Read your mail. I frequently encounter i

Read your mail. I frequently encounter individuals and small businesses who get in to legal troubles because they didn’t read their mail. Always read your mail, but especially if you get a letter from a government agency, for example, the IRS, department of labor, unemployment department, etc. Also, if you get served with legal papers, i.e., a complaint and summons, call a lawyer immediately. There are typically deadlines set forth in letters from government agencies that need to be met and there is always a deadline to respond to a lawsuit (usually about 20 days). So don’t stick you head in the sand, read your mail and avoid costly legal troubles later. http://ow.ly/i/4m3ue

EIGHTH TIP; SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WORKPLACE

The next tip for those who own, or want to own, a small business: integrate social media policies into your workplace.  

This past year I learned how to use Facebook for business.  I had a personal Facebook page for several years but was not an avid user.  I heard people talk about using social media for business, but I didn’t understand what that meant.  About six months ago, I went to a basic social media class and started a Facebook business page.  I learned how to post, use pictures, tag, schedule future posts, use hashtags, etc.  Now I post legal tips everyday to my Facebook page and I am slowly building an audience.  The idea of a Facebook business page might be old news to some of you and new news to others.  The fact of the matter is that a growing business needs to use every avenue available to market and social media seems to be “the” tool to use at the present moment.  Social media is also being used to investigate potential employees.  It is not uncommon for companies to choose not to hire a potential employee after viewing information posted by or about the employee on social media outlets.  And, I am seeing more and more stories about employees being fired due to items posted via social media.  Think about what you would do if your employee was posting negative comments about your business while he was at work.  Being proactive and adopting and integrating social media polices in your workplace is one way to avoid social media problems.   

A lot of workplace rules about social media really are common sense, but they still should be put in writing and reviewed with your employees regularly.  Some possible policy considerations include:

• Prohibiting employees’ use of social media at work
• Prohibiting employees from posting messages or material that could damage your company’s image or  reputation
• Prohibiting employees from posting your company’s confidential material, trade secrets, or proprietary information
• Prohibiting employees from posting messages that defame or slander management and co-workers
• Prohibiting employees from posting messages that disparage your company or another company

My rule of thumb is everything that is posted on the internet is public.  I tell employees and employers alike not to rely on “privacy” settings because those seem to change regularly.  One of the main reasons social media is used is to expand your “reach”.  You get your word out by posting and hoping that others “like” and “share” your posts.  But, that “reach” could quickly become your enemy if something is posted about your business that is less than favorable.  The old school version would be hitting the send button in an email and the next instant realizing that you sent the email to the wrong person, or worse, hit “reply all” when you wanted to only reply to the sender.  So go out and use social media to its fullest advantage.  But, you also need to keep a close eye on what you and others are posting about your business. And, of course, I invite you to check out and “like” my business page: https://www.facebook.com/BusinessLawyerLoriBrown and I hope the information you find there will be educational and entertaining. 

The information contained herein is a business advertisement with general information not legal advice, and does NOT establish an attorney-client relationship with Hymson Goldstein & Pantiliat, PLLC or Lori N. Brown.

FOURTH TIP; KNOW THE EMPLOYMENT LAWS THAT AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS

The next tip for those who own, or want to own, a small business: know the employment laws that affect your business. 

If you are in business, your purpose is to make money.  To make money, most companies need workers to run the business.  Last month we discussed the difference between an employee and an independent contractor.  If you decide that you are going to hire “employees”, then you need to know and comply with the various federal and state employment laws in effect. 

For instance, there are various federal laws that prohibit discrimination in employment. Those laws include: (1) Title VII which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, (2) the Equal Pay Act which prohibits sex-based wage discrimination, (3) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older, (4) the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities, etc.  There are also similar state laws in Arizona that protect employees against discrimination.  You also need to comply with federal and state laws that establish minimum wage, requirements for payment of overtime work, recordkeeping and child-labor standards.  And then there are medical leave laws such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and worker’s compensation standards as well.

Not all of these laws affect every business because some of them only apply to businesses with a minimum number of employees.  For example, FMLA only applies to employers with 50 or more employees.  Every responsible small business owner should become aware of and comply with the employment laws that affect his/her business.  You certainly do not want to first become aware of a law that affects your business when you get hit with a government agency complaint or lawsuit.     

The information contained herein is general information not legal advice, and does NOT establish an attorney-client relationship with Lori Brown or Hymson Goldstein & Pantiliat.