by Brooke Chaplan
If you are a startup or a small business, you don’t want to have to spend money on issues that are preventable. Generally, you can stop a small problem from going to court if you have proactive policies that anticipate HR issues before they come up. What are some ways to ensure that you can protect your company without a lot of drama?
Have Workplace Harassment Polices from the Beginning
Workplace harassment policies can make it easier to settle an issue between employees and anyone else associated with the problem. If you take sexual or other types of harassment seriously and investigate claims in a serious and authentic manner, it is less likely that those involved will want to sue. Instead, it can be solved through internal measures or through mediation. In fact, you may want to include required mediation or arbitration as part of any employment contract you offer.
Hire a Good Business Litigation Attorney
You can be sued for almost any reason, even if you feel your business has done nothing wrong. Lawsuits could stem from customers who believe that they have been wronged, employees who believe they weren’t paid on time, or other companies who claim trademark or patent infringement. With a good attorney, your opponents are less likely to want to follow through with legal action because they know it’s unlikely they will win. Furthermore, a good Contract Law Attorney from Clearwater attorney may be able to get the opposition to pay costs and damages as part of a counter claim.
Offer Constant Training and Education
Training and education courses offered by your company can help everyone learn to tolerate and respect each other more. Team building exercises may make it easier for everyone to work together and think of each other more like a family and less like office colleagues. Although a family may fight amongst itself, issues generally get resolved on their own without litigation. Even if you are taken to court or face other legal actions, you may have a solid defense if you took proactive steps to teach employees the right and wrong ways to act at work.
It is critical you protect your company from potential litigation. Litigation costs time and money while also potentially chipping away at your company’s reputation. Do whatever it takes to keep things civil in the workplace and among your partners and others who may be affiliated with your organization and the time you put in will pay out.
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Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.
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