Are Employment Law Mistakes Putting Your Small Business at Risk?
Get the HR expertise you need without the overhead: Jacksonville-based consultant Diane Faulkner, SPHR, helps small businesses stay compliant and avoid costly employment law mistakes.
Small business owners across don't need a full HR department—they need expert guidance navigating employment law compliance. Jacksonville, Florida-based HR consultant Diane Faulkner, SPHR, founded Human Resources, Made Easy to provide precisely that: manager training, employee handbooks, Form I-9 audits, classification reviews, and on-call support for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. With over 40 years of experience translating complex federal and state labor regulations into actionable solutions, Diane helps you stay compliant and avoid costly employment law landmines.
Services
On-Call HR Support
When employment questions arise, you need immediate access to expert guidance. Diane provides on-call HR support for small businesses throughout Florida, serving as your outsourced HR department for day-to-day questions, employee relations issues, policy interpretation, termination guidance, and compliance concerns. With over 40 years of experience navigating federal and state employment laws, she delivers practical, actionable advice when you need it most—without the cost of a full-time HR staff.
Employee Handbook Creation & Updates
A well-crafted employee handbook protects your business and sets clear expectations for your workforce. Diane creates customized employee handbooks tailored to your Florida, incorporating federal requirements and state-specific laws, including at-will employment, anti-discrimination policies, leave entitlements, and workplace safety procedures. For existing handbooks, she provides comprehensive updates to reflect current employment law changes, ensuring your policies remain compliant and enforceable.
Employee Classification Reviews
Misclassifying workers as independent contractors instead of employees—or as exempt rather than non-exempt—can trigger costly penalties, back wages, and legal claims. Diane conducts thorough employee classification audits for small Florida businesses, reviewing job duties, compensation structures, and working relationships against federal FLSA standards and state-specific regulations. She provides clear recommendations and documentation to correct misclassifications and establish compliant practices going forward.
HR Audits
Comprehensive HR audits identify compliance gaps before they become costly problems. Diane conducts thorough reviews of your entire HR function for businesses across Florida, examining personnel files, policies and procedures, compensation practices, benefits administration, recordkeeping requirements, and regulatory compliance. She provides a detailed findings report with prioritized recommendations, helping small businesses strengthen their HR practices and reduce legal exposure across all areas of employment law.
Form I-9 Audits
Immigration compliance errors can result in substantial penalties—even when unintentional. Diane conducts thorough Form I-9 audits for businesses throughout Florida, reviewing your I-9 forms for common mistakes, missing documentation, and procedural violations. She provides detailed correction guidance and best practices training to ensure your company maintains compliant I-9 records and is prepared for potential ICE inspections.
Manager Training
Effective management starts with understanding employment law compliance. Diane provides customized manager training for small businesses across Florida, covering essential topics including discrimination and harassment prevention, proper documentation, performance management, FMLA and ADA compliance, and lawful termination procedures. Whether delivered on-site at your Jacksonville location or virtually for your multi-state team, her training equips your supervisors with the practical knowledge they need to manage employees confidently while minimizing legal risk.
Diane Faulkner, SPHR
Diane's corporate HR career is lined in leadership roles, including Vice President of Human Resources for Coastline Federal Credit Union, where she reduced employee turnover from 92% to 7% in just 11 months.
Diane earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Michigan State University, where she studied industrial/organizational psychology and labor law—laying the groundwork for four decades of helping businesses understand and apply complex employment regulations. Today, she specializes in serving businesses with fewer than 50 employees, providing manager training, employee handbooks, Form I-9 audits, classification reviews, HR audits, and on-call support throughout the Southeast.
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The Process
01
Discovery Call
During this call, we map out the type and scope of service you want and your timeline. We’ll set up any in-person or Zoom meetings we’ll need to have before work begins.
02
Research & Development
Here, I do any research needed to deliver the service you’ve chosen. This may include quick calls or Zoom meetings.
03
Review & Implementation
I deliver any documents created. If there is anything you need to implement, I walk you through the process.
Testimonials
I met Diane through Women Business Owners in Jacksonville, FL, and think very highly of her. Diane knows her industry. She is generous and willing to share her knowledge. I recommend her without hesitation.
★★★★★
Debi Lander
Owner, Healthwise Fitness
We consider ourselves lucky to work with Diane—she takes complex subjects and turns them into easily understandable concepts. She thinks in the big picture and is able to give us exactly what we’re looking for.
★★★★★
Catherine Adcock
Atwell Design
Diane is an excellent coach. She is dedicated, approachable, and very knowledgeable. Working with her is a joy and a gift.
★★★★★
David Moe
CEO, Home & Hope Ministries
Frequently Asked Questions
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I specialize in working with small to mid-sized businesses with fewer than 50 employees—companies that need expert HR guidance but don't have the resources or need for a full-time HR department. Whether you're a startup in Jacksonville with five employees or an established business across the Southeast with 45 team members, I provide the same level of professional HR support you'd get from an in-house HR director. My services are designed specifically for businesses operating in at-will and right-to-work states.
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On-call HR support gives you access to expert employment law guidance whenever you need it—without the cost of a full-time HR staff. When questions arise about terminations, employee relations issues, policy interpretation, documentation requirements, or compliance concerns, you can reach me by phone or email for practical, actionable advice. Most clients use on-call support for immediate questions that can't wait, while scheduling more in-depth projects like handbook updates or audits separately. I typically respond within one business day, and often much sooner for urgent matters.
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A Form I-9 audit focuses specifically on your immigration compliance—reviewing all I-9 forms for completeness, accuracy, and procedural compliance to ensure you're prepared for potential ICE inspections. An HR audit is a comprehensive review of your entire HR function, examining personnel files, job descriptions, compensation practices, employee classifications, benefits administration, recordkeeping, policies and procedures, and compliance across all areas of employment law. While an I-9 audit typically takes a few hours to a day, depending on employee count, a complete HR audit is more extensive and results in a detailed findings report with prioritized recommendations to strengthen your overall HR practices and reduce legal exposure.
