It’s easy to see HR as just another overhead expense, and if your landscape company has made it this far without an HR employee, surely it can’t be that important. However, without someone responsible for managing the people side of your business, you can set yourself up for a number of nightmares.
Legal Nightmares Lurking in the Shadows
One of the most frightening consequences of neglecting HR is the risk it opens your company up to by failing to comply with employment laws and regulations. This includes issues related to wages, employee misclassification, accessibility, leave policies and more.
Violating these labor laws, whether intentional or not, can result in heavy fines and lawsuits. With seasonal employees, subcontractors, and possibly working in multiple states, compliance can become even more complicated.
Missing Documentation That Comes Back to Haunt You
In the same vein, lacking written policies or incomplete personnel files can be dangerous for several reasons.
If you fail to have set policies for attendance, PTO, and employee conduct, it can be that much harder to hold employees accountable. Similarly, if you don’t keep consistent disciplinary records, an employee could later allege wrongful termination, and you will be hard-pressed to provide evidence of their performance issues and prior warnings.
Other litigation you may encounter includes employees alleging you did not conduct the proper safety training before they were hurt on the job, or they were discriminated against. Both of these are easier to defend against with the right documentation.
Incomplete or inaccurate employee records, or failing to keep records on file for the required period, can cause major issues if federal immigration authorities audit your landscape company’s files. I-9s must be kept on every employee for three years after the worker is hired or after one year of separation from the employer, whichever is later. Errors on I-9 forms result in costly violation fees.
Toxic Workplace Culture Brewing Beneath the Surface
An HR professional does far more than just manage payroll and benefits. They also serve as a conduit for employees to voice their concerns and play a large role in shaping your overall company culture.
Without an HR professional or team, employees often have no one to turn to when they are dealing with workplace conflict or harassment. It can be a particular issue if a staff member is having problems with their direct supervisor. This can quickly lead to low morale and disengaged employees.
If favoritism or poor employee behavior is tolerated, this can erode employee trust and drive away both existing and potential team members.
Ghosts of Good Employees Past
When no one is guiding your company culture, turnover can increase as employees struggle to feel supported and valued.
Turnover can also be higher when no one is responsible for creating a welcoming and repeatable onboarding experience to ensure that new hires understand their role and have access to the tools needed to succeed.
Additionally, managers can burn out and leave if all HR responsibilities fall on them, keeping them from focusing on strategic goals. Losing key employees like this can disrupt customer relationships and reduce productivity.
Growth Opportunities Vanishing Into Thin Air
Another overlooked benefit of an HR professional is that they can aid employees in their career growth, identifying opportunities for professional development. Failing to have productive and regular check-ins can also leave employees feeling adrift in their careers.
You can also miss developing promising future leaders. This will make it harder to scale without someone building out this core bench of employees.
Without an HR person on staff recruiting regularly this can impact your capacity to take on new work as no one can dedicate their time fully to this task as they have other responsibilities to accomplish as well.
You may not have the funds for a full-time HR employee, but you can make sure this part of the business isn’t being neglected either. One option is to outsource some of your HR tasks to qualified professionals and assign other responsibilities to specific employees on staff. Don’t wait until you’re experiencing any of these scary scenarios firsthand.
