Many family business owners believe their close-knit approach provides them with protections not enjoyed by the typical private employer, according to a white paper penned by Jacqueline Shulman, partner with the labor relations and employment law department of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel. 

This wrongly held belief could be costly on two fronts. Aside from poor morale, it could lead to legal fees being paid for failure to comply with specific laws especially discrimination lawsuits.

The white paper, Human Resources Issues In A Family Business, penned for The Network of Family Businesses, outlines three issues family businesses need to understand. At will doesn’t always mean what is says is the first, followed by unions don’t just go after big companies.

Finally families must know their ABCs, which include state and federal employment laws and the host of other laws titled as an alphabet soup.

To read the full white paper go here.