Yesterday I had an interesting discussion with one of my buddies. He is an executive with a Fortune 500 company out-of-state and he was expressing his frustration with lawyers – actually his own lawyers. He just got off the phone with one of his outside counsel when I called. After talking with him for less than 30 seconds I
Employee Evaluations Are Critical to Firing Decisions
Charlie Longbrief had just turned off his computer to end his day when the phone rang. It was John Grains. John owns the local grain elevator in Hometown, Iowa and Charlie has been his business lawyer for several years.
"Charlie, I’ve got a problem," he said.
"Tell me about it," Charlie said.
"Well, I need to fire Nancy
Document Retention and Electronic Discovery
In today’s business environment, organizations need to respond to an increasing number of document requests, from regulatory compliance issues to internal investigations to full-scale litigation. Much of this information is available electronically. Despite the prevalence of such document requests most organizations remain reactive rather than proactive when it comes to dealing with the issue of
Ten Tips for New Small Businesses
I ran across this list of tips for new small businesses. Some terrific advice. Here are the ten tips as listed:
- Save up as much money as possible before starting.
- Start on a shoestring.
- Protect your personal assets.
- Understand how–and if–you will make a profit.
- Make a business plan, so matter how short.
- Get and
Drug Testing Basics for Iowa Employers
An employer recently called me to inquire about a drug testing policy. The employer received reports that a delivery driver had driven while under the influence of alcohol. These types of occurrences often serve as wake up calls. Drug testing can deter such behavior. So it makes sense to implement drug tests in the workplace
What are the Top Legal Issues Facing Today’s Small Businesses?
I am hoping you will provide me with some input. What do you think are the top legal issues facing small businesses today?
My general sense is that employee/human resource issues rank high. If you are a small business owner, what keeps you up at night from a legal perspective? If you are a lawyer
What if More Employers Were Like Tony Dungy?
Michael Libbie had a great post on the recent 2007 Iowa Employment Values Study showing that more than anything workers want R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Being respected in the workplace is the value Iowa workers feel is most important.
But what if more employers were like Tony Dungy? A post from TechRepublic says it very well,
"Dungy
Ombudsman May Reduce Risk of Lawsuits
The Tennesse Business Litigation Blog has a post discussing the use of an ombudsman in business to prevent lawsuits.
"The ombudsman position can be a very effective tool which provides an outlet for disgruntled employees to air disputes and reinstate respect in the workplace. A large percentage of litigation, including employment litigation, is spawned
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
A few days ago Brian Honnold had an excellent post about the fear of lawsuits by America’s small businesses over on IowaBiz.com. The most alarming statistic? Small businesses bear 69% of the total cost of the tort system to all U.S. businesses. That’s $98 billion a year in costs. Further, six in ten
Ten Things to Keep in Mind for Firing an Employee
On her Employee Handbooks Blog Jill Pugh discusses 10 things to keep in mind if you need to fire an employee.
A no-no I see the most on the list is the desire to withhold money from the employee’s last paycheck. (See No. 5).
Employees are often issued laptops, cell phones and other technologies.