Legal

Teenagers and Your Workplace Oct 13, 2011: It's important to know both the legal limitations of teenage workers as well as how to properly train them. Michael shares info and tips...

Can Your Restaurant Survive The Departure of Your Head Chef ? Jul 14, 2011: If you are unfortunate enough to lose your head chef, whether it be a termination, the chef quitting, or the chef moving on to a better opportunity, there are several potential problems they could leave you with and several considerations you may have never made. Brandon takes you through them.

10 Tax Tips for Hospitality Companies - 2011 Mar 11, 2011: Hospitality companies face complex tax issues that can strain resources and drain profits. Here are 10 tips to help hospitality businesses manage their tax burden in 2011.

Accounting for Sales Incentives Used in the Restaurant Industry Mar 10, 2011: Accounting for incentives can be confusing and differs according to the type of incentive that is used. Bob walks you through the many differences that exist for your restaurant.

Preventing Unionization Means Reinvigorating the Focus on the People Jan 21, 2011: While a rise in unionization is a concern for our industry, the reassuring news is that taking the time to leverage the culture within the organization can diminish the need for employees to seek an outside entity to be their voice. Stephanie shares some insights.

PCI DSS and Your Business Oct 11, 2010: An introductory guide to mandatory security guidelines.

10 Steps to Prepping Your Restaurant for Franchising May 15, 2010: While most businesses can be franchised, the key question is, should they be franchised? Before franchising your business, consider taking the following steps to prepare your restaurant concept for expansion into new markets.

Tips & Insights for Negotiating Restaurant Space May 3, 2010: Gary and his team have seen every possible construction-related issue present itself during a build-out, a renovation or a new construction project. He shares tips on how to best deal with these "surprises".

Restaurant Owners - 10 Tips to Negotiate Your Commercial Lease Feb 18, 2010: Whether you are negotiating a lease renewal or leasing a new location for the first time for your restaurant, you'll want to check out Dale's collection of tips for tenants.

Immigration Enforcement to Heat Up - Expanding Targets Include Hospitality and Foodservice Feb 12, 2010: The probability of an employer being targeted by the government has grown exponentially. The sooner employers start managing risk associated with unauthorized workers, the better they can withstand ICE scrutiny.

Protecting Your Restaurant From ICE - What You Should Know About Government Crack Downs on I-9s Jan 12, 2010: Over the past few years, worksite investigations have been heating up across the United States. Michael shares why your I-9's are critical and how to best protect your business.

Handling a Bad Restaurant Review Jul 7, 2009: How can restaurant owners best combat a bad review on social networking sites such as yelp.com? Anthony shares some thoughts.

Employee Free Choice Act Has Come Back With A Vengeance Apr 3, 2009: Leonard highlights the three major changes that the Employee Free Choice Act will have on labor laws and how that impact employers.

Gird Your Loins, Hospitality, Here Comes The Perfect Storm! And, Organized Labor is smackin' their lips! Apr 3, 2009: John wants you to get proactive about the Employee Free Choice Act. He doesn't quite like the alternative, and you might not either.

My landlord wants me to sign a personal guaranty...should I? Oct 16, 2008: John guides readers through the complex legal jargon toward a satisfying lease.

Supreme Court Set to Decide Title VII Protects Workers Who Voluntarily Participate in Employer Internal Investigations Apr 28, 2008: Zamansky & Coppolo report on a case of interest and how it potentially impacts your restaurant.

Court Challenges Of Tipping Practices May Affect Many Industries Apr 14, 2008: Employers in a variety of industries where employees receive tips should expect court challenges to their tip practices in the wake of several recent high-profile rulings.

Is $2.13 An Hour Enough? Higher State Minimum Wage Rates Impact Tip Credit Dec 28, 2007: Caroline defines what the tip credit is, when it is an option, and how much tip credit can be taken. Also includes a state-by-state chart.

Cook Lines, Cocktails, and Complaints: Limiting Liability for Hostile Work Environment Claims in Food & Beverage Environments Dec 28, 2007: Perhaps the biggest legal liability threat to food and beverage operators is that of harassment complaints by employees and the employer's failure to remedy the same. Brad and Megan shed light on the steps that operators can take to limit liability and promote good human resource practices.

Tip Pooling: Are You Doing It Right? Aug 23, 2007: It's a hot topic and one that restaurants easily have the potential to slip up on. Michael hits the key points on who is and who is not eligible to participate in tip pooling while also highlighting a recent legal case dealing with the issue. (This article is available as pay-per-view)

The Business of Diversity Jul 23, 2007: Diversity promotes untapped talent, fosters good morale and a productive work environment, and minimizes the risk of costly litigation and potential liability. In short, diversity is good for your business, and your restaurant needs a plan to achieve it in a fair and efficient manner. Christopher and Stephen outline a number of considerations for your restaurant operation.

EEOC Initiatives Require Operators To Be Proactive In Preventing Discrimination Lawsuits Jun 23, 2007: Taking a few proactive measures can go a long way to prevent litigation. A good starting point is to understand what types of claims can expose your restaurant to significant liability. Just as there are trends in concepts and cuisine, there are trends in the law. Kenneth discusses the latest EEOC initiatives.

Marketing vs. Legal: The Battle Over Trademarks May 23, 2007: "Perhaps the most unappreciated friction that can occur within the ranks of today's foodservice enterprises" says Michael "is that which arises between Marketing personnel and Legal counsel over the cost of legally protecting new advertising slogans." Michael covers the issue from both angles and hits all the important points to help your restaurant address how to best handle your next catchy marketing lingo.

Shark Bait, Dipping a Toe Into The Tip Pool Apr 23, 2007: In this article Tom and James answer the key questions of who is and who is not eligible to participate in tip pooling -- an important consideration for your restaurant so as to avoid potentially expensive litigation. (This article is available as pay-per-view)

Sexual Harassment: Can You Be Held Accountable For the Actions of Others? Mar 23, 2007: After receiving a reader's letter on this sensitive topic we asked
culinary school instructor and consultant James Dunne to shed some
insight. In so doing, Dunne covers the background on sexual harassment and offers several valuable "steps you can take" to help keep your restaurant in the clear.