Stay Ahead of the Curve

We have a confession to make. We are lawyers who do not like lawsuits. Having been in the trenches for the last decade, working as plaintiff attorneys, we have come to realize that in the employment field, too many businesses are unaware of their legally required obligations. One problem is that human resource professionals are spread too thin, with responsibility for hiring, firing, maintaining payroll, facilitating discussions amongst coworkers and between the employees and their supervisors, fixing broken machines, ordering stationary, and ensuring that the company is staying in compliance with all relevant employment laws. There are few jobs in a company that carry such a broad range of duties and responsibilities. This need for such broad expertise in so many different fields can lead to a host of costly problems.

Mark, a supervisor from the accounting department, is a hugger. When he sees a co-worker coming down the hall, he opens his arms wide and wraps them around the person tightly….maybe for a second or two longer than is socially acceptable. Bill and Jenny perceive Mark as harmless, but Shelly, the receptionist, is tense and does not want her supervisor’s hands on her. Shelly has told you, her Human Resources Representative, that Mark hugs “a lot.”