New Offerings from Chicago's Business Attorneys

Image via Wikipedia

We are pleased to announce that we have a new Facebook (business) page at http://companies.to/gjlaw/


We also have a new twitter microblog - ChicagoBizLaw- that supplements this bLAWg by offering tweets on a mix of thoughts and resources for the business owners: www.twitter.com/ChicagoBizLaw

_________________________________________________________
For more information please contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum (312-236-8110 or at amf@gjlaw.com ) at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC.


Griffith & Jacobson, LLC - We know your business!

H1N1 Information for Business Travelers

If you are traveling on business, you can track the Swine Flu outbreak on Google maps: http://is.gd/vpZO

EEOC Issues New Employer Best Practices for Dealing with Caregivers

Image via Wikipedia

EEOC issued new best practices for employers of workers with care giving responsibilities (and help businesses reduce the possibility of being found to discriminate against workers with care giving responsibilities).

With a dramatic increase in the number of workers who have the additional responsibility of being the primary caregiver for their children, aging parents and/or relatives with a disability, the EEOC felt it was necessary to provide some guidance to employers to encourage the adoption of more flexible workplace policies that help employees achieve a satisfactory work-life balance.

The EEOC's best practices supplement the guidance issued by the EEOC in 2007 and provides specific suggestions for best practices that employers may adopt to reduce the chance of a violation of the various federal Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. You may read the best practice at the EEOC website at http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/caregiver-best-practices.html.

____________________________________________________

Contact your business attorney and accountant or contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC (amf@gjlaw.com or 312-236-8110) for more information.

Time for a Spring Cleaning 2

It's Time to Complete a Business Check-up!

It's time to do so some spring cleaning. Business owners should perform a regular check-up and financial review of their business (and their personal situation too). Please note that this is an ongoing series- so the list below only addresses some of the key issues that should be part a of any business check-up.

For a thorough checkup and financial review, contact your business attorney and
accountant or contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC (amf@gjlaw.com or 312-236-8110) for more information.

Be sure to check Chicago Business bLAWg for more updates!

__________________________________________________

Protect your Intellectual Property: Are you maximizing your intellectual property rights, including your trade secrets and confidential/proprietary information? Put essential protective measures into place, such as confidentiality, nondisclosure or non-competition agreements with your employees, vendors, customers and prospective business partners. Monitor and enforce your rights in your intellectual property. Address any infringements or risk diluting or even losing your rights. Also, address any infringement of other's rights and obtain the appropriate licensing (e.g., software licensing, ASCAP license for music played in your store or on your phone system).

Inventory & assess all your liabilities: Do not stop at listing your loans, debts and open payables with vendors. Address known and potential problems and/or issues with customers, competitors and vendors that may Be proactive. Mitigate and head off potential liabilities as much as possible. Perform a thorough review of your business insurance and ensure you have the right coverage(s) & amounts for your risk. If you are experiencing cash flow problems, be proactive! Prioritize your liabilities and have a plan and communicate with your lender, landlord & vendors.

Check your group insurance plans & benefits: Review the terms and benefits of the group insurance plans (i.e., health, life and disability) you offer your employees. Determine if these plans are competitively priced - do they reflect the market conditions? Also compare the benefits offered and the contributions required from your employee to your competition - do they limit the business contribution to the employee? Does your competition still offer coverage to spouses and dependents?

Business Continuation Planning: Update your business continuation plan - or create one if you do not have one! Who will manage the business if you or other key people die, become disabled or leave? Consider purchasing life insurance and/or key man insurance for the (active) business owners & key employees - at least to cover the "replacement" costs (i.e., a recruiter's fees and/or the fees charged by a management consultant, who may temporarily fill-in until the business is stabilized or sold). Develop and implement a business disaster plan: are you prepared to handle a natural disaster or a casualty (such as a fire or flood) that may prevent you, your employees or customers from accessing your store, factory, data, records or inventory. What would you do if your business lost a key supplier, customer or piece of equipment?

To be continued...
__________________________________________________________
At Griffith & Jacobson, LLC, we can help you complete a thorough business check-up and maximize your business' profitability. For more information please contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum (312-236-8110 or at amf@gjlaw.com ) at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC.

Also check out our microblog at www.twitter/ChicagoBizLaw for more frequent updates.

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC - We know your business!