Small business owners want to focus on operation, not legal disputes. Most successful businesses function with the support of employees and staff. All business owners know that staff that is content at work are more productive for the business overall. However, most businesses do not have a Human Resources Department to handle employee-related issues. What happens when there is a problem with an employee?
Unfortunately, the answer to that question is often associated with high legal fees in a narrow legal market. There are other options, however. A company can take several important steps to prevent any disputes from arising in the first place:
- Have an employment manual available for each employee and a signed acknowledgment form from the employee accepting responsibility for its rules and procedures;
- Create a progressive disciplinary policy to place employees on notice of any problems you have with their work performance; and
- Document any issues immediately when they arise and sign and date the document.
Our law firm Law Office Of Julie Johnson specializes in providing the tools to small businesses that give them the resources of a Human Resources Department, without the added cost. Our fees are tailored specifically to your needs, rather than a high, hourly rate without any idea what the final bill will be.
In today’s job market, employees are fighting harder than ever before to keep their jobs. The Associated Press recently announced that federal job discrimination complaints are at an all-time high. In 2011, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received nearly 100,000 charges of discrimination. These charges range from discrimination to retaliation based upon sex, race, age, disability, national origin, and religion. Be sure you have an attorney on your side to defend against any employee dispute.