Your Employees Need to be Professional… or Else
19 May 2025
You may not like it, but you're legally responsible for making sure your employees treat each other appropriately.
A recent EEOC lawsuit
forced a company to pay a Black worker $175,000 for permitting coworkers to call him the N-word.
You do not have to agree with it, you certainly do not have to like it... But as business owners, managers, and leaders, part of YOUR job is to prevent harassing or inappropriate behavior on the job.
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 your own $175,000 EEOC settlement for which there is NO insurance to cover! 🤬
Brand Culture course correction is not an easy or overnight process. The sooner you start, the sooner you can protect your Brand.
Check out this article
for the full story of what led to this lawsuit. And if you need help making sure this doesn't happen at your company, remember that you know a Guy! 😇
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?
As a residential service provider, you might not think you're in the construction industry, but the Department of Labor has its own definition... and regulations. If you're in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, garage doors, or roofing, here are some things you need to know.
Perspective employers can ask anything they want about an applicant, but you as a current/ex-employer are legally restricted on what you are allowed to share. Check out this post for details... and for the one exception to the rule.
Some job candidates spend more effort prepping to "ace" an interview than they will spend on doing the job! Use these tips to figure out which candidate will be the best employee, and to avoid legal hot water.