Loss of good employees, low morale and communication breakdowns caused by office bullies are costing your law office plenty, says Dr. Lynne Curry, Regional Director of Training and Business Consulting for Avitus, a national firm with offices coast to coast According to Curry, more than 65 million American workers have either been bullied on the job or seen their coworkers … [Read more...] about How to beat the workplace bully in your law office
Risk management
3 steps a manager must take to end harmful gossip in the workplace
By Lynne Curry bio The conversation stops when you walk into the break room. Two employees look at each other, mouth "later," and head back to their desks. An hour later, you see another employee dart into the restroom and come out five minutes later with reddened eyes. You ask her "what's up?" and when she looks like she might burst into tears, you usher her into your … [Read more...] about 3 steps a manager must take to end harmful gossip in the workplace
Top 10 phishing phrases of 2018: The KnowBe4 list
By Jay Stromberg bio As you may know, Savvy is the largest reseller in the legal industry for KnowBe4 security awareness training. We are seriously proud of this partnership because of the significant security improvements that KnowBe4 has delivered to our clients. At a time when law firms are hacked into daily, this training platform is delivering quantifiable … [Read more...] about Top 10 phishing phrases of 2018: The KnowBe4 list
How to ensure your firm can weather a disaster
Many law firms are not well prepared to weather a disaster, whether it's a physical one such as a flood or fire, or a technological one such as a data breach, says Catherine Sanders Reach, director of law practice management and technology for the Chicago Bar Association. In extreme cases, such as a terrorist attack or a hurricane, Reach says the damage done to unprepared law … [Read more...] about How to ensure your firm can weather a disaster
Avoid disbarment with a conflict-checking procedure
As you know, a conflict of interest occurs when a lawyer or a firm takes on multiple clients who have conflicting goals or interests. And if your law firm does not have a system in place to check for potential conflicts, you could be courting serious trouble with your bar association, clients, or other attorneys, according to Robyn A. Bonivich, founding partner in Robyn's Law … [Read more...] about Avoid disbarment with a conflict-checking procedure
Study finds alarming ambivalence about gender discrimination in the workplace, despite evidence that compensation inequality and harassment exist
Randstad US has released results of a survey examining American workers' feelings and experiences related to gender equality in the workplace. The data reveals a sharp disconnect: Employees acknowledge that forms of discrimination and harassment exist in the workplace, but they aren't sure what they're supposed to do about it. For example, while 51 percent of both men and women … [Read more...] about Study finds alarming ambivalence about gender discrimination in the workplace, despite evidence that compensation inequality and harassment exist
Who’s the real person you plan to hire? Can social media help you decide?
By Lynne Curry, Ph.D., SPHR bio The applicant knocked it out of the park with both his resume and his answers to your interview questions. The references he provided gave positive reports. Do you make the offer? Not so fast. Have you fully checked out the real person behind the resume and interview answers? If you search him out on social media, will you find posts … [Read more...] about Who’s the real person you plan to hire? Can social media help you decide?
How to manage maternity or leaves of absence
Employee leaves of absence for maternity or medical reasons can be tricky to navigate and can place heavy staffing and workload burdens on small and mid-sized practices, says Chris Lessard, an HR advisor with CEDR HR Solutions. Lessard, a California-based attorney, says practices can face potential discrimination claims for violating leave-of-absence laws, along with … [Read more...] about How to manage maternity or leaves of absence
To-Dos: Your February office checklist
February might be a short month, but there's a lot packed into it. Here are 7 areas you can tackle this month to help improve profits, protect the firm, and boost morale. 1. Review each department's revenues. By now the profit and loss statement for 2022 is in. Review the gross revenues of the firm and the revenues for each department if the firm practices in more than … [Read more...] about To-Dos: Your February office checklist
4 ethics rules your staff might be violating
It's not just attorneys in your office who have to follow the rules of ethics. Your staff members have to follow them, too. It doesn't matter where the violation comes from, says law management consultant Jan Henderson of RJH Consulting in Jackson Hole, WY. What governs is the rule of respondeat superior, or "let the master answer." The employer is held accountable for the … [Read more...] about 4 ethics rules your staff might be violating