The three easiest ways to create more structure within your pay scale are: Define pay grades. Order your staff into different levels of pay, or grades, by evaluating their responsibilities, experience and education. Hint: look at your org chart and Job Descriptions for a good...
Employee records are complicated. There. We said it. Forms, copies, folders, signatures: none of it is fun, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. While organizations often review employee files at the end of the calendar year, summer is...
Question: What is 'at-will employment'? Can I fire an employee for any reason? Answer: Yes and no. At-will employment means the employer or employee can end the employment relationship for almost any reason (with or without cause) at any time (with or without notice). It...
Long before I entertained the idea of being on staff at a large church, I was asked by our Executive Pastor to go to dinner with a candidate for our open Children’s Pastor position. I remember thinking, Why would you want me—someone who is not on...
Churches employ people to help them fulfill their mission. These valuable contributors make the church happen! Most organizations understand the importance of screening job candidates before hiring them. However, there is so much to learn when someone leaves. Many organizations use exit interviews as a forum to learn. If...
It might sound like something included in a benefits package alongside nap lounges and smoothie bars, but offering your employees unlimited PTO is not only totally doable, it could have a really positive impact on your organization and culture. So what is "Unlimited PTO"? Unlimited Paid...
Providing generous benefits for church employees is part of a strategy that is used to attract and retain key employees. Benefits vary greatly by the organization and can be as simple as health insurance for church employees to as complex as flexible work schedules or on-campus daycare. Benefit packages come...
Travel can be one of the most problematic areas for many of your self-employed ministers. The crux of the matter is defining when a drive is a commute and when it’s a deductible travel expense. This definition depends crucially on the minister’s principal place of ministry. Driving...
There are no standard amounts for housing allowance as a whole. The IRS guidelines say to use the fair market rental value of your housing and housing expenses (i.e., gas, electric, cable, etc.). There are housing allowance worksheets to help pastors figure out the...
While Internal Revenue Code is definitely not the most exciting topic, Section 107 is good to know as it does offer some benefit to ministers. This is where the minister’s housing allowance is addressed. Here it is: “In the case of a minister of the gospel,...