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Articles

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

Court Challenges Of Tipping Practices May Affect Many Industries: 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: 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: 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.

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

Tip Pooling: Are You Doing It Right?: 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.

The Business of Diversity: 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: 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: "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: 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.

Sexual Harassment: Can You Be Held Accountable For the Actions of Others?: 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.