HR Companies & HR Consultants in Johnston, RI

Smyth Business Solutions, LLC is an insurance agency and HR support firm in Johnston, Rhode Island. It works mainly with small employers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and acts as an advocate for the owners of smaller organizations. The firm brings employee benefits, workers' compensation, commercial coverage and human resources assistance together in one relationship. That combination is its core offering for buyers who would rather not coordinate several separate vendors for benefits and people management.

Human resources services

The HR side of the practice centers on consultation and ongoing access to advisors. Clients can bring everyday personnel questions to certified HR professionals and get live guidance tailored to their situation. The firm gives examples of the issues it handles:

• Responding to a harassment complaint
• Deciding whether an I-9 must be redone after an employee's name change
• Setting a policy on workplace romance
• Asking at-will staff to give notice before they resign
• Working out whether a business falls under FMLA
• Requiring employees to use accrued vacation
• Determining whether one person can be both an employee and a contractor

The firm also handles benefits administration, designs benefits packages, and advises on HRIS selection, including help choosing payroll and HR system vendors.

Online HR Support Center

Clients can use a cloud-based HR Support Center at any hour. Its content is produced internally by credentialed HR staff. The toolkit includes a Handbook Wizard for building employee handbooks, a collection of job descriptions, and quick guides and checklists on subjects such as hiring, termination and health care reform.

It also offers plain-language summaries of federal and state employment law. Other features include on-demand training videos, HR podcasts, a weekly email called HR Snapshot that answers a topical question, and a regular feed of current HR articles. A 3-minute HR Audit helps owners find compliance gaps quickly.

Separately, the public website offers an HR Fitness Test that returns a personalized score and a report with recommendations, as well as a resource titled The Monthly HR Cast.

Benefits and insurance expertise

Because the agency represents several health insurance carriers, it can compare plans across the market rather than relying on a single insurer. It shops commercial policies the same way, from standard business coverage to more specialized lines, along with workers' compensation and commercial auto.

In a testimonial on the site, the president of a dessert company says the team found less expensive medical and dental options without weakening his coverage and explained each plan carefully. The firm's blog covers related topics for owners, such as the trade-offs of group health plans, how to choose a plan, and the case for outsourcing payroll.

Working with the firm

New clients usually start with a conversation. Prospects who fill out the consultation request form can book a free sixty-minute session, and shorter fifteen-minute calls are also offered. The firm points to Cornell University research linking well-run HR to higher productivity, better attendance, fewer accidents and stronger operating income.

It uses this research to explain why it treats HR as a strategic function rather than paperwork. The office is staffed on weekdays during business hours. The firm is a practical fit for small companies that want benefits, insurance and HR guidance from one local partner.