If you haven’t figured it out by now, you’ll learn that there’s no way a busy small business owner can accomplish everything you need to in a given day. So you have two choices: leave things unfinished, or expand your capacity by developing a team. But creating a team–one that works effectively–is both art and […]
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“There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” said my colleague, Joe Harris, Esq. of White Harris PLLC. “That’s what small businesses need to understand about interns.” Joe reaches for the check (“Ironic,” I think, “… seems I am getting a free lunch!”) as we chat about the trends and challenges we’re seeing for small […]
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Because “one size does not fit all.” And because “you get what you pay for.” In “a whopper of a sexual harrassment claim” (thanks to blog author Jon Hyman for the turn of phrase I couldn’t resist), the case of EEOC v. V & J Foods, Inc., a Burger King franchise had an employee manual that […]
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Well, employees are people, too. And they may have some of your company equipment at home (laptop, cell phone, etc.).If they damage the equipment, do they have to pay for it? Can you dock their paycheck? The answer, generally, is no. Many states prohibit companies from making deductions from an employee’s paycheck, other than those required […]
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Those who are NCIS fans may recognize the line from the episode “Driven,” where an AI-operated car supposedly kills one of its inventors. The criminal shenanigans are only tangential to why I mention the issue. The episode opens with the NCIS team sitting through sexual harassment awareness training. Like a lovingly dysfunctional family, the team […]
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Talking to an underperforming employee ranks right up there with telling a boyfriend he’s not pulling his weight in a relationship. Blecch. Not something you really look forward to. But if you don’t nip the situation in the bud early, it will fester until it reaches ugly proportions. You need to handle the situation directly, […]
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As if there weren’t enough issues to put into our employee manuals, the internet and Web 2.0 have made them proliferate.Each time there’s a new technology, lawyers have to evaluate: “Is it covered under our current policies?” And, not being the one to say “sure!”–and be wrong –voila! A new policy is born. The latest […]
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In tough economic times, it’s tempting to look at payroll and ask, “Who can we cut?” It’s like looking in the mirror, realizing that you’re overweight and immediately choosing liposuction as a fat-reduction measure. There are alternatives to drastically cutting your work force–especially as these are the very people you will need to rebound when […]
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From my colleague Stephen Furnari comes this intelligent article on how to make employment non-compete agreements “stick.” Courts are generally loathe to enforce an agreement that would keep someone out of gainful employment; companies are loathe to employ people who will walk away with their customer base and trade secrets. So a delicate balance needs […]
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Election Day is just around the corner, and I have to confess–I get a little misty when I enter the election booth and pull the thick curtains closed behind me. In so few countries around the world do people get to vote without coercion or fear of reprisal on who will lead their government. Whatever […]
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Taking on a business partner is not a decision to be made lightly. It’s much like getting married. With the tools provided to you in The Entrepreneur’s Prenup you will always have the partnership guidance you need, regardless of where you are in your partnership process.