When Is It Time To Get HR Help?

The number of employees isn't the only measure of your company’s need for more HR support. If your employees are scattered – maybe some of them work from home, maybe you have salespeople across the country – you might need help even if you employ only a handful of people.

"When you start crossing geographic boundaries, new rules come into play," says Martin Babinec, founder and CEO of TriNet, a professional employer organization (PEO) that handles human resources for small businesses in the technology, finance, and professional fields (and for AllBusiness.com too). A geographically scattered workforce brings into play multiple state employment laws. Different states may have different regulations on taxes and workers compensation, for example.

Babinec urges business owners to consider the value of their employees and the time and expense it takes to replace them. "The average salary of your employees is a proxy for how your human capital is valued in the marketplace," says Babinec. The higher the salary, the higher their value to you and to others. That means they can find another job easily, which means you must offer something that will attract and retain them, like top-notch benefits. And in order to stay abreast of a top-notch benefits program you’ll likely have to team up with one or more of professional benefits services.