If you hire employees, the life cycle of employment begins with the hiring process and ends with termination of the employment relationship.

Day to day issues involved in managing employees include getting the hiring process right, determining appropriate compensation, creating internal personnel programs and policies, developing guidelines for employee management, creating on-going mentoring and training programs working toward delivering an increasingly high quality product and, when needed, getting the termination process right. It is also extremely important to set up systems and processes to protect the company's property and business including intellectual property like customer lists, trade secrets and internal financial and operations' information. Secrecy and Non-Compete provisions should be considered for all employment and independent contractor relationships.

See Contracts, Secrecy Agreements
See Contracts, Non-Compete Agreements

Managing employees not only involves the employee, but it involves managerial effectiveness. Have you created an environment that allows for innovation and the acceptance of mistakes made in that process? Is your organizational structure conducive to decision making and is there a "bias for action?" Does your business successfully motivate the employees? Is the business retaining personnel or constantly turning-over personnel?

Benefits and Incentives

In today's competitive environment for personnel, employees are sometimes deciding whether to become part of a company based on the benefit packages and incentive plans offered. These benefits are generally thought of as those benefits that are legally required such as social security, workers' compensation and unemployment compensation, health and welfare benefits and retirement benefits.

But complete packages can also include club memberships, automobiles, education reimbursement or travel/convention perks or such things as environmental and workplace benefits such as "flex" time scheduling and a casual dress code.

The benefit program is also closely related to the incentive plans employers can offer such as pay, bonuses, defined contribution plans such as Section 401(k) plans or profit sharing plans and stock option packages. Determining what package to offer involves evaluating what it will take to employ the personnel and examining the businesses short term and long term needs, goals and financial capabilities.

Mr. Cooke has worked with businesses in all aspects of the employment life-cycle.

Please contact him at (312) 497-9002 or by email at "gc@cookeslaw.com"

Mr. Cooke's fee is $300.00 per hour.