There are somethings that come across our desk that are simply too crazy to exist. It appears that the New York City Council recently sought to mandate 5 days of sick leave for companies with fewer than 20 employees and 9 days for those with 20+. While that is not terribly Draconian, it is simply a generous extension of a portion of an employment contract; the killer comes when you calculate that this will cost 789 million dollars a years in payroll costs….And here comes the killer-sick days can be taken an hour at a time. Well, we are not the only one that thinks this is crazy. Mayor Bloomberg has actually objected and termed this a job killer. As small business owners we see the continued attack on our livelihood coming in forms of hidden taxes such as this one that wind up depleting the system of inititative…Luckily, it was shot down…In an upcoming issue, we will review recent New Jersey decisions detailing what precise language and terminology must be used in reservation of rights letters under the State’s law. If an insurer fails to comply with certain conditions, the insurer may be stopped from disclaiming coverage even where coverage otherwise did not exist. The article will concentrate on the new decisions, which particularly focused upon an insured’s right to accept or reject the defense under the reservation of rights. In addition, the article will also include other pit-falls and/or pointers with respect to reservation of rights letters, i.e., timely issuance and withdrawing of the defense under a reservation of rights… The recession is over, right? Maybe, but the Recession Hangover is here. Research from Gallup estimates that disengaged employees are costing companies up to $1 out of every $3 spent on payroll. In other words, a full one-third of your payroll is being thrown away due to negativity. “And whether that funk has descended on your company in the past couple of years or it’s been there all along, you absolutely must address it now,” according to bestselling author Jon Gordon, who says it’s time to set your attention on the state of your company’s culture. “Here’s what happened,” explains Gordon, author of Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture (Wiley, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-4704878-4-6, $22.95, www.Soup11.com). “For years, managers were focused on the numbers, and the numbers were good. So morale was up and everyone was happy. But then the recession hit and the numbers went down. Well, when you’re focused on numbers and they’re going down, morale also goes down. So does engagement—and so does performance. Now the research is showing us that it directly affects the cash flow in your organization—at a time when every precious penny still counts. “This has thrown managers into a quandary,” he adds. “They need to change their leadership focus, and most of them don’t know where to begin.” The new focus, explains Gordon, should be on culture. It should be on purpose and morale and loyalty. And all of that boils down to two words: engaged relationships. “Engaged relationships are interactive, collaborative, and meaningful,” he says. “They are also essential: To effectively lead, coach, work with, or live with someone, you must truly know and have a strong bond with them. No matter how busy you are, you’re not too busy to create these bonds. You can’t afford to be that busy.” In Soup Gordon explains the connection between engaged relationships and success and lays out the ingredients that make up a nourishing culture. So how can you build engaged relationships with your employees (and start getting your money’s worth again)? Gordon offers the following insights for getting your company’s culture back on track: Busyness and stress are a manager’s two worst enemies. They sabotage our efforts to build engaged relationships. With projects to complete, to-do lists to accomplish, goals to hit, and outcomes to achieve, life can feel like we are on a runaway bus in the movie Speed, says Gordon. We’re driving through life at 100 miles per hour, and instead of taking the time to get people on our bus, we run them over. We become so focused on creating success that we don’t make the time to develop the relationships that lead to true success. “In times of busyness and stress, the brain goes into survival mode, and we stop thinking about serving other people, mentoring them, and helping them thrive,” he says. “This is where we drop the ball. Just when we need to be the most engaging, we become the least engaging. What our employees need the most, we’re delivering the least. And so the problems grow and multiply. It’s a perpetual cycle.” Where there’s a void in communication, negativity fills it. Recovery or no recovery, these are uncertain times. Employees are wondering what’s going to happen next, whether their jobs will be impacted, and what action to take. That uncertainty creates a void. Unless you, the manager, fill the void with clear and positive communication, people will assume the worst. Fear and negativity will creep in and dominate their thoughts, behaviors, and actions. “The number one thing a manager can do during times of uncertainty is to communicate,” asserts Gordon. “Communicate with transparency, authenticity, and clarity. Even when the news is not so positive, you can communicate it positively: Tell the truth, give them a plan, and help them believe, ‘Hey, we can turn this thing around.’ Optimism is a competitive advantage right now, and you need to convey it in all you say and do.” Employees need nourishment in order to thrive. These may seem like strange words to apply to the workplace. But Gordon insists they are spot-on. He says the main question every employee in every organization wants to know the answer to is this: Do you care about me; can I trust you? If your answer is yes, your employees will be more likely to stay on the bus and work with you. Employees who feel cared for, honored, and nourished are more engaged in what they’re doing and will work at their highest potential. “Learn to view your employees like a family—a functional family,” he clarifies. “This will change the way you treat them. You’ll see them as people who deserve your trust and love and who require communication, transparency, and authenticity from you. You want to be someone they can trust, and therefore you need to take the actions necessary to earn it.” “Remind yourself every day that it’s not the numbers that drive people, but people and relationships that drive numbers,” he says. “Leaders get so busy trying to achieve success that they forget to take the time to develop the relationships that lead to success. But trying to build a winning team without great relationships is like trying to build a house on sand. It won’t stand. Relationships are the rock that creates the foundation upon which winning teams are built.”