Private Works Mechanics’ Liens A Mechanic’s Lien is a powerful tool for persons who contract with and provide materials to property owners for works of improvement. Appropriately utilized, a Mechanic’s Lien attaches to the property upon which the improvement is being made limiting the property owner’s ability to refinance or convey the property until the lien is removed. While this is not necessarily a Read More

Employee Checklist Download Checklist Here I often get inquiries about how to hire a first employee. While each employer will approach the process a bit differently, there are some essential steps to take and important things to consider. This checklist will highlight the many issues an employer must contend with, but it is not intended to provide a comprehensive list of everything an employer must take Read More

Employer and Employee Agreement Basics All employer/employee relationships are based on an agreement. The agreement can be either oral or written and will ideally define the terms of the relationship. It can be as simple as agreeing to pay a part-time bookkeeper to manage your accounts receivables or an extensive salesperson agreement with a complex compensation package.  In any case, as with any Read More

Minimizing the Risk of a Discrimination Lawsuit As unfortunate as it is, discrimination in the workplace remains an issue throughout the United States. This issue not only impacts employees, but it also affects prospective employees participating in the job application process. Many employers have policies and procedures aimed at eliminating such behavior, but the issue remains nonetheless.  And because Read More

Contractual Protection of Company Assets In previous blogs, I’ve talked about a variety of vulnerabilities employers face. These vulnerabilities arise both internally and externally, and employers must be vigilant in protecting business assets. Here, we’re talking not about physical assets, but less tangible assets such as business goodwill, proprietary information and employee skill and know-how. And a Read More

It is fairly common for employers to receive requests for employee records, either by the employee or third parties. This may be alarming as this could be an indication that someone is investigating some aspect of the employer/employee relationship. If such a request is received, read it carefully, understand what is required and when, and promptly comply. Employers aren’t going to avoid liability by being coy or Read More

Minimizing Risk from Disgruntled Employee According to a 2015 report by the Society for Human Resources Management, employee job satisfaction is higher than it’s ever been in the last ten years. Peaking at 88%, this is a significant change from 2005 where employee satisfaction was hovering around 77%. As of February 2018, The Bureau of Labor and Statistics concluded the workforce was almost 162 million. Read More