- Overview
- In general, there are two basic principals:
- Get it in writing (it’s the friendliest way to do business!)
- Communicate
- Sources of liability
- Employees
- Customers
- General Public
- In general, there are two basic principals:
- Avoiding Lawsuits from Employees
- Adopt/Establish internal WRITTEN policies and procedures
- Have a written job description and check to make sure it’s being followed
- These can be as broad or narrowly focused as necessary to meet the situation
- there are third party vendors who do a nice job preparing manuals. For example: Merit Resources
- Follow the manual:
- Even if you don’t want to. Policies which are either not enforced or enforced selectively may not be policies at all
- If you have to terminate an employee for “cause” document the reasons for termination as well as the steps PRIOR to the termination
- Treat employees properly
- Don’t be a jerk-Remember the Golden Rule
- Be careful with humor: “politically correct” should be reduced to “correct”
- Be careful when you’re in social situations INCLUDING social media
- Adopt/Establish internal WRITTEN policies and procedures
- Avoiding lawsuits from Customers:
- Use written contracts
- The greater the specificity the better
- If you use a “form” agreement, make sure you understand the form
- Be aware that the length of the document is NOTHING compared to the contents of the document
- Communicate with your customers
- MOST customers will try to work with you
- People don’t sue people they like
- Use written contracts
- Avoiding lawsuits from the General Public
- The key here is avoiding lawsuits against the owners PERSONALLY
- Pay attention to your business infrastructure
- The more you treat you business as a business the less likely that you will be sued personally for a business problem
- You business should have a written operating agreement, Bylaws, Annual Minutes, and other internal written documents (like certificates, leases, and contracts)
Contact the Kreamer Law Firm, P.C. at 515-727-0900 or info@kreamerlaw.com for assistance with establishing internal policies and/or procedures, contracts, and other business documents.