Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise

Transcription

1 Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.1

2 Staffing Your Franchise *****Always ensure compliance with State and Federal Employment Laws***** Franchisees are required to staff management that has successfully completed the Family Hydroponics & Organics training course. Franchisees/management may use this operating manual to conduct staff training. Each Family Hydroponics & Organics Franchise must consist of at least 4 employees on Staff. The positions are: General Manager- This may be the franchisee or a manager hired to run the day to day operations of the store and report to the franchisee, human resource responsibilities, resolves customer complaints, finalizes purchase orders in conjunction with bookkeeping. Responsibilities include maintaining compliance with local, regional and federal agencies. Initiating marketing plans and delegating to the floor manager. Bookkeeper- Is responsible for maintaining accounts payables/receivables, paying sales tax, calculating payroll, ensuring processing of RTV credits, bank reconciliation and cash management. The bookkeeper works with the general manager to ensure fiscal responsibility. Floor Manager- Is responsible for creating suggested purchase orders, following procedure on the floor and sales, returns of damaged items, training on Family Hydroponics & Organics floor procedures Retail Sales Associates- Is responsible for creating positive relationships with the customer, ensuring that the store is up to cleanliness standards, accurately tagging inventory items and ringing up sales, stocking and facing shelves, good communication with management, and on time. All Franchisee s are recommended to review the HR List on the next page. Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.2

3 HR LIST From a newly hired employee -- see New Employee Worksheet for forms and handouts including signed application, emergency contact info, terms of probationary employment and non-compete agreement. Job Descriptions - particular to employee detailing duties. W4 - declaring number of allowances, signed and dated, new one filed each year I9 - declaring citizenship of US or authorization to work here, two forms of doc. req. DE34 - CA state form for report of SSN of new employees Copy of the Employee Manual detailing company employment at will policy, and non-discriminatory practices, expected duties, scheduling including holidays honored by company, disciplinary actions, benefits including sick time, vacation policies, and possibly health insurance. Bonus amounts and guidelines as well employee reviews and possible pay raise schedule, etc.. Meal times and breaks detailed. Last page stating read and reviewed, must be signed and dated by employee, and kept in employee file, employee keeps manual. Pamphlets given out and a sheet stating read and reviewed of all pamphlets kept in employee file. Paid Family Leave pamphlet Sexual Harassment pamphlet UI pamphlet Worker s Compensation pamphlet State Disability pamphlet State Employee Poster, current, in employee break room or bathroom. US Fed. Employee Poster, current, in employee break room or bathroom. Wage Order Posted for company industry stating Fed. laws governing industry. MSDS binder for employee access - with all potentially toxic or dangerous chemicals or product details in it with their individual safety data sheet. Have employee sign and date form to state read and reviewed. Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.3

4 IIPP Injury and Illness Prevention Program detailing safety practices, (inc. ergonomics), methods of supervision, anonymous way to report hazardous conditions and safety supervisor. Have employee sign and date form to state read and approved. Worker s Compensation paid according to company schedule on gross payroll Payroll Taxes: Per Pay Period Pay Federal 941 tax payments and pay State tax payments per their monthly schedule. Quarterly Fed. 941 reporting federal payroll tax payments - State reporting state PIT withheld amounts Annually - Fed. 940 reporting and paying FUTA tax, can be paid quarterly, (have to be if over $300 at any given time) - State reporting and reconciling state payroll tax payments, (this form is going away in 2011) - W2 in January of following year stating year-to-date employee income/tax. Filed with IRS with W3 as well as copies to employees in January of following year stating year-to-date payments made to Vendor/Ind. Contractor filed with IRS with 1096 summary as well as copies to named. Possible Benefits for Full-Time Employees - Sick Time ex. 2 hours each pay period, accumulates and if not used is paid out at end of year. Personal Time ex. 16 hours given on yearly anniversary of employment, use it or lose it, can be used for anything but not paid out if not used at the end of year. Vacation Time ex. One week after 1 year of employment, two weeks after 2 yrs of employment etc.. If not used is paid out at end of year. Holiday Pay Particular holidays outlined in emp. manual that are paid days off. Health Insurance can have percentage paid by employee Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.4

5 NOTES - Breaks are paid and therefore covered by worker s comp., should not let employee s leave the work premises, should have employee area or break room. Manager s and Supervisor s-should have annual training for harassment prevention, usually can be done online with series of multiple choice questions. Lunches must be taken by all employee s unless employee has to work thru their lunch due to be too busy to leave, and then time card should be initialed by supervisor showing authorization to pay employee extra hour for missed lunch at reg. rate of pay. See file of HR forms for hiring checklist, info on breaks/meals, make-up time paid w/o paying overtime, and supervising/disciplinary conversation guidelines. Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.5

6 Position Descriptions & Profiles General Manager: A general manager is a key player in maintaining the smooth and efficient operations of a Family Hydroponics & Organics franchise. This may be an individual you hire or the franchisee. While each general manager carries an array of responsibilities, some basic responsibilities are common for all general managers. Operations A general manager is responsible for all aspects of a company s operation. The manager will plan, direct and coordinate various aspects of his operating area. He will ensure that operations run smoothly and according to company policy. The manager will ensure that vendors and suppliers are properly compensated and continue to meet the needs of the company. He will report directly to the franchisee or board members. Human Resources General managers often take on personnel responsibilities. The general manager will screen, interview, hire and train managers and supervisors that report to him. A successful general manager will provide the required discipline, evaluations and feedback required for his people to be successful. Administrative Services Administrative services provide key support in your Family Hydroponics & Organics Franchise. The general manager is responsible for ensuring that these services are completed and addressed in a timely fashion. Many of these services relate to daily paperwork and payroll matters. This information must be checked for accuracy, compiled and issued into a complete report. Accuracy is required. A successful general manager will thus be strong in areas of business mathematics and have strong analytical skills. Policies and Procedures The general manager is required to implement the company s policies and procedures. He must also ensure that his managers and/or supervisors implement and support the policies with their crews. It is the general manager s responsibility to ensure the policies and procedures evolve with the company, updating them as necessary. He must also be able to interpret the policies and procedures to cover any gray or unclear areas that might present themselves during the company s operations. Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.6

7 General Qualifications The general manager position is one that requires a combination of skills, experience and education. A successful general manager will have superior leadership skills, work well with a team and have the ability to work independently with little or no supervision. The candidate must have superior decision-making skills, problemsolving skills and conflict-management abilities. He must have a thorough knowledge of the company, its culture and its products and services. He must also be able to work will all levels of management and have superior training and delegation abilities. Full-charge Bookkeeper: Maintains and handles all books through the adjusted trial balance. Records assets, leases and expenditures and performs the monthly bank reconciliation. Analyzes and corrects current-period errors in the general ledger. Does the payroll, files federal and state payroll tax returns and computes related deposits. "Bookkeeper" is a fairly generic job description. The duties and responsibilities of a bookkeeper can vary significantly from one franchise to the next, depending on factors such as the size of the franchise and how duties are distributed among employees. Regardless of the company, however, most bookkeepers handle the fundamental aspects of a firm's financial record-keeping. Function As the name implies, a bookkeeper manages a company's books (meaning its financial records). A bookkeeper's job description is likely to include recording financial transactions (such as checks written and received); managing accounts payable and receivable; reconciling bank statements; updating the trial balance, profit-and-loss statement and balance sheet; managing payroll; invoicing clients; making federal and state tax deposits; and completing annual tax forms, such as W- 2s and 1099s. Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.7

8 Types The smaller the company, the greater the bookkeeper's responsibilities may be, because there are fewer employees to manage the different components of a company's finances. At a large company, different people might be in charge of accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and so on. At a small company, a single bookkeeper might handle all of the tasks described in the function section. However, because bookkeepers do not necessarily have specialized or advanced training, certain complex tasks, like preparing annual tax returns, should be handled by a certified public accountant. Features Applicants who are familiar with at least one bookkeeping program (such as QuickBooks), have knowledge of double-entry bookkeeping and possess strong numerical abilities are likely to be the most desirable candidates for a bookkeeping job. Being a bookkeeper does not necessarily require any special training, however, and it does not require a college degree (though a bookkeeper with a college degree may earn more). For someone who is good at math and reasoning who is concerned with accuracy, the tasks involved are simple enough to learn on the job. Retail Manager: Family Hydroponics & Organics Retail Sales Manager Retail need to be knowledgeable in all aspects of indoor/ outdoor growing and products used. While they primarily support the sales staff and upper management, they are also required to be knowledgeable in the processes of indoor and outdoor growing. Though a Family Hydroponics & Organics franchise occupies a physical location, you may supplement your sales with an online presence. The manager would also be responsible for sales obtained through and ecommerce site. Salespeople and cashiers are both supervised by the sales manager. Description Retail sales managers supervise the work of employees in franchise store location. These employees can include sales associates, cashiers and stock clerks. Managers are responsible for training their charges, developing work schedules and task lists, and deciding on what goods to order, display or advertise. They inspect merchandise to ensure that they are current and assist in devising incentive programs and may prepare budgets. Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.8

9 Environment Managers will spend much of their time on the sales floor, selling merchandise, interacting with customers and supervising salespeople. Though they normally work a 40-hour week, they may also work on evenings and weekends, sometimes on short notice, to solve problems or fill in for absent workers. Training The position does not require any minimum education. Managers may work their way up from cashier or sales associate. Important manager skills include initiative, judgment, self-discipline, decisiveness and the ability to calm down angry customers or disgruntled employees. Retail Sales Associates: Retail sales associates must enjoy working with people and have knowledge of the Family Hydroponics & Organics approved products. Significance The primary duty of retail sales associates is to interact with customers, answer their questions and make sales. They often serve as consultants for customers by helping them make the right selections. Function Retail sales associates are required to run the cash register in finalizing sales. This requires the ability to run credit cards as well as to make accurate cash transactions. Types of Responsibilities Retail sales associates often are required to stock shelves or return merchandise to its proper location. Other Types of Responsibilities Some retail sales associates will have open or even closing responsibilities. They might arrive first thing in the morning with the manager and help straighten up, open their register and even clean the counters or glass. Closers will be required to close out registers, empty trash or perform additional stocking duties. Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.9

10 Considerations Retail sales associates who are more experienced or designated team leaders might be required to train new sales personnel, take inventory or place orders for new merchandise. Chapter 5: Staffing Your Company Franchise 5.10