What is a Business Owner's Relationship with Freelancers?
Penny Morey answered December 16, 2011
Normally, a freelancer is brought on board as a contractor under a professional services agreement. Essentially, you will be paying this individual to do specific work at a set rate per hour or per...moreAre Owners Required to Provide Past Employee Pay Slips?
Penny Morey answered August 12, 2011
Promote a new policy that states that employees are responsible for filing, copying and otherwise keeping track of their own pay slips. Say that if an employee requires replacement copies of pay...moreHow Do I Chart a Path for Employee Growth?
Penny Morey answered July 21, 2011
It is commendable that you are thinking ahead to be sure that individual contributors have the chance to advance on their respective career paths. Many companies fail to do that and discourage or...moreCan I pay my employees their standard rate for working on a holiday?
Penny Morey answered December 27, 2010
Let's start with the full-time employee. You only need to pay at his standard hourly rate on a holiday, unless working on that holiday will constitute him working more than 40 hours in that...moreHow can I find affordable health insurance for my employees?
Penny Morey answered December 21, 2010
There is no one source -- you really have to shop around. I recommend calling other small businesses. You could ask members of your local chamber of commerce for advice. Most often, people are...moreA New Hire is Sick and Can No Longer Work. Help!
Penny Morey answered December 20, 2010
If you have more than 15 employees, you are subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA Amendment Act. If this individual's malady is of a potentially long-term nature, she might qualify...moreHow can I recruit quality employees?
Penny Morey answered December 16, 2010
Without any information on what kind of business you operate, I can only respond in the most general of terms. You should start by putting together a functional organization chart of the areas of...moreHow can I reduce my employees' benefits?
Penny Morey answered December 13, 2010
An employer has the right to change benefits whenever she pleases, unless the company has specific employment contracts in place with employees guaranteeing them specific benefits for a particular...moreIs it necessary to have an employee handbook?
Penny Morey answered December 9, 2010
No, it is not totally necessary to have an employee handbook. Many companies do not have one. Now, if you asked me if it is advisable to have one, my answer would be yes. A good employee...moreWhat's the best way to fire an employee?
Penny Morey answered November 29, 2010
Based on your desire to be most kind, I am going to assume that you are terminating someone's employment because you have no other choice, likely for one of these reasons" 1. A lack of...moreDo employee reward programs really increase motivation and productivity?
Elinor Robin answered November 24, 2010
My best advice is that you read Daniel Pink's book, "Drive." Pink has done extensive research into the area of motivation in the workplace. He says that there are three forms of...moreHow do I determine appropriate deadlines for my employees?
Elinor Robin answered October 26, 2010
Do you remember Detective Columbo? He would scratch his head and say "I am confused, can you explain this to me?" Well, it seems to me that you need to use the Columbo technique....moreHow do I hire a seasonal employee now for a job that doesn't start for two months?
Penny Morey answered October 25, 2010
You can certainly ask for them to sign an agreement to be available and dedicated to working exclusively for you for tax season, but whether they will abide by the agreement or not is another...moreCan my HR manager discuss my medical condition with other staff?
Penny Morey answered October 25, 2010
It's illegal. The only exception to this would be if your HR manager discusses a medical situation that will affect your ability to do your job and the HR manager is explaining to your manager only...moreHow can I tactfully tell my 80-year-old boss that it might be time for him to retire?
Elinor Robin answered October 19, 2010
Based on the situation you are describing I'm assuming that your boss owns the company and that this is a privately held company with only a minimal number of employees. If I am correct, you are...moreWhat are the best tools to help make the hiring process more efficient?
Lena West answered October 7, 2010
Congrats on getting to the point in your business where you'd like to hire someone--and a double congrats for trying to make the process expedient yet thorough. I did some digging and spoke...moreWhen terminating an employee, can I tell them the company will not fight unemployment filing?
Penny Morey answered September 29, 2010
Yes. In fact, I often recommend this course of action to my clients when they are firing someone for poor performance or for some other reason such as not being quite as capable in the role as...moreHow do I attract top performers to my company?
Penny Morey answered September 23, 2010
I do entire seminars on how to effectively recruit and build a great team. It is not a one-sentence or one-paragraph subject. But here are the basic steps involved: Step 1: Start by really...moreIs it legal to fill a newly created position without posting it publicly?
Penny Morey answered September 20, 2010
There are only three scenarios that would require you to post or publicly advertise a job opening: 1. If you are a governmental agency required to publicly advertise job openings. 2. If you...moreHow should I tell a qualified applicant that we can't hire him after a background check?
