Spokes | Resources for Nonprofits

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Free Human Resources Hotline

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SLO Cal Careers has partnered with the California Employers Association to provide San Luis Obispo County employers with a no-cost human resources hotline. Get advice on:

  • Hiring and firing best practices
  • Paid sick leave laws
  • Wage and hour laws
  • Employee handbook policies
  • HR compliance
  • Accommodations in the workplace
  • And much more!

HR Directors are available for San Luis Obispo County Employers
Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Call 888.710.0905.

This WIOA Title I financially assisted program or activity is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. California Relay Service 711 or 1-800-735-2922 (English) 1-800-855-3000 (Spanish).

Can you fire a volunteer?

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In a recent Spokes roundtable, the topic of the “dysfunctional volunteer” came up. Most volunteers are valuable assets for or organizations. We couldn’t do what we do without them. But occasionally, we experience a volunteer who is not contributing, or worse, creating a drain on the organization.

There are various forms of dysfunction. A volunteer may promise but not deliver. He may not have the knowledge or skills to be of help. She may distract staff or other volunteers from what they need to be doing.

As with hiring employees, the best approach to recruiting volunteers is to have a sound system for vetting them, learning about their talents and interests, and matching those to the tasks your organization needs accomplished. Sometimes, though, things just don’t work out. For the benefit of both the organization and the volunteer, it may be time to part company.

The following two resources provide sound advice on how to let a volunteer go in the most respectful and productive manner.


Retaining Staff

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Finding qualified new staff can be very difficult, so at Spokes June 2023 Symposium we focused on how to retain the staff you already have on board. It’s a national problem! Consider:

  • In 2022, a record 50.6 million U.S. workers quit their jobs, accounting for 70% of total separations. This is the highest level in the history of the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which dates back to 2001.
  • While quits are down from the record highs of 2022, in January 2023 dipping below the four million mark for the first time since May 2021, they were back up to above four million this February.
  • This year, 56% of surveyed U.S. workers said they’re likely to seek a new job compared to 51% in 2022.

Here are some resources recommended by our panel of experts:

Two Important New Employment Laws

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Pay Transparency

Among the new employment laws that go into effect January 1, 2023, two deserve special mention. One, referred to as “Pay Transparency,” applies to your nonprofit if you have 15 or more employees. Starting January 1, you’ll need to include pay range information in any job posting. In addition:

  • ALL employers must provide a pay scale to any current employee for their position upon request.
  • Employers must also maintain records of a job title and wage rate history for each employee during employment and for three years after separation from the company
  • All private employers with 100 or more employees must file pay data reports with the State’s Civil Rights Department, regardless of whether they are required to file a federal EEO-1 with the EEOC. (Note: nonprofits are considered “private employers.)

Retirement

The other change has to do with retirement programs. The CalSavers Retirement Savings Program is a state-run retirement program for employees who work for employers not offering a private-market retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan. Previously, the law only applied to nonprofits with 5 or more employees. As of January 1, it applies even if you have only one employee.

Learn more

Spokes members can view the 60-minute video overview of these and other new HR-related laws for 2023. Sign into your account, click “access member benefits,” and go to the Video Library. You’ll find the recording in the Past Classes showcase. Not a member yet? Check out the member benefits.

Compliance Checklists

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When you’re running a nonprofit, you want to spend your time pursuing your mission, not filling out forms. But there’s no avoiding the fact there are a lot of details to worry about to keep your organization in compliance with various federal, state, and local laws and regulations. If you have employees, especially if you have many employees, compliance can be a big issue. Here are a few checklists that can help you keep track of some key compliance issues.

Nonprofits Compliance Checklist. CalNonprofits offers this basic checklist of key filings every incorporated nonprofit needs to be aware of and complete if appropriate. It includes such things as the Statement of Information which you need to file every other year, the Annual Registration with the Attorney General’s office, and the Federal Annual Information Return (forget to do that for three years running and you’ll lose your tax exemption!).

HR Compliance Toolkit. UST provides this set of ten resources that you can download for free (assuming you’re willing to share your email address). The HR Audit Checklist is a four page document that easily leads you through a simple self-assessment of what you’re doing right and what you might want to work on. Other handy tools in the kit include an interview checklist and an exit interview checklist.

Compliance Calendar. Do you offer medical benefits to your employees? If you do, you have more things you may need to file. Morris and Garritano provides an annual Compliance Calendar that can help you comply in a timely fashion.

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