; longer for larger companies 
• Investigate employee dispute: 2-30 hours per dispute, depending on the number of employees involved and the issue at hand 
• Respond to employee dispute or allegations of wrongdoing (follow-up): 30-60 minutes
• Write corrective action warning and review with employee, then document: 1 hour
• Make work adjustments to avoid a similar situation from happening again: 1-3 hours
• Review Labor Laws (Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, etc.): 1-3 hours/week, depending on your background knowledge of HR and how you stay up to date 
• Prepare training and materials for preventing sexual harassment: 1-5 hours, depending on whether you are researching and creating a training or have an existing training that just needs updating 
• Conduct in-person supervisor training for preventing sexual harassment: 1-2 hours, depending on where your company is located (some states require 2-hour training) 
• Conduct employee training for preventing sexual harassment: 1 hour 
• Prepare materials for employee relations training: 1-5 hours per training, depending on whether you are researching and creating a training course or have an existing training that just needs updating 
• Conduct in-person training for employee relations: 1 hour per module 
• Send follow-up training messages and document attendance: 1 hour per module 
• Discuss/assess reasonable accommodation for employee: 1-2 hours 
• Create reasonable accommodation: 2-6 hours to research specialized equipment or adjustments, communicate with all parties, and document 
• Implement ADA accommodation: 3-5 hours to coordinate with accounting/CFO and manager to ensure the equipment is approved, purchased, and gets properly set up 
• Update state and federal posters: 5-10 minutes if you are in-the-know; 1-2 hours if you need to research before updating posters 
• Respond to a regulatory agency (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, etc.): 4-6 hours, depending on the nature and depth of request 

Is There A Way To Minimize Time Spent On Employee Relations And Compliance Tasks?  

Most HR professionals spend 10-15 hours each week just responding to employee questions, requests, and disputes. Many of those questions can be answered by providing employees with a self-service platform for their employee information, such as an online HRIS (Human Resources Information System) or an employee mobile app. Others can be rerouted to an outsourced HR provider, particularly when the questions are about benefits or payroll. 

Some difficult employee situations can be avoided by doing your due diligence with recommended reference and background checks during the recruiting process, and then hiring right. Having an updated employee handbook with proper workplace policies in place will also help ensure your team is aware of your company’s policies and procedures. This can help minimize confusion about how different scenarios are treated or handled.  

Typically, compliance is an aspect of human resources that takes a back seat until there is a problem. If you stay in the know and maintain a regular training schedule to keep employees educated, it is much easier to prevent problems from happening.  

However, despite even your greatest efforts, disputes can still happen. When they do, it is easier to work within the law than it is to naively hope there are no complaints that lead to costly (and time-intensive) lawsuits against you as the employer. Contact your certified HR expert for guidance and remember to document everything. 

Streamline Employee Relations/Compliance Tasks By Outsourcing  

When an HR manager has time to implement morale-boosting initiatives, it strengthens coworker relationships, enhances employee engagement, and boosts overall productivity. Unfortunately, many HR managers are caught in a reactionary role where they are constantly “fighting fires.” Having time to be more proactive can feel impossible until you hire additional staff or find an HR outsourcing partner. 

When you choose to outsource to Stratus HR, you gain access to a full-time HR department at a part-time cost. We work in the background to handle the unavoidable administrative tasks and provide guidance to your existing staff to stay compliant with applicable laws and help you handle difficult employee situations. This will, in turn, keep you compliant and provide more time for your internal HR Manager to focus on strategic HR initiatives that align with company objectives. 

For more information, book a free consultation today!

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