Here's Why You Need Expert Advice, Not Just a List of Rules
4 September 2024
Some regulations are just too inconsistent to figure out on your own...
Here's one example of why you need expert advice to not just regurgitate rules, but help find solutions (like what my team and I do all day every day!)
Feds: Marijuana is an illegal drug.
California (and others): We disagree, so we are going to make our own law saying marijuana is okay.
Feds: We really don't care that much... so okay.
California: Voter ID is cruel and suppresses voting... somehow.
City in California: We disagree, so we are going to make our own law saying Voter ID is required.
California: Oh HELL no... How dare you try to use your own democratic process. We are going to write a new law superseding anything you may try to do on this ever again.
This happens on all sorts of different topics, at Federal, State, and local levels. Minimum Wage, Drug Classifications, Rest and Meal Break regulations, responses to things like COVID, etc.
Your best defense is to be prepared to double check EVERYTHING you assume you know. Remember, just because you think something should logically work like X does not mean that you will not get sued over it anyway.
The Big Picture Consulting is available to help if you want/need it.
A guide to the types of employee drug testing: Pre-Employment, Post-Accident, Random Selection, and Reasonable Suspicion.
Employees can be your greatest asset... or your biggest frustration. When issues come up, here are some steps to make sure you respond appropriately instead of just reacting from emotions. Trust us, you'll get much better results this way.
Hold your employees to the standard of being PROFESSIONAL representatives of the Trades, not just technical experts, and you greatly minimize the risk of getting hit with an EEOC settlement. Here's why.
Written warnings can be key in managing employees, so you need to know both the art and the science of doing them correctly. These tips for what to include - and what NOT to include - in your written warnings will help you to communicate clearly to your employees, and get you set to defend yourself in a potential legal claim against you.
You need a strong Brand and good company culture to attract - and keep - the best employees. Here are some tips for how to showcase your home service company as a great place to work and take the first step towards successful recruiting.
From Labor Law Posters to Safety Manuals – everything your staff needs to boost compliance and morale, in one dedicated spot. Having an up-to-date and complete Employee Resource Center will give you the peace of mind to run your business without worrying about compliance.
Reasonable Accommodations in the workplace are no joke - you can get into serious legal trouble if you don't comply with the ADA. Yet here's a case study on a company who terminated someone for an issue directly related to their disability and was not held legally liable. Check out the details of how this might apply to your business.
Home services companies might be tempted to classify workers as independent contractors, but we STRONGLY advise you to hire them as W-2 workers instead. And it's not just because the government might fine you (big time!). Read more for tips on why it'll be in your company's best interest.
Listen to The H.R. Guy explaining the nuances of HR for the Trades in 2025, with tips on common HR pitfalls and how to avoid them, the value of Stay Interviews, key mistakes with performance pay, and the ultimate goal of "Representing the Brand."
You thought you were rid of that toxic employee, but now he's causing you even more problems - posting negative Google reviews and refusing to return company property. Why is this happening?