Here are this week’s links to a few good stories we found and selected. We feel they might add valuable insights and perspectives for small to midsize businesses.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, can an employee’s social media post that says simply “#MeToo. My boss is a total jerk.” be something for an HR professional to investigate?
While posting something that resembles this may not be actionable, it should be investigated. In Helene Wasserman’s article Is an Employee’s #MeToo Social Media Post a Harassment Complaint, the main takeaway is that an employer should “not simply bury [their] head in the sand.” This piece is well written, quite detailed, and worth checking out.
‘Tis the season for company holiday parties, and while nearly all are joyous occasions, there are times when an unforeseen mishap might create more than what an employer bargained for.
Yes, an injury at a company-sponsored event could result in a Worker’s Compensation insurance claim. So, if you’re the boss, do you ban adult beverages? If you don’t mind the inevitable comparisons to Ebenezer Scrooge, you could do that. But then again, a few prudent precautions served up alongside the spiked punch might make sense. Read Could this be you? Don’t invite injuries to your holiday party for a few pointers that might make the post party hangover a little more tolerable.
Will tax reform be good for small businesses? Many Republican senators seem to think so.
In a video called GOP Senators: Tax Plan Good for Small Businesses, it would appear that reform would be great news for the small business community. While this may be true to a certain extent, the proposed corporate tax rate cut from 35% to 20% will not affect the vast majority of small businesses in the United States. According to the Tax Foundation, in 2011 about 94% of all businesses were either sole proprietorships (73.1%), S Corporations (13.1%) or Partnerships (8.0%). Taxes on these “pass through” businesses are paid by the individual shareholders at their own personal tax rates. And while most taxpayers will see some relief, many will not. For the small business pass-through owner, the advice here would be to check with your tax advisor when (and if) tax reform takes place.
