Law Office Manager

Managing staff

How to disagree with your friends about politics and keep them too

In past elections, our front yards, T-shirts, car bumpers and water cooler conversations proudly campaigned for the presidential candidate of our choice. In 2016, most were afraid to utter the name of the person they planned to vote for on November 8. Research by Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield, cofounders of VitalSmarts and the authors of the business bestseller Crucial … [Read more...] about How to disagree with your friends about politics and keep them too

Resolving the “Going Paperless” dilemma in 3 steps

By Elizabeth M. Miller  bio The concept of going paperless seems overwhelming for law firms. This is one of those things where you conjure up in your mind all the added work that it is going to take to go paperless, and you decide that it is more time efficient to keep things just the way they are. The next time you are looking for a file as you are rushing out the … [Read more...] about Resolving the “Going Paperless” dilemma in 3 steps

Why you should include staff at your annual firm retreat this year

While most firms hold an annual retreat for the attorneys, one California firm has expanded the retreat concept to include staff and spouses. According to the administrator, including staff and spouses at the firm’s annual retreat builds a bond between attorneys and staff and creates a positive attitude toward the firm’s goals and values, generating enthusiasm and new … [Read more...] about Why you should include staff at your annual firm retreat this year

Why the new Massachusetts law matters, regardless of where your firm is located

Massachusetts recently signed into law An Act to Establish Pay Equity, S.2119, which takes effect on July 1, 2018. The new law prevents wage discrimination based on gender. The law includes several noteworthy changes related to the employment process, but perhaps the most significant is that it prohibits employers from requiring applicants to provide their salary history … [Read more...] about Why the new Massachusetts law matters, regardless of where your firm is located

American workers struggling to make ends meet

Three-quarters of Americans (75 percent) are living paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet, according to a survey from CareerBuilder, a global leader in human capital solutions. Thirty-eight percent of employees say they sometimes live paycheck to paycheck, 15 percent say they usually do, and 23 percent say they always do. While making ends meet is a struggle for many … [Read more...] about American workers struggling to make ends meet

Survey: 1 in 4 U.S. employees negatively affected by political talk at work this election season

This year's extraordinary presidential campaign is taking a toll on American workers, some of whom report feeling stressed, argumentative and less productive because of political discussions on the job, according to a survey released today by the American Psychological Association. More than 1 in 4 younger employees reported feeling stressed out because of political … [Read more...] about Survey: 1 in 4 U.S. employees negatively affected by political talk at work this election season

Like a Boss: Rise of the Work Martyr

By Michelle Spencer  bio I learned a couple of disturbing new terms recently: "work martyr" and "vacation shaming." Like many of you, I have known for some time that many Americans no longer use all of their allotted days off from work, and I have certainly worked with work martyrs in my career. I could deal with that. However, the idea of vacation shaming is … [Read more...] about Like a Boss: Rise of the Work Martyr

The Paralegal from Heaven or Hell

By Lynne Curry, Ph.D, SPHR  bio Depending on who you talk to, she's the paralegal from either heaven or hell. According to her attorney, with whom she has a love/hate relationship, she's indispensable. While you personally like her, you often want to wring her neck. She's late for work more days than she arrives on time; she's late for meetings and rolls her eyes … [Read more...] about The Paralegal from Heaven or Hell

Avoid these tricky ADA pitfalls when hiring staff

Every manager is aware of the wider doorways, lever handles, curb cuts and so on required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). And every manager is aware of providing accommodations for employees. But not every manager is aware of the less obvious ADA requirements that apply to electronic job applications, says Beth Loy, PhD, principal consultant with the Job … [Read more...] about Avoid these tricky ADA pitfalls when hiring staff