The Greenhouse Tavern is my favorite restaurant, anywhere. If you live in Cleveland and have not paid it a visit, do your palate a favor and get yourself to E. 4th Street to sample its amazing food (do not miss the confit-fried chicken wings). And, if you don’t live in Cleveland but find yourself visiting my fine town, put the Greenhouse at the top of your list of restaurants at which to dine.
It’s not just the amazing food that makes the Greenhouse so memorable. Its chef/owner, Jonathon Sawyer, is one of the most gracious small business owners in Cleveland. I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Sawyer several years ago at Hopkins Airport while both of our families were waiting to board a flight to Disney World. He and his wife treated my wife and me like royalty on our subsequent visit to his restaurant. As good as his food is (and it really is that good), it tastes that much better when the business is run by someone who pays such acute attention to his patrons.
For that reason, I paid special attention to a recent Washington Post Q&A column, entitled, On Small Business, which asked several small business owners, including Chef Sawyer, the following question: “Have you found any simple, inexpensive methods to make your workspace more employee-friendly? What tricks have you used to make sure your staff is happy with your office?” This was part of Chef Sawyer’s answer: “It starts from the top — employees must want to work with you, not for you. We’ve found the most success in this mutual respect….” You cannot go wrong following this advice in your own business and with your own employees.
[Hat tip: Steve Suttell]
Have you voted yet for the ABA Journal Blawg 100. Polls close next Friday, Dec. 21.
Here’s the rest of what I read this week:
Discrimination
- EEOC: Requiring Old Medical Documentation Violated ADA — from Joe’s HR and Benefits Blog
- Testimony for U.S. Civil Rights Commission Hearing on Background Checks — from Nick Fishman’s employeescreenIQ Blog
- Criminal Background Checks: Good in Theory, Problems in Practice — from LP Magazine
- EEOC Plans to Heavily Attack Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace — from Wisconsin Employment & Labor Law Blog
- Dear Evil Skippy: Is It Religious Discrimination To Have Christmas Trees At Work? — from Evil Skippy at Work
- Employers, don't let that "protected" employee hold you hostage — from Robin Shea’s Employment and Labor Insider
- When Dads do “Mom work,” how much accommodation is required? — from HR Cafe
Social Media & Workplace Technology
- Who Owns Your Company’s Social Media? Are You Sure? — from Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
- Big Brother Can’t Ask For Access To Your “Personal” Social Media Accounts Either … More Social Media Legislation Proposed In California — from Trading Secrets
- Proposed Michigan Social Media Law Banning Employer Access to Employee Passwords - Not Something to “Like” — from Jason Shinn’s Michigan Employment Law Advisor
- Social Media Horror Stories: More to Come In 2013 — from Alabama Employment Law Report
- MATH: How Much Would Banning "Reply All" Save Your Company? — from The HR Capitalist, Kris Dunn
HR & Employee Relations
- Santa Fired For Telling A 3-Year-Old The Maple Leafs Suck — from Deadspin
- Keys For A Successful Holiday Party – Infographic — from Stephanie Thomas’s The Proactive Employer Blog
- Rudeness at Work: What's Your Story? — from Harvard Business Review
- The Trade Secret Litigator's 7 Deadly Sins of Former Employers in Trade Secret and Non-Compete Disputes — from Trade Secret Litigator Blog
- Confidentiality Clauses in Employment Agreements: Who’s Minding the Store? Part II — from The Emplawyerologist
- More Thoughts on Arbitrating Non-Competes — from Rob Radcliff’s Smooth Transitions
- Slack To The Future: The 50 Best Places To Work In 2013 — from Workplace Diva
- 10 terrible holiday gifts from bosses — from Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas
Wage & Hour
- FMLA Leave for Same-Sex Couples to be Clarified by Supreme Court's DOMA Decision? — from Jeff Nowak’s FMLA Insights
- Fact or Fiction: Breaks/lunch taken at work may qualify for FMLA — from Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
- Employers Provide Too Little Leave Time — from Blogging4Jobs
- Tis the Season of Holiday Hiring — from DOL's Work in Progress
- What Deductions Are Allowed From an Exempt Employee’s Salary Under the FLSA? — from Minnesota Employer
- A Crash-Course in Paid Vacation and Holiday Policies — from CPEhr
- Man Fired After Complaining About Clocking In May Maintain Lawsuit For Retaliation — from Overtime Lawyer Blog
Labor Relations
- Great moments in labor arbitration — from Walter Olson’s Overlawyered
- Would You Buy THIS Union Made Product? — from Mike Haberman’s Omega HR Solutions
- Labor and the “Union” Name: Is a Rebrand Really the Answer? — from LaborPains.org