Attorneys Sarah Sawyer and Russell Berger discuss practical contract review tips for business owners who juggle many agreements and worry about delays. They urge using your own standard contracts when possible to speed negotiations and improve control. They suggest working with counsel to identify which provisions are true business terms versus legal term. Your attorney can assist with deciding which clauses are deal breakers, critical, or flexible so you know when to escalate questions. They emphasize understanding the contract’s goals and intent to avoid failed agreements and future disputes, and caution against signing provisions you don’t understand.

00:00 Contract Review Intro

00:42 Common Owner Concerns

01:12 Use Your Own Templates

01:46 Business vs Legal Terms

02:32 Intent and Mutual Understanding

03:51 Know Before You Sign

04:16 Red Flags and When to Ask

04:47 Wrap Up

Sarah Sawyer and Russell Berger discuss regulations that affect the hiring and application process, including state and local laws on job ads and interviews. They highlight that anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and accommodation obligations apply to applicants as well as employees. They review topics such as ban-the-box rules on when criminal history may be considered, pay transparency requirements to post reasonable salary ranges, and restrictions on asking about current pay. Sarah and Russell also explain that if a lawful background or credit check (often after a conditional offer) reveals disqualifying information through a third party, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires a two-step adverse action notice process.

00:00 Hiring Law Overview

01:11 Applicants Get Protections

01:37 Ban the Box Pay Rules

02:07 Build Interview Protocols

02:22 Exceptions Patchwork Nuance

03:44 Background Checks FCRA Steps

04:55 Wrap Up

Attorneys Sarah Sawyer and Russell Berger discuss how day-to-day employee management affects both team performance and legal risk, noting that unhappy employees are more likely to sue. They emphasize that performance management, documentation, coaching, and performance improvement plans are important, but should not be treated as mere box-checking. Instead, managers should focus on having effective conversations that actually change behavior and prevent issues from escalating to legal problems. They highlight the importance of clear expectations, thoughtful messaging, and understanding each employee as an individual, since there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

00:00 Welcome and Topic
00:13 Happy Employees Sue Less
00:44 Beyond Box Checking
01:10 Coaching to Change Behavior
01:51 Build A Productive Team
02:55 Know Your Audience
03:21 Desk Method Framework
03:57 Communication and Documentation
04:21 Wrap Up and Goodbye