Making Work Better: Employment Law & Workplace Challenges The Prinz Law Firm

Employment attorney Kristin Hendriksen draws on her experience in a past life in restaurant operations to discuss the WARN Act and recent business closures with Matt Tedeschi, an employment paralegal and Marketing Manager at the firm.
 
Kristin and Matt explain what the WARN Act is and why it was passed before discussing the sudden shuttering of all locations of Dom’s and Foxtrot and the termination of all employees. They also touch upon the closure of the Signature Room in Chicago and a lawsuit that recently saw a large settlement for its former workers.
 
Could Dom’s and Foxtrot face the same fate? What should businesses do if they plan on terminating a large number of workers or closing several locations? Kristin and Matt offer their predictions and provide key advice for business owners and management.
 
 
Stay Connected & Learn More:
 
Read Matt’s blog on Dom’s & Foxtrot
 
Read Matt’s blog on the Signature Room
 
The Prinz Law Firm
 
Kristin Hendriksen
 
Matt Tedeschi

In a sweeping action, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently published its final rule on non-competes, effectively banning them completely. Both individuals and businesses are wondering what this means for them currently and in the future. Employment attorneys and business counselors Amit Bindra and Rebecca Chmielewski examine what is likely to happen next and what both employees and employers need to know.
 
Stay Connected & Learn More:
 
Read Amit’s post on the FTC ban
 
The Prinz Law Firm
 
Amit Bindra
 
Connect with Amit on Twitter
 
Rebecca Chmielewski
 

Some states require that certain business entities register as a PLLC (or professional limited liability company) and not simply as an LLC (limited liability company). Business and employment attorneys Katie Rinkus and Rebecca Chmielewski discuss the distinction between LLCs and PLLCs and the requirements for forming a PLLC under Illinois law. They specifically address both how to convert an existing LLC into a PLLC and how to establish a company as a PLLC from the beginning. They also explain the nuts and bolts of filing the necessary documents and the potential penalties that can be levied for not being registered correctly. Tune in to learn all about PLLCs and whether your business needs to be registered as one.
 
Stay Connected & Learn More:
Read Katie’s blog post on PLLCs
 
IDFPR’s PLLC page
The Prinz Law Firm
Katie Rinkus
Rebecca Chmielewski

Employment attorneys and business counselors Katie Rinkus and Poonam Lakhani discuss the top 10 essential things to know or do when hiring your first employee. From how to conduct a background check to when to use a confidentiality agreement or register with state agencies, Katie and Poonam cover the gamut of concerns that business owners encounter when they are finally ready to become employers.
 
Stay Connected & Learn More:
 
The Prinz Law Firm
 
Poonam Lakhani
 
Katie Rinkus
 
Read Katie’s blog post on hiring a new employee

Seasoned workplace investigators Kristen Prinz and Christina Hynes Mesco discuss one of their favorite topics: culture audits! They discuss how audits can help prevent workplace problems before they arise, enabling organizations to avoid the costs of poor company culture: legal liability, legal fees, and lost productivity. More than that, culture audits signal to employees that the organization cares about them and their input, and takes workplace culture seriously. This episode is for anyone who wants to get the pulse of their organization and maintain a healthy work environment.
 
Stay Connected & Learn More:
 
The Prinz Law Firm
 
Kristen Prinz
 
Christina Hynes Mesco
 

Kristen Prinz welcomes to the mic Chiquita Hall-Jackson, a lawyer, DEI consultant, and community advocate known as the “Discrimination Disrupter.” Chiquita strives to dismantle systems of bias, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace, and is recently the author of We Gon’ Be Alright: A Black Executive's Guide to Navigating Workplace Dynamics.
 
In their wide-ranging conversation, Kristen and Chiquita address the difficulties that minority employees often face in the workplace, especially women of color, including remaining unseen and being passed over for promotion. Chiquita encourages employees to use these situations as opportunities to educate their colleagues, and she advises workers to use their voices to advocate for themselves and to make room in the workplace for the diverse talent that will come after them.
 
Kristen and Chiquita discuss their own experiences, the necessity of charting your own career path and goals, and the difficult choice workers must sometimes face: to stay within a system that can be difficult to navigate or to strike out on your own.
 
This episode will enable you to become a bolder you at work, more aligned with your own values and career goals. Perhaps more than anything else, you will learn some tools to “be alright” and continue navigating the dynamics of challenging workplaces.
 
Stay Connected & Learn More:
 
The Prinz Law Firm
 
Kristen Prinz
 
Chiquita Hall-Jackson’s personal website
 
We Gon’ Be Alright: A Black Executive's Guide to Navigating Workplace Dynamics
 
Chiquita Hall-Jackson on LinkedIn
 
Hall-Jackson and Associates, P.C.