Tips to Deal with Employee Disputes

You got into the catering business because you love food - cooking it, serving it, experimenting with it, etc.  As your business grew you were blessed with the opportunity to train others in your craft and provide some local people with work.  Now the downside of being a business owner and manager - you will inevitably have employee disputes.  It's even worse when the dispute takes place between you and an employee.  To keep things from turning ugly, follow these tips to cover yourself.

Comply with Laws - There are constant suits taking place where restaurant owners are being sued by employees for alleged overtime, tip and wage/hour violations.  A lawsuit that brings a class action against an employee, covering the current filer of the suit and the employees before them, can easily hit 6 figures or more.  To avoid these types of issues, follow the wage and hours laws to a T. 

Treat Employees in a Nondiscriminatory Manner - Avoiding unlawful harassment in the workplace and steering clear of discrimination isn't just the law, it's smart business.  Unfortunately there are too many caterers who get comfortable in their own kitchen and get too-friendly with the staff.  Making inappropriate jokes can erupt in bad situations that generate a lot of negative publicity for your business.

Use Documents, Progressive Discipline - Most states are at-will in terms of employment, that means people can leave as they please and an employer can cut them loose without cause if they see fit.  Even still, progressive and well-documents discipline not only helps with coaching employees to improve their performance but also in covering you as the owner of the catering business should someone file suit for discrimination or wrongful discharge.  While some misconduct might require immediate termination (fighting, theft, etc.) there is still use for progressive discipline in every day work situations.

Conduct Regular Audits - It's a smart idea to bring in an attorney or other specialist on employee relations to audit your labor and employment practices.  This can help you determine if you're in compliance with local and federal labor laws and regulations, and that you're running your business in a way that is conducive to good labor practices.  This is one of the best ways to ensure compliance with regularly changing state and federal laws.

Catering Supplies - Provide Training - If you're not the only one running the show and you've got kitchen managers, partners, server managers, etc. the it's a good idea to get your management staff trained on meeting compliance standards.  Likewise, provide training on sexual harassment guidelines and anti-discrimination policies.  While this doesn't stop incidents from occurring, the fact that you provide ongoing training can be used as probative evidence in the defense of a claim of harassment or discrimination.

Update your Handbook - You can communicate your policies and procedures verbally during meetings with your catering staff but it's best to get them in writing.  Update an employee handbook with all your policies and procedures for handling and responding to discrimination, harassment, anti-retaliation, at-will employment and other relevant policies.
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