Employee handbooks, investigation procedures, company policies…are you yawning yet? Understandable. All three have a well-earned reputation for being dry as dust. But they don’t have to be boring. Moreover, they shouldn’t be. After all, your company policies are the bedrock of your employee experience. They define your company culture, far more than any activities, parties or gym discounts you can offer.

Even with the best intentions, it’s way too easy to compartmentalize diversity into a niche spot in company thinking – eg. diversity hire, diversity training program, diversity office. The good news? Early-stage companies have a unique opportunity to build diversity, equity and inclusion into the very foundation of their operation, right from the get-go.

Paid time off is so crucial to a healthy, thriving workplace! It gives employees an opportunity to refresh and restore themselves, which in turn helps them be more productive, creative and committed to the company in the long run. And it gives bosses an opportunity to provide meaningful support for each employee’s unique life needs, cultural background and values. So if everybody wins from generous PTO, why are most PTO policies so damn stingy?

Are benefits necessary, burdensome, or both? After all, bennies often are the second-biggest expense a company has (payroll being the first). Benefits might feel like an obligation, but they’re so much more than that. They’re a chance to show your employees how much you care about them. Benefits are your biggest chance to put your money where your mouth is.

Employee compensation is by far the biggest expense for most business owners. And it’s foundational to your operation. So be sure to get it right on the first try. What do I mean by “getting it right”? Well, I like to break it down into three main categories.

Hey, leaders! Chances are you haven’t gone to law school. You chose to be a leader, not a lawyer. (Not that you can’t be both.) 😉 But as you already know, being an employer comes with all kinds of legal ramifications. It can be a little overwhelming to navigate, especially in the beginning. The good news? You don’t have to be an attorney to understand your legal obligations, and ultimately protect your employees, your company, and yourself.

One of the hardest parts of being a boss is telling an employee their performance isn’t up to snuff. But as a leader, holding employees accountable is just part of the job. Right? Well, yes... but there's much more to it than that.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… If our employees aren’t safe at work, we don’t have the right to be talking about anything else. This is exponentially more true since the pandemic began.

Most workplace policies read like the instructions on a shampoo bottle. “Apply to hair, lather with water, and rinse.” Thank you, Captain Obvious. We write infantilizing company policies to target that one employee, out of dozens or hundreds, who needs that level of detailed instruction on basic human behavior. Let’s call him Chad.