Joel Stephens has added PEO Services (Professional Employer Organization) to his product portfolio.  “This is a value added resource for my clients”, said Stephens.  “Most small to medium size companies don’t have the luxury of their own Human Resources, Payroll and Risk Management Departments.  With these PEO services, my clients also receive workers compensation insurance that protects against occupational injuries, which provides sole remedy for any claim,” added Stephens.

Texas is the only state in the U.S. that allows a company not to have workers comp insurance.  An employer does not realize the consequences of this law until they have a workplace injury.  With comp, the employer is protected from a law suit, and without it, they are fair game.  It is usually too late after an employee is injured on the job.  Even with an accident or self insured policy, the employer is at risk if they don’t protect their livelihood with workers compensation insurance.  In addition, the employee has much better benefits while recuperating from an injury.  “This program helps an employee recuperate and get back to making a living,” said Stephens.

The PEO industry is not new.  In the late 80s, it was referred to as Employee Leasing, but that moniker was somewhat misleading.  As the PEO concept began to gain strength among employers, the description changed to PEO.  Each PEO specializes in outsourced services that enable clients to do what they do best… enjoy their business by spending more time on their core business rather than all the red tape of legal compliance and the usual administrative processes related to employees. 

Not to be confused with temporary employee services, the employer selects and manages their workforce.  In the hiring process, the Stephens Agency also provides MindData Behavioral Assessments to help each client find the best candidate for any job description.  According to Stephens, “This is a tremendous value for both the client company and the employee.  Nothing is worse than hiring someone that does not fit in with co-workers, or with the culture of a company.  If the employee is unhappy with his or her surroundings, then that person will not be happy with the job for which they were hired.  By the same token, an unhappy employee is less productive, therefore not as productive as either the employer or employee desires.”

To find out more about PEO Services offered in the Paris area, Contact Joel Stephens at (903) 249-3592, or e-mail him at joelstephens12@yahoo.com.

Born and raised in Paris, Joel and his wife Teresa have two children, Trent 21, who just returned from National Guard duty in Iraq, and soon to be deployed again in June.  Their daughter Jessica, 18, is a senior at North Lamar High School.  His hobbies include hunting and fishing.  Born and raised in Paris, he has been in the insurance business for six years.  Specializing in group health and life insurance, Stephens takes pride in service and quality products from the top providers.  Stephens concluded, “It has everything to do with satisfied clients and retention of business.”  Prior to beginning his insurance career, he was a lineman at Lamar Electric Co-Op.

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