No HR background? Here’s the practical HR foundation every small business needs first: compliance, the four critical policies, and what you can safely ignore for now.

At 10 employees, new federal and state laws kick in and your informal HR approach stops being sufficient.  Here's the checklist to complete before you get there.

Your manager reversed a disciplinary decision you made.  It's frustrating, it may have undermined your authority, and now you're not sure what to do.  Here's how to handle it.

Managing someone who has a personal relationship with the business owner is one of the most politically delicate situations in small business HR.  Here's how to handle it.

An employee bypassed you and complained to your boss or HR.  How you respond in the next 24 hours will define how this situation resolves.  Here's what to do.

An employee starts crying in the middle of a difficult conversation.  What do you do? Most managers panic or abandon the message.  Here's a better approach.

The best managers aren't just good with people… they have specific documentation and policy habits that protect their employees and their business.  Here are what those 7 habits look like.

Most new managers make the same progressive discipline mistakes, and most of them create more problems than they solve.  Here are the 7 mistakes to avoid and what to do instead.

A step-by-step guide for small business owners on what to include in a social media policy. Learn the key rules, legal protections, and download a ready-to-use social media policy template.

Hiring your first employee triggers a surprisingly long list of legal obligations. Here is exactly what you need to have in place before they start, and what happens if you skip it.

Managing a remote employee for the first time requires clearer expectations, different communication habits, and updated policies.  Here's what small business owners need to know.

Knowing the steps of progressive discipline is one thing. Knowing what to actually say at each one is another. Here are real examples of what each conversation sounds like, verbal warning through termination.

Most small businesses have a one-sentence anti-discrimination statement. That is not a policy. Here is exactly what a compliant anti-discrimination policy for small business must include.

Everything small business owners need to know about employee handbooks: what to include, legal requirements, common mistakes, and how to roll one out. Free guide from a SHRM-SCP certified HR professional.

Hiring your first employee is one of the most significant steps a small business takes.  Here's what you need to have in place before they start: legally, operationally, and culturally.

Firing someone for the first time is one of the hardest things a small business owner does.  Here's how to prepare, what to say, and how to handle everything that follows.

An employee just reported harassment and you're the closest thing to HR.  Here's exactly what to do (and what not to do) in the first 24 hours and beyond.

When you're the HR department and a new hire starts Monday, here's exactly what you need to do before they arrive, on day one, and through their first 90 days.

If you're the office manager and the HR department, this guide covers the most common employee situations you'll face and how to handle each one correctly.

Discipline and documentation are the two skills most first-time managers are never taught.  Here's the practical foundation you need before you need to use it.