There are lots of advantages to having a neat and clean workspace, from efficiency to environmental considerations. The big problem is always how to get there. One technique associated with Lean Manufacturing is called the 5S program; it starts with the obvious challenges of how to get the workplace cleaned … Read More
The internet has been a real boon to organizations, both businesses and nonprofits, that need a little help getting started with documents. There are all kinds of templates and samples out there, generally free for the borrowing. Just remember that you often get what you pay for and choose your … Read More
The policies every employee manual starts with are the legal ones like EEOC and harassment, and the ones about when and how people get paid. These are relatively easy because they are hard and fast, making them easy to write. What often gets missed are the policies covering corporate culture that … Read More
It seems obvious to employers that employees need to show up for work when they are scheduled, but it doesn’t always work that way. It is reasonable to have attendance policies, requiring employees to show up or otherwise meet their employment obligations. This could take the form of a job … Read More
Pregnancy isn’t considered a disability in the same way that cancer or MS are, but the federal government recognizes that pregnant women can be discriminated against in similar ways and has taken steps to rectify this. Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, pregnant women are entitled to accommodations just as disabled … Read More
When “sex” was first included as a protected class in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it meant that women couldn’t be excluded from employment opportunities just because they weren’t men. Over the years, a more nuanced view of gender (the less distracting term borrowed from grammar) has come to … Read More
The day-to-day work of a nonprofit is (or should be) managed by the executive director, which is managed by the board of directors, which is managed by the president. Too many board presidents, especially of smaller nonprofits, think that they manage the board by running the monthly or quarterly meetings, … Read More
Since Montana is not an at-will state, employers must have good cause for firing an employee past the probation period. In general, good cause means that the employee did something wrong that affects the business, and that they have had a chance to fix it but didn’t. Good cause does … Read More
Medical marijuana is legal in Montana, but that doesn’t mean that businesses have to allow employees to light up at work. According to an advisors’ website, Mondaq, [S]upreme courts in California, Oregon, Washington and Montana have all upheld employer decisions to discharge employees that were medical marijuana patients. The plaintiffs … Read More
Most people volunteer for a nonprofit board because they believe in the work the organization does, knowing that they will be asked to help with fund-raising and programming. However, there are several other board tasks that are vital to the success of the organization – and that can draw unpleasant … Read More