THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast

In the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch, the October data show job growth is stable, weekly hours worked increases for an eighth straight month, and hourly earnings remain below inflation for the 26th consecutive month. The latter gives host Gene Marks pause because while employers ask employees to work more, they’re doing so at wages that don’t meet what is needed. In other news, confidence levels are mixed on how well employee contracts align with business policies, so Gene offers a solution, and Goldman Sachs pulls back on who can use AI tools at work.  Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 00:58 – Latest Job and Wage Data 02:47 – Contract and Handbook Policy Alignment 04:53 – Goldman Sachs Reverses AI Policy 06:56 – Visa Releases Holiday Sales Forecast 07:17 – Episode Wrap-up Additional Resources Be prepared with our 2027 Payroll Calendar: https://bit.ly/payroll-cal-2027 Paychex Small Business Employment Watch: https://bit.ly/paychex-sbew Small business and AI: https://bit.ly/ai-and-small-biz Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

There’s a ton of focus on the blue wave of Democrats primed to take control of Congress in 2027, but host Gene Marks says he doesn’t see how this will greatly help small businesses. They could rein in tariffs and the war with Iran, which would help costs on imports and prices at the pump and in grocery stores. However, inflation is still high and access to funding depends on interest rates, which Congress doesn’t control. Healthcare and immigration reform require legislation, but the president has veto power. Gene suggests that owners focus on the state they are in and how to manage any changes, especially in blue states, regarding employment law and workplace environment. Listen to the podcast. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 01:02 – Midterm Election Results 01:58 – Intro of Impacts on Small Businesses 02:18 – Expect Legislative Stalemate and Vetoes 03:42 – Democrats Might Propose Change to Filibuster 04:00 – How Can Congress Overcome a Veto 04:38 – Where Do Tariffs Stand? 06:10 – Could Limiting War Funding Ease Oil and Gas Prices? 07:35 – Congress Can’t Control Inflation 08:19 – Interest Rates and Inflation Might Stay the Same 10:18 – Congress Might Take a Stab at Healthcare and Immigration 10:45 – Pay Attention to State Level Legislation and Regulations 11:29 – Shut Out the Noise and Other Takeaways for Businesses 13:09 – Episode Wrap-up   Additional Resources Be prepared with our 2027 Payroll Calendar: https://bit.ly/payroll-cal-2027 DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

Can a small business offer benefits that rival the big guys? Bradd Chignoli of MetLife joins Gene Marks to show you how. From life and disability insurance to critical illness and accident coverage, you’ll learn which benefits your team can access through work, why they often cost less there, and how the right education turns enrollment into real engagement. Because when employees use their benefits, they’re more likely to stay. Watch Build a Benefits Plan That Retains and Complies with your free Customer Advantage Summit pass: https://bit.ly/payx-summit-metlife Simplify your business operations. Learn how Paychex can handle your HR and payroll so you can focus on what counts: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs Have a topic idea? Share it at https://payx.me/thrivetopics Topics include: 00:00 – Episode preview and guest introduction 02:24 – Meet Bradd Chignoli 03:48 – What benefits MetLife offers 05:04 – Life insurance and employee education 09:07 – Why life insurance through an employer can cost less 12:39 – Covering spouses, partners, and children 16:59 – Disability insurance: protecting your income 19:42 – Calculating disability coverage 21:32 – Voluntary benefits: critical illness, accident, and hospital coverage 24:22 – Helping employees understand their benefits 28:46 – Key takeaways and what the data says 31:11 – Wrap up and thank you #BusinessPodcast #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #iHeartRadio #ApplePodcastTips #SpotifyPodcasts DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

Whatever you’ve encountered in your experiences in HR, if it didn’t involve work-time tattoos or a hamster as part of a white elephant gift exchange, then buckle up. HR Besties podcast co-host Jamie Jackson shares some frighteningly funny stories on this special Halloween episode. As she does on her own platform, @humorous_resources, Jamie finds the after-the-fact funny in some serious – and sometimes not so serious – workplace situations where she and her team of HR professionals had to get involved. Discover how she leveled these situations with levity.   Simplify your business operations: Visit paychex.com/Meet-Paychex to learn how Paychex can handle your HR and payroll so you can focus on what counts.   Have a topic idea? Share it at https://payx.me/thrivetopics Topics include: 00:00 – Episode preview and guest introduction 01:23 – Meet Jamie Jackson 04:14 – A Halloween costume gets tagged 04:47 – Price Is Right, but the place is wrong 07:56 – Know the Halloween dress code policy 09:41 – All-hands meeting becomes T-Rex dance party 12:04 – Lock your door for meetings 13:47 – Tattooing at work and social media posts don’t mix 16:07 – Does “don’t tattoo at work” need to be a handbook policy? 18:57 – What makes the strangest white elephant gift? 20:42 – A hamster certainly is a shock-and-awe gift 23:05 – “No live animal” gifts does make the handbook 24:41 – Open enrollment and deer hunting season overlap 26:05 – Keeping a calendar saves a marriage 27:15 – Wrap up and thank you   DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

If you took small business owners’ feelings about cash flow and their confidence about growth in 2027 and compared it to their feelings and confidence in the current economy, the polar opposites would be shocking. However, what they decide is more important will determine the Midterms. Host Gene Marks offers insights, as well as tips on succession planning, especially if you’re like the 57% surveyed who said they were leaning heavily into their business to fund retirement. In AI news, manufacturers continue to adopt AI but aren’t seeing measurable outcomes. Gene talks about why. Listen to the podcast. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 01:18 – SMB Sentiment and Election Influence 03:35 – Succession Planning Lags 07:05 – AI in Manufacturing is Mixed Review 10:26 – Episode Wrap-up  Additional Resources Prepare for year-end: https://bit.ly/ye-checklist DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.