0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

206 ● 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business
Skeie said most small businesses aren’t as employee friendly as
LaNicca’s, but they all face similar people problems. “We realized small
companies have the same employment liability as Fortune 500 companies,”
said Skeie. “Failure to document problems as they occur is at the top of the
list,” said Skeie. “It’s much better to take a half-hour and document (in writing)
employee problems because if you don’t write them down, it’s much
harder to defend yourself later in court.”
He said too many small business owners tolerate high levels of poor performance
from employees because they don’t know what to do. “Eventually,
a straw breaks the camel’s back, and they fire the person,” said Skeie. “But
then they get sued because this person, who has become accustomed to
doing virtually nothing, gets fired and wants revenge.”
Remember, not knowing labor law is no defense when an employer gets
sued by an irate former employee.
“Another mistake made by business owners is having incomplete policies
and procedures,” said Skeie. “You can get in trouble if it can be proved
there’s been a lack of attention to employment-related issues.”
Plain management misconduct is another serious problem. “Employers
make stupid but innocent mistakes,” he said. “They probably don’t mean
anything discriminatory by asking whether you are going to get married
and have children, but it’s against the law.”
GREAT
Hire a Welfare Recipient
You can complain about spending your tax dollars on
IDEA
welfare, or you can do something about it by offering
an entry-level job to one person on the public dole.
With training programs and support in the form of public transportation
vouchers or help with child care, thousands of welfare recipients are
joining the working class—some for the first time in their lives. You might
think your business is too small to give someone on welfare a chance, but
in today’s tight job market, you can find untapped talent—as well as do a
good deed.