Law Office Manager

Workplace Safety

In era of #MeToo, employers are still failing to take new steps to address sexual harassment

The spotlight on workplace sexual harassment since fall 2017 has led to high-profile resignations, terminations, and lawsuits. And while the revelations and consequences have prompted ongoing, national conversations about appropriate behavior, only 32 percent of working Americans said that their employer has taken new steps to prevent and address sexual harassment in the … [Read more...] about In era of #MeToo, employers are still failing to take new steps to address sexual harassment

Sexual harassment in the workplace: how your practice’s policy can make a difference

Employees are more likely to report sexual harassment they witness at work when there is a zero-tolerance policy in place, according to a new study conducted by Florida International University (FIU). The study's findings show that companies where zero-tolerance policies are a top-priority are particularly effective in increasing the reporting of the most common forms of … [Read more...] about Sexual harassment in the workplace: how your practice’s policy can make a difference

The value of your personal information and how to protect it online

Technology makes it easy to connect to the virtual world around you. While an invaluable part of our lifestyle, our connected devices contain enormous amounts of personal data about us, our friends and family. This information—which includes contacts, photos, videos, location, health and financial data—is being collected by advertisers, tech companies and others, and … [Read more...] about The value of your personal information and how to protect it online

The predatory client and your workplace environment

By Lynne Curry  bio You've met the predatory client and possibly even tangled with him. He or she makes life difficult for your staff, particularly your front desk employees, and possibly even for you because his status as a client enables him to do so. Often he represents hundreds of thousands of dollars in billings. Do legal practices have a responsibility to … [Read more...] about The predatory client and your workplace environment

Preventing an active shooter tragedy and saving your life

By Lynne Curry  bio According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workplace homicides are on the rise. Forty-four or 69.8% of the sixty-three incidents for which analysts have determined the incident's duration ended in less than five minutes. Twenty-two incidents ended in less than two minutes. Sixty percent of the incidents ended before police arrived on the … [Read more...] about Preventing an active shooter tragedy and saving your life

What to do when an opioid crisis hits your law firm

By Lynne Curry  bio The first time you saw "Bill" appear to nod off during a staff meeting, you pulled him aside after the meeting. When you asked if he was okay, he said he was. You gave him the benefit of the doubt because he'd worked for you for three years and been a good employee. You knew he'd recently gone through a divorce and thought maybe he'd had a hard … [Read more...] about What to do when an opioid crisis hits your law firm

Recommendations from National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being applauded by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Calling it a "groundbreaking and lifesaving report," the head of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's legal professionals program applauded the recent release of a comprehensive set of recommendations from the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. "These important recommendations address the longstanding and often hidden behavioral health issues in the legal profession, and … [Read more...] about Recommendations from National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being applauded by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Checking your smartphone can be a real pain in the neck—and back

A modern affliction has osteopathic physicians prescribing the selfie stance to patients checking their devices: keep your head up and hold the phone straight out. Tilting the head forward 60 degrees can put up to 60 pounds of pressure on the neck, according to Stacey Pierce-Talsma, DO, chair of osteopathic manipulative medicine at Touro University California. Tech neck, a … [Read more...] about Checking your smartphone can be a real pain in the neck—and back

Protecting your employees from workplace violence

By Lynne Curry  bio On June 5, 2017, John Neumann Jr. brought a semiautomatic pistol and a hunting knife into his former workplace. He killed five people before turning his gun against himself. It's become chillingly commonplace for us to learn that a terminated employee has stormed into his former workplace and killed those he holds accountable. Each time, the rest … [Read more...] about Protecting your employees from workplace violence