There is no legal requirement for businesses to offer paid or unpaid vacation time to employees, but it is common knowledge (and common sense) that employees who occasionally take time off are more productive and engaged when they return to work. If you decide to offer vacation time to your employees, a well-drafted vacation policy will help to ensure that …
Federal law has required certain businesses to offer family and medical leave for decades. An increasing number of states have also enacted or considered passing laws requiring businesses to offer family and medical leave. For small businesses, these laws have distinct pros and cons. This article discusses some of the most important factors small business owners should keep in mind …
A small business that has invested substantial resources in developing a product or a customer base could be devastated if its employees then go to work for a competitor down the street or set up their own competing business. A noncompetition agreement is an important tool that could protect your business from former employees who could otherwise reveal or use …
Do you have certain key employees who help make your family business a success? Keeping those employees may be essential to a successful transition of ownership and management to your children or another new owner when you retire or pass away. A “stay bonus” (also called a retention bonus) is a strategy that is frequently used by large companies during …
Babies are expensive. Getting married is expensive. Having a wife is expensive. All of these are considerations to be had when you have support obligations arising out of a first marriage. Many people think that since the payor (the one paying support) has a “new family,” the obligation to the first spouse will cease. This is not the case. In …
There are a myriad of animal law issues affecting farm and ranch families who are going through a divorce (both with companion animals but also livestock and frozen genetics). Read my Fact Sheet with the National Agriculture Law Center here. Don’t forget to check out all my NALC Fact Sheets on family law issues with agriculture here. Share this Article
The economy is booming, which is excellent news for small businesses, right? In general, it is great news for all businesses. However, it also presents some challenges, particularly for small businesses. According to the June 2019 National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Jobs Report, small business owners identified the difficulty of finding qualified employees as their single most important business …
As a small business owner, you may be considering using virtual workers to expand your workforce. A virtual worker is an employee who uses technology to complete their duties outside of the traditional workplace setting. Many businesses today find this workforce model quite attractive for several reasons. For one, having a virtual business work model allows employers to reduce the …
Thirty-three states and 150 municipalities and counties have enacted “ban-the-box” laws precluding employers from including questions about criminal history on employment applications. In many of these states, ban-the-box statutes apply only to public employers, but 13 states (including some of the most highly populated, such as California and Illinois) and 18 municipalities and counties have applied them to most or …
Most small business owners will occasionally have to face the unpleasant task of firing an employee. Small businesses, in particular, rely heavily on each employee. An underperforming employee may not only lower the morale of other employees who have to pick up the slack, but may also jeopardize the success of the business. When an employee must be terminated, it …
Despite your best efforts to work only with customers or clients you believe will pay for the goods or services your business provides and to diligently collect delinquent amounts owed, you will almost inevitably have to deal with bad debts on occasion. In some circumstances, the IRS allows you to take a bad debt deduction. What Is Considered a Business …
According to 2018 data provided by SCORE, the largest provider of volunteer business mentors in the United States, 77% of U.S. small businesses use social media for their sales, marketing, and customer service. If you plan to use social media to promote your business, a social media policy is essential to protect your business’s reputation and avoid litigation by preventing …