Small Business Learning Resources

SMB News Weekly Rundown

Welcome to the Small Business Weekly Rundown. Each week, we bring you stories and trends that impact small business owners and their workforce...

by Kathryn Smith

Tired depressed bored african businessman frustrated by business failure

Performance and Culture

Should Your Small Business Take a “Burnout Break”?

Burnout could lead your workers to look for jobs elsewhere. Here's why some businesses are offering "burnout breaks" to their employees...

by Cinnamon Janzer

Close up interviewer interview candidate apply for job at meeting room in office.

Hiring

What to Consider When Hiring Unemployed Workers

If you’re evaluating candidates with employment gaps, here’s what you can do to understand their work history and situation...

by Cinnamon Janzer

Businesspeople handshaking after deal or interview

Diversity & Inclusion

How to Help Employees Learn About Pronoun Sharing

Educating your employees on pronoun sharing, and encouraging them to participate, can help you build a more welcoming and inclusive workplace...

by Cinnamon Janzer

Growth Essentials
Hiring & Retention
Benefits
Compliance
SMB Trends

7 Employee Handbook Examples You Should Steal From

An employee handbook can be crucial in building a positive workplace culture and employee loyalty, but they're not easy to write. That's why we're breaking down the process for you and offering you six employee handbook examples.

by Cinnamon Janzer
The Types of Employment: A Quick Reference Guide

This guide breaks down the different types of employment so you don't get caught out of compliance

by Valerie Bolden-Barrett
FAQ: Can I use PTO after giving two weeks notice?

If an employee gives two weeks notice, are they entitled to take their remaining PTO during that time? This blog gives a complete picture of best practices.

by Jordan Harris
How to Send an Invoice by Email

When it comes to getting paid, sending invoices by email can be quick and convenient. Here’s how to stay on top of the process.

by Dan Marzullo

What Is Employee Turnover (and Why It Matters)

Employee turnover is a major concern of businesses of all size. But what does employee turnover really mean and what can be done about it?

by Nicole Roder
The True Cost of Employee Benefits Packages

A new hire will cost more than their base salary — you’ll also have to factor in expenses for benefits, recruitment, and training.

by Stacy Pollack
Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers: The 4 Leading Generations in the Workplace

Learn about the characteristic differences of each generation in the workplace.

by Dan Marzullo
How to Calculate Gross Pay to Net Pay

When it comes to a paycheck, the less miscommunication the better. Here's how to calculate gross to net pay-- and why it matters.

by Dan Marzullo

What's the difference between an exempt and non-exempt employee?

The primary difference in status between exempt and non-exempt employees is their eligibility for overtime.

by Ember DeVaul
If an employee gives two weeks notice, are they entitled to take their remaining PTO during that time?

It may be tempting to deny vacation time to employees who give their notice to avoid being in a bind, but is it legal?

by Lauren Perales
The Business Guide to Bereavement Leave Policies

Being prepared when an employee loses a loved one is crucial. This article details requirements, definitions and expectations for bereavement leave.

by Riia O'Donnell
How Maternity Leave Works: The Employer’s Guide

All your questions about maternity leave answered, plus learn how a supportive policy boosts productivity, helps retention and increases company loyalty.

by Riia O'Donnell

List of 2021 Federal Holidays for Small Business Owners

When designing a paid time off policy or managing PTO requests, take this list of 2021 federal holidays into account

by Dan Marzullo
List of 2022 Federal Holidays for Small Business Owners

When designing a paid time off policy or managing PTO requests, take this list of 2022 federal holidays into account

by Zenefits Team
A State-by-State Guide for Each IRS Mailing Address

Where do I mail my tax returns? That depends on your location. Here is our guide to each IRS mailing address, based on your state.

by Cinnamon Janzer
How to Terminate an Employee (with Sample Scripts)

Separating an employee is never easy – for the worker or the HR staff member. The challenge is to conduct the meeting in a professional way that not only protects the rights of the business, but those of the employee as well.

by Riia O'Donnell

Top 10 Ways to Improve Employee Efficiency

How can leaders improve employee productivity while still saving time? Here are the top 10 things you can do to increase employee efficiency at the office

by Alexandra Hicks
Email Examples and Templates for Staff and Customer Correspondence

Ready to reopen for business? We crafted sample memos to send to employees and customers announcing your return.

by Jean Spencer
How Much is Average PTO in the U.S.?

Between unlimited PTO and flexible vacation, our workforce sees a lot of PTO variability in 2020. So how much is average PTO for the U.S.?

by Jean Spencer
If You’re in HR, Send this Email About Coronavirus to Staff (Free Template)

If you're in HR, use this email template to communicate to your staff regarding coronavirus and flu prevention

by Catherine Tansey

Recent Featured Articles

It’s Our Work-aversary: Workest Turns Two!

Thank you for being part of the success of Workest!

by Nadene Evans

Employee Development

HR Headaches: What to Do if an Employee’s Desk Is a Mess

A messy desk can send the wrong message out to colleagues and customers. Here’s how to encourage organized workspaces and create a company-wide clean desk policy.

by Riia O'Donnell

Diversity & Inclusion

Inclusive Job Postings: How to Write Them, and Why They Matter

Well-written, inclusive job postings can help you attract top talent, build a diverse workforce, and run a more successful business.

by Riia O'Donnell

Laws

How to Require Proof of Employee Vaccinations

If you want to set up a system to require and verify employee vaccinations, follow these 4 steps.

by Cinnamon Janzer

Coronavirus Show all

Should Your Small Business Take a “Burnout Break”?

by Cinnamon Janzer

Coronavirus

SMB News Weekly Rundown

Welcome to the Small Business Weekly Rundown. Each week, we bring you stories and trends that impact small business owners and their workforce.

by Kathryn Smith

How to Require Proof of Employee Vaccinations

by Cinnamon Janzer

Growth Essentials Show all

Growth Essentials

How to Help Employees Learn About Pronoun Sharing

Educating your employees on pronoun sharing, and encouraging them to participate, can help you build a more welcoming and inclusive workplace.

by Cinnamon Janzer

61 Stats About People Operations, HR, the Workforce, Remote Work, and the Employee Experience that You’ll Definitely Want to Know if You’re in Human Resources

by Jean Spencer

How to Boost Employee Morale and Motivation

by Cinnamon Janzer

Returning to the Office: 7 Team Building Exercises

by Cinnamon Janzer

5 Benefits of Mass Customization to Make Your Company More Competitive

by Wendy Dessler

Benefits Show all

Benefits

401(k) Automatic Enrollment: What You Need to Know

Setting up 401(k) automatic enrollment could help increase the number of employees participating in your 401(k) plan.

by Grace Ferguson

How to Create a Maternity and Paternity Leave Policy

by Riia O'Donnell

What Are State Mini-COBRA Laws?

by Grace Ferguson

Should You Hire a Certified Compensation Professional?

by Riia O'Donnell

6 Creative Ways to Use Up Your FSA Money By the End of the Year

by Cinnamon Janzer

Compliance Show all

Compliance

How to Require Proof of Employee Vaccinations

If you want to set up a system to require and verify employee vaccinations, follow these 4 steps.

by Cinnamon Janzer

HR Headaches: When and How Should I Tell My Employer That I’m Pregnant?

by Stacy Pollack

The Legalities of Changing Employees’ Timecards

by Grace Ferguson

News from around the web

Axios

Small businesses lag behind large corporations in pandemic recovery

U.S. small businesses are lagging behind their corporate counterparts when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a new survey from Salesforce, over half of small businesses missed out on growth opportunities due to staff shortages, with many of these same businesses reporting an 11% drop in revenue over the past 6 months.

Unlike big businesses, small and medium-sized businesses are not able to keep up with rising labor costs.

...

The Wall Street Journal

Delta variant threatens small businesses once more

Small business owners who have been hanging on by a thread, waiting for the pandemic to pass, have been dealt another blow by the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.

As big corporations continue to keep workers at home instead of in the office, small businesses like shops, cafes, and retailers won’t see the normal amount of foot traffic that they’re counting on to drive up revenue.

Washington Post

U.S. economy poised for a productivity boom

A quick shift toward certain types of technology, coupled with large-scale government investments has caused many economists to predict that the United States is about to see a big boom in productivity.

The boom doesn’t necessarily involve U.S. workers, however, as many companies have begun adopting robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a means to supplement the workforce.