Legal Marijuana Shouldn’t Mean Dazed and Confused Workers! Starting on January 1 consumers will be able to buy marijuana for recreational use from licensed sellers. Pot users will no longer need to worry about fines or jail time – but employees will need to pay attention to their employers’ policies…
Articles Posted in Small Business
Are You Cyber-Covered?
Does your business have insurance to protect you against breaches of your cybersecurity? Turns out that’s not a simple “yes” or “no” question, and the answer changes constantly based on new cases being litigated and new types of breaches impacting companies. Businesses need to take into account a wide range…
Should You Hire Workers With Criminal Backgrounds?
Back in 2012, facing extreme reluctance from employers, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (“EEOC”) published guidance on whether and when to hire workers with criminal backgrounds who had done their time and were, hopefully, ready to be productive citizens and workers. But employer reluctance to consider hiring ex-cons has waned…
Marijuana Policies in the Workplace
Employers: Be cool with Pot Policies! With Illinois adopting medical marijuana and looking to legalize recreational marijuana, lots of questions will be arise about what policies employers should adopt. Imagine workers passing a joint (or a bag of spiked gummy bears) around the water cooler or sharing a joint after…
Is Your Website ADA Compliant?
When the Americans With Disabilities Act passed in 1990, the World Wide Web was only a year old and was not even a commonly used term yet, much less a commonly used medium. Although the ADA is most commonly associated with the inclusion of wheelchair ramps, elevators and handrails in…
The End of “Wholly Groundless Exception” in Arbitration Agreements
An arbitration agreement is a contract, in which two or more parties agree to settle a dispute outside of court. Usually, an arbitration agreement is a clause in a larger contract. The arbitration clauses are often subjects to hotly disputed litigation, stemming from the vague verbiage and possible inconsistencies with…
Employee Expense Reimbursement Now Mandatory in Illinois
Employee expense reimbursement is now required by law in Illinois, at least under certain circumstances, making the Land of Lincoln the ninth U.S. jurisdiction to statutorily impose such a requirement. In doing so, Illinois joins the company of other states with similar rules. Employers of all shapes and sizes should…
Should Gun Carrying Customers Be Welcomed – or Banned?
Can a business ban guns from the business and workplace? If a customer walked into your Chicago area retail business or professional office carrying a gun, would you be comfortable with that, or would it feel a little too much like the O.K. Corral? What if they were carrying their…
Eat (well), Drink (responsibly) and be (reasonably) Merry!
A Legal Guide to Holiday Parties Alas, the holiday season is upon us! It’s time to celebrate the successes of the prior year with a festive holiday party, where employees can let off steam, socialize and spread cheer. So, who should you contact first? A caterer… or a DJ… or…
Facebook Security Breach – Warning and Opportunity
In late September, the social media behemoth Facebook told the World Wide Web that about 50 million accounts had suffered a security breach. Hackers had stolen password tokens for signing into Spotify, Instagram, Yelp and thousands of other third-party applications. Facebook Security Breach Facebook automatically logged out the 50 million…