The trend of states legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana use continues to gain momentum. Unfortunately for employers, this also means having to wade through an ever-growing patchwork of marijuana laws across the country. The latest development addresses one discrete but important distinction for recreationally legalized marijuana. Employers would be wise to consider their reasons for having zero-tolerance policies and whether those policies can be tailored to avoid confusion on the ‘lawful product’ interpretation.
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One of – if not THE – most essential skills necessary in our profession is the ability to influence the outcome of our interactions with clients and colleagues. Ultimately, we need to be aware of the human element of business if we want to achieve our intended results. In this session, we explored how to navigate difficult conversations – whether giving feedback, making an important request, or giving bad news to a client – by focusing on the emotional variables at play.Learning Objectives:
On the day that New York State honored the U.S. women’s soccer team for their World Cup victory—a team whose members have publicly demanded pay equity with the U.S. men’s soccer team—Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation amending the state’s pay equity law. Employers everywhere should pay attention to developments on the state and local wage front, as issues of pay and pay equity continue to occupy center stage.
Employers of all sizes inadvertently put themselves at risk by not having a policy establishing how long to continue benefits during a leave of absence (LOA). So, before the important questions arise, employers should establish an LOA Policy that considers employee needs, carrier contractual provisions, federal and state benefit regulations, and the employer’s company culture. Having a policy in place and regularly updated will minimize costly risks, as well as create an easier path to communication when employees will need it most.
With the implementation of California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) set to go into effect January 1, 2020, anyone doing businesses with California residents should not only be preparing their digital strategies to comply with the new law, they should also be assessing their risk and reviewing their cyber insurance and adequacy of limits. Why? Now, at $100 minimum per individual incident, a small data breach of 5,000 people equates to $500,000 in damages. Given the minimum statutory damage provision, expect a significant uptick in class action lawsuits following data breaches.
A high-quality board of directors with a range of talents and experience can be a powerful resource for your company. Taking steps to ensure your board is well-designed, well-informed, and properly engaged will reap significant benefits for your company’s shareholders and management team.
Posting fabulous vacation moments on Facebook—from a boat in Belize, to the top of a mountain in Chamonix—might be a fun way to share experiences with your friends, but it’s also a great way to let bad actors know your home is empty and ripe for a break-in. Similarly, broadcasting details of a college semester abroad on Instagram increases the risk of a kidnapping for ransom. With some commonsense ways, families can strengthen their digital security and help their children get smart about their social media usage.
Getting the right people engaged in the right activities to have the most impact on your business and the families you serve is the key to ensuring a high-functioning organization. Performance reviews are an opportunity to “take the pulse” of the organization and staff and can establish a healthy dialogue that provides space to exchange feedback and assess performance.
Finding professional service providers—including lawyers and certified accountants—can be difficult. Challenges include working with excessive complexity, conflicts of interest, and dramatic changes within the legal and accounting business model. But there are ways to address the challenges and make the most of your professional relationships.