So you have a Business and now looking to hire an employee… NOW WHAT???

If you are just starting out as new business chances are you aren’t really sure what you need to do to get ready for having employees. Fortunately for you, you found Optima. We can walk you through the set up process as well as provide you with necessary coverages your business will need to ensure you are ready prior to your employee working for you.

In New York there are certain Mandatory Coverages and compliance related items you will need to make sure you are handling once you have an employee.

1. Worker’s Compensation- We work with numerous carriers that we will shop for you to ensure we are providing you the best rate for your industry. The best part about working with us on your worker’s comp as that we can set up payments for you direct to the carrier based off your payroll if you qualify for Pay as you go.
2. NYS Disability and Paid Family Leave- We can help you get this coverage in place to make sure you are in compliance. We also provide a service that we will perform the audit and make the necessary payments for you so you do not need to worry about how to calculate the premium you owe.
3. NYS Unemployment- Not necessarily needed in order to start running payroll, but definitely something you will want to have in process. You can visit https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/app/answers/cms/a_id/3033/kw/NYS%20100 to get your company set up. The process takes a couple of weeks, but they will send you your ID number that we will need in order to file appropriately on your behalf at the quarter.
4. NYS Sexual Harassment Training- A necessary training annually and/or within 30 days of a new hire. NYS provides training for you at no cost with online videos and resources, but does require that you have an interactive component with your employee to discuss or review the training course. Here is the NYS site: https://www.ny.gov/combating-sexual-harassment-workplace/employers. There are posters and other sexual harassment policy information on the website that you can use to ensure you are compliant. Optima does provide a full online compliant training but that does have a cost associated. If you are interested let us know.
5. Labor Law Posters- Another requirement that must be met to be sure you are compliant. Labor laws change all the time and as a business you are required to make sure you have a visible up to date labor law poster in your business. We can provide you with the necessary posters.
6. Employer Paid Sick Leave- Depending on you size you may be subject to providing your Employees with Paid Sick Leave. We can help you determine whether you want to provide a lump sum or set up an accrual through payroll to make sure you are compliant.

Other Items that we can help you with:

1. Employee Handbooks- As a new business you will want to set up an Employee Handbook that outlines the laws of your state and the rules you expect your employees to abide by. We provide you access to build your own Handbook at NO COST. We will provide you access to variety of HR tools at no cost as part of being a client, the handbook is just one of these tools.
2. HR Resources– We provide all our clients with a free online portal with endless information on compliance, forms, policies, regulations that is constantly updating to address the latest changes that seem to be happening more and more throughout the year.
3. Access to HR Professionals– When a situation comes up and you are unsure how you are to handle the situation from a HR or Compliance standpoint. We have HR professionals available to help guide and answer those questions to give you the confidence to address and handle any issue.
4. Employee Benefits– Do want to put together a benefits package for your employees? We can help find the right plans and programs for your business from Medical, Dental, to 401k or Simple IRA.

Quite Simply: No One is Better than Optima at providing a reliable resource to help your business get set up and ready to face the challenges of running a business. We are exactly what your business needs. Don’t stress, you are with Optima.