Fundamentals for Small Businesses

Managers often find disciplining employees and making termination decisions challenging. With every decision you make, there’s risk of a lawsuit. Even the most experienced supervisors encounter stress and anxiety during the process. Having a clear idea of proper disciplinary and termination procedures can prevent you from making costly mistakes. The more you know about how... read more

Documentation is essential when it comes to recording employee disciplinary action, yet it’s often an afterthought for small business owners. Instead of having a detailed history at their fingertips at all times, many owners find themselves building a case after the fact, which is a recipe for disaster. Choose Your Words Carefully When documenting employee... read more

We’ve all heard stories of job interviews gone bad — from awkward, cringe-worthy encounters to sensitive situations where hiring managers overstepped their legal bounds. Yet interviewing isn’t the only hiring activity fraught with danger. If you’re using a “do it yourself” job application you created on the fly (or a generic one you downloaded online),... read more

Your job advertisement is pulling in resumes by the boatload. The “thumbs-up” pile has some promising prospects. Sweet. Now all that’s left is to interview and hire, right? Not so fast. Spiffy resumes that radiate glowing candidate qualities and experiences may not provide the details you need to properly qualify a potential hire. To capture... read more

To be at work or not to be at work? That is the question. While employees across the country face this dilemma daily, business owners should do everything humanly possible to reduce unexcused absences. And for good reason: Unplanned absenteeism significantly impacts morale and profitability. Before we go any further, ask yourself a question: Do... read more

Hiring new employees means a lot of paperwork — for you and for them. Among the new hire forms, one you can’t overlook is the required IRS employment tax form W-4. In a rush to get through it all, you may be tempted to streamline the process by helping employees with the form — or... read more