Business Profile Dec 2010

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE LEWISTON TRIBUNE DECEMBER 20, 2010

An Interview with

Joe HallOwner of Hall Ford in Lewiston

~ PAGE 8

O F T H E Y E

AR

BUS IN E

S S L E A D E R

Holiday season can lead to legal and productivity problems

NEW YORK — The holi-day season isn’t necessarily the most joyous time of the year for small businesses.

Holiday parties and cel-ebrations can turn unpleas-ant if employees or guests misbehave. Productivity can drop when employees are distracted by all the personal things, including shopping, they have to take care of.

And at many small busi-nesses, the economy is putting a damper on yet another holiday season.

A look at holiday trouble spots, and how owners should handle them:

Party ProblemsAlcohol is usually the

culprit when the company party leads to problems. Employees or guests who have too much to drink can forget the rules against sexual harassment. Or drink so much that they could get into an accident. In either case, a company can find itself in legal trouble.

Clearly, the safest alter-native is to have an alcohol-free party. But there are ways for an owner to limit alcohol consumption. One is to have a cash bar. People are less likely to drink to excess when they’re paying for their drinks. Another is to serve drinks only for a specific period at the start

of the party (but be sure there’s food available). It’s probably not a good idea to just put wine and liquor out without a bartender or someone who keeps an eye on how much everyone is drinking.

Some companies issue drink tickets to employees and guests, who then give them to a bartender. The potential pitfall with that system is if employees give away their tickets to some-one else who then drinks too much.

Rick Gibbs, a senior hu-man resources specialist with Administaff, a Hous-ton-based company that provides HR outsourcing, says owners need to remind employees long before the party begins that while it’s a celebration, it’s also a work-related event. And that employees, while hopefully having a good time, will also need to behave profession-ally.

Owners and their manag-ers need to be supervisors as much as partygoers. “They’re obligated to keep an eye on people and cer-

tainly to set a good example as far as behavior,” Gibbs said.

And if it looks like someone has already had too much to drink, it’s time to tell the bartender to cut them off.

Gibbs also suggests own-ers plan to have taxis, car services or designated driv-ers to be sure everyone gets home safely.

Shopping Till Productivity Drops

Many workers are dis-tracted during the holiday season, particularly by the need to shop for family and friends. It can be very tempting to do it during work hours, either online or by taking a long lunch.

Gibbs suggests “being a bit forgiving” when staff-ers take a break from their work to do some shopping. If their productivity is suf-fering, then it’s time for a reminder that work needs to come first.

And If The Company Is Still Struggling

Although business is get-ting better for many small companies, others are still dealing with a difficult economy. A big example: Many real estate agencies have little to celebrate now.

But with the new year ap-proaching, many employees are likely to be wondering what the outlook is for the

Jan. 5 — Grangeville Chamber of Commerce, 1:30 p.m., Oscar’s, (208) 983-0460.

Jan. 5 — Orofino Chamber of Commerce, noon, Ponderosa, (208) 476-4335.

Jan. 5 — Kamiah Chamber of Commerce, 7 p.m., chamber building, (208) 935-2290.

Jan. 6 — Port of Whitman County, 10 a.m., (509) 397-3791.

Jan. 7 — Lewiston Chamber of Commerce general member-ship, 7 a.m., Morgan’s Alley, (208) 743-3531.

Jan. 11 — Port of Lewiston, 1:30 p.m., (208) 743-5531.

Jan. 11 — Pullman Chamber of Commerce, noon, location TBA, (509) 334-3565.

Jan. 11 — Grangeville GEM Team, 7 a.m., Oscar’s (208) 983-0460.

Jan. 12 — Clarkston Chamber of Commerce general member-ship, noon, Quality Inn, (509) 758-7712.

Jan. 13 — Port of Clarkston, 1 p.m., (509) 758-5272.

Jan. 13 — Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce, 11:30 a.m., Duman Mini Mall, (208) 962-3231.

Jan. 19 — Orofino Chamber of Commerce, noon, Ponderosa, (208) 476-4335.

Jan. 20 — Port of Whitman County, 10 a.m., (509) 397-3791.

Jan. 20 — Lewiston Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m.

Feb. 2 — Grangeville Chamber of Commerce, 1:30 p.m., Oscar’s, (208) 983-0460.

Feb. 2 — Orofino Chamber of Commerce, noon, Ponderosa, (208) 476-4335.

CALENDAR

COMMEnTAry

Joyce Rosenberg

SmALL TALk

2 BusInEss PrOFILE MOnDAy, DECEMBEr 20, 2010

Holidays can be problematic for small businesses

sEE ROSENBERG, PAGE 5

2 SMALL TALK: Holiday season can mean headache season

4 BUSINESS ON THE GO: Who’s doing what

4 WORKPLACE WELLNESS: Not having health program costs more

6 THE JOB COACH: Resumes can be difficult, but they have to be done

7 BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU: How well do you know that elf?

12 BUSINESS ANSWERS: Lawsuits and human resource management

13 RECORDS: November by the numbers

December 2010VOLUME 11, ISSUE 12

Business Profile is compiled by Target Publications of The Lewiston Tribune. Business Profile is inserted in The Lewiston Tribune the third Monday of every month.

EditorsROBERT [email protected]

MARY [email protected]

AdvertisingContact your Lewiston Tribune sales representative or call (208) 848-2292 for advertising information

Your commentsPlease write to us at:

Business ProfileTarget PublicationsLewiston Tribune505 Capital St. Lewiston ID 83501

or e-mail us at: [email protected]

On the coverHall Ford owner Joe Hall By STEVE HANKS of the Lewiston Tribune

Our favorite quote“If we can attract busi-ness that broadens the tax base, we can reduce the impact of things like a new school.”

— Joe Hall (story Page 8)

Regular departments

It’s all about communityAllegiance runs deep PAGE 8

3BUSINESS PROFILEMONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2010

BUSINESS ON THE GO

4 BusinessProfile MonDAY,DeCeMBer20,2010

Lewiston’s Assist-2-Sell Real Estate has hired two Realtors.

S h e l l e y Rudolph is a native of the Lewis-Clark Valley and has been a li-censed Real-

tor in Washington and Idaho for 23 years.

She has served on the Lew-is-Clark Board of Realtors.

Jeanne Medley is a Lew-iston native who farmed in Troy for several years before working for ATK as a North

A m e r i c a n sales coor-dinator; she later worked as land de-veloper.

She earned her Washing-ton and Idaho Real Estate licenses in 2004.

She has years of experi-ence in buying and selling land, recreational properties and home construction and sales.

Assist-2-Sell is at 625 Eighth St.

Assist-2-Sell gains two team members

ShelleyRudolph

Jeanne Medley

The Quality Inn & Suites of Clarkston won the Platinum Award in September at the Choice Hotels regional meet-ing in San Francisco.

Only 3 percent of Quality Inns in America receive this award.

In addition, the hotel is ranked No. 5 among all 910 Quality Inns in the nation.

The rating system is based on quality assurance reviews and surveys from hotel cus-tomers.

The Clarkston Quality Inn scored 96.3 out of 100 in qual-ity assurance reviews and 9.2 out of a possible 10 points in customer surveys.

The hotel is at 700 Port Drive.

Clarkston Quality Inn wins Platinum Award

Splash Car Wash & Detail-ing at 2131 13th Ave. in Lew-iston is offering Double Bond sealant with Teflon.

The protective coating is applied between the wash and rinse cycle during a car

wash. The synthetic polymers are

safe for all automotive paints and finishes and cures as it dries.

Additional applications will enhance protection.

Lewiston car wash offers sealant with Teflon

Coleman Oil Co. has begun offering ethanol-free premi-um gasoline at two locations in Lewiston: Liberty Mart at 822 16th Ave. and at Coleman Oil CFN at 213 18th St.

According to a press re-

lease, consumer request is the reason for offering the fuel.

Gas blended with ethanol is often blamed for clogged fuel filters and deterioration of older rubber fuel lines.

Coleman Oil offers ethanol-free gasoline

wORkPLACE wELLNESS

If you’ve just completed your company’s open en-rollment for benefits, you may be wondering how long you can keep your commitment to offering employee health coverage.

Headlines document the problems: Disease rates are up, medical costs are rising and insurers must increase premiums to keep pace. And this year more than ever, employers passed increased premium costs to workers, who then must evaluate whether they can afford coverage.

You can spot the prob-lem with this business model: It’s unsustainable. As costs rise and healthy people drop individual or group coverage, that leaves more of the people with serious health prob-lems who need the insur-ance coverage — and use it — which drives up premi-ums, causing more people to drop coverage. You can see where this cycle leads.

This might be the time to ask yourself: What’s the real cost of not having a wellness program? In addi-tion to helping employees reach their wellness goals, workplace wellness is a strategic investment to improve productivity by lowering time lost to ab-senteeism/presenteeism. A pleasant side effect is the potential to bend the cost curve on your group’s medical costs and premi-

um rates.This is also a time to

invite your employees to consider how the health and wellness choices they make affect their group coverage, and what they can do about costs, directly and indirectly.

Wellness. Many health insurers and employers now offer some type of incentive for healthy ac-tivities, either premium discounts or reward pro-grams. Qualifying ac-tivities might be a routine health assessment of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, physical exer-cise or nutrition. Promote these incentives to your employees.

Consumerism. One thing we learn — some-times the hard way — is that cost doesn’t equal

What’s the real cost of not having a wellness program?

CoMMentArY

Justin Jones

seeJONES,PAge6


new year. If they haven’t gotten raises for a couple of years, they’re going to be particularly interested in what’s ahead. And so the boss may be fielding some pointed questions.

Human resources con-sultants have been advising their small business clients ever since the start of the recession three years ago to be honest with employees. And that honesty needs to continue now, even if busi-ness still looks uncertain.

Gibbs recommends that any holiday celebration be a time for marking staffers’ achievements and contribu-tions to the company. And for owners to thank them for the sacrifices most workers have had to make over the past few years.

Holiday SadnessMost people know that the

joy-filled holiday celebra-tions in TV commercials and magazine ads just aren’t realistic. The holidays are stressful times for most people. And for some, they’re depressing. Gibbs recommends that owners keep an eye out for any employees who seem to be having a hard time during the holidays.

Owners can also be proac-tive and remind the staff that if staffers or their families are having a hard time, they can get help. If the company doesn’t have a contract with an employee assistance pro-gram, an owner can provide a list of local resources and help lines where staffers can turn.

Rosenberg covers small business issues for the Associ-ated Press.

ROSENBERGFrom page 2

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the job coach


value. Cheaper isn’t always good, and expensive isn’t always best. That’s true in health care goods and ser-vices, too. Health plans and the Internet offer tools to assess value, from the rela-tive risks and costs of knee or back surgery to physical therapy, to branded versus generic medications, or comparing hospital per-formance data. Employees know efficiency is impor-tant to their work; it’s criti-cal to seek it out in health care, too.

Benefit design. Maybe you’ve already made the switch to a higher-deduct-ible plan, but be aware there are several types. Some offer up-front cover-age for routine preventive care so people don’t skip that because of the out-of-pocket cost. As more employers switch to these plans, it’s crucial that em-

ployees leverage wellness rewards and consumer tools to get the best value.

Many changes lie ahead for our health care system, but one thing will stay the same: an ongoing need to make the system sustain-able, and that means seek-ing out and promoting ef-ficiency and value.

That is why Regence de-veloped WhatsTheReal Cost.org to increase public awareness and consumer behavior in the health care sector. Here, people will find videos, an online game, a blog and some independent data, all in-tended to provoke thought and discussion about how consumers can leverage their choices and actions seek value, efficiency and quality of care.

Using our power to seek the health care best value has a payoff we can all share.

jones is the Wellness Pro-gram coordinator at Regence blueShield of Idaho. he may be contacted at [email protected]

joNeSFrom page 4

Several people have asked why it is necessary to have a resume in a job search. After all, resumes can be hard to put together. Our society has conditioned us not to brag or we will be perceived as having a big ego or being conceited. In an effective job search, we have to tell it like it is by being honest and spelling out our successes, skills and accomplishments without any hesitation.

An effective resume may be your only opportunity to attract an employer’s atten-

tion and get an interview, so it must be done with precision and accuracy. The person reading your resume will put it in the discard pile immediately if it is too long or has any obvious errors.

An objective statement at the top of any resume is nec-essary and states what job you are applying for and why you think you are eligible. A resume is your chance to state in your own words what level of responsibilities you can handle and how you are a valuable asset to employers

or teams. Be very specific about your accomplishments; remember to include things you did well, you enjoyed and were proud of.

There are two basic types of resumes, chronological and functional. Both should be no more than one page long. Gen. Dwight Eisen-hower wrote the plan for the Invasion of Normandy on one page; your life can be condensed as well.

A chronological resume is most popular and works if you have had a consistent job history with no periods of unemployment and can show continual and increasing job responsibilities. If you have just graduated from school or starting work after a period of unemployment, a func-tional resume will work bet-ter for you. There are many ways to find free help with resume templates to develop resumes on the Internet and through the job service.

Print it out and look closely. Don’t cram so much onto the page; leave nice

margins and some white areas. Are all of the sections spaced evenly? The key to a good resume is to start with action verbs in short phrases; full sentences are not neces-sary. Make each word count; if one short word will work, use it. Use the computer’s fonts and styles to help make the resume appealing.

The reader is looking for reasons to weed you out, not get you in, so you must make sure everything is perfect. Read over what is typed many times for spelling er-rors, extra or missing words, and make sure all area codes, zip codes, names and phone numbers are there and cor-rect. Have someone read it aloud so you can hear what you are saying; do you get your message across?

Always keep the reader in mind; does what you are saying make sense? If you are a card player, show enough of your skills to make the reader want to see more, but don’t lay all of your cards down so your complete hand is revealed. In other words, get them to call you for an interview to hear the rest of the story.

The resume should be on good cream or ivory colored quality paper, 24 pound weight or more, and it will be worth your investment to have it laser printed. An effective job search is hard work, but the choice is yours. You are unique and worth the effort.

Larson is a retired em-ployment specialist and job trainer. She may be contacted at [email protected].

Resume doesn’t have to be long, but it has to be

CoMMentArY

Darlene Larson

Complete and compelling. All the news you need.

7Business ProfileMonDAY, DeCeMBer 20, 2010

better business bureau

As you purchase groceries these dark evenings, your trip around the store may be accompanied by the ring-ing of a small bell. The bell ringer is Santa. Do you know where Santa’s money goes? The Better Business Bureau does.

Area grocery stores allow Salvation Army Santas and their collecting pots outside their front doors around Christmas time. We all know the Salvation Army, a Chris-tian organization founded in 1865 in London. (At press time, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance was still process-ing the latest paperwork to determine the numbers for this charity.)

But what is the difference between, say, the Cancer Assistance Network and the Cancer Hope Network? What is the mission of the Para-lyzed Veterans of America, and how much of the money they collect do they give to their programs? What about the Disabled Ameri-can Veterans? How are they different? And of The Ameri-can Cancer Society or The Cancer Society of America, which is the venerable char-ity founded in 1913, sponsor-ing patient support groups and funding research grants?

That’s where www.bbb.org can be useful. At the Better Business Bureau website, you, your business and your employees can empower yourselves to make the best donation decisions. Do you want your money to stay in the community? Donate lo-cally. Do you want to get the most bang for your buck? The

BBB recommends donat-ing to charities that allocate 65 percent or more of the money they collect to their programs.

Do you just want to do something good for your community, without having to spend a bunch of time on research? Look for the BBB Accredited Charity seal on charity websites. Currently, in northern Idaho, your BBB Accredited Charities are: Catholic Charities of Spo-kane, Spokane County United Way, Community Frame-works, Hospice of Spokane and the Missoula Children’s Theater; 2nd Harvest of the Inland Northwest joins us this month.

Never donate over the phone. And don’t allow anyone to pressure you into making a snap decision. If it is a good thing to do today, it will be a good thing to do to-morrow or next month: After you’ve seen paperwork from the charity indicating its 501(c)3 status with the IRS

and after you’ve verified the charity with the BBB and/or the Washington Secretary of State’s office.

All charities that are ac-tively soliciting for donations from Washington state resi-dents are required to register with that agency. Even if you live or work in Idaho, the information at www.secstate.org/charities can be useful.

So how did the charities named earlier in this story do? According to the Wash-ington Secretary of State, Cancer Assistance Network used just 25 percent of the money it collected during the last fiscal year reported for their programs, while at www.bbb.org we learn that the Cancer Hope Network gave 59 percent, which still does not meet the BBB’s charity standards. Cancer Hope Network also failed to meet a standard having to do with donor privacy.

Paralyzed Veterans of America was formed to benefit individuals suffer-ing injuries or diseases of the spinal cord, while the Disabled American Veterans,

a BBB Accredited Charity, provides professional as-sistance to veterans and their families to help them secure government benefits. The former donates 72 percent to programs, the latter, 77 per-cent. The American Cancer Society was founded in 1913, one year after the Better Business Bureau.

A final option: It’s not a bad idea to decide in advance of the holiday season which charities you will support and then contact them your-self, rather than waiting for someone to call you out of the blue, hat in hand. Remember, the slogan “investigate be-fore you invest” doesn’t just apply to companies. It also applies to charities.

Doering is a charity review director and business infor-mation advisor for the BBB serving eastern Washington, northern Idaho and Montana. She may be contacted at [email protected] or (800) 248-2356.

Checking up on Santa: Finding out who’s naughty and nice

CoMMentArY

Holly Doering

cover story


Joe Hall believes in his community and its youth

By Mary TaTkoOf TargeT PublicaTiOns

Owning a car dealership is a time-consuming job for Joe Hall, though a good portion of that time isn’t spent at Joe Hall Ford.

The employees at his busi-ness, he said, make it pos-sible for him to be out in the community, where he has been involved with Boys and Girls Clubs, American Legion Baseball and the Lewis-Clark State College Foundation board, among others. His lat-est commitment is to the citi-zens committee promoting a new Lewiston High School.

Building a new high school is the right thing to do, and this is the right time to do it, Hall said, explaining why he agreed to be co-chairman of the committee with city Councilor Brad Cannon and newly elected state Rep. Jeff Nesset.

He sympathizes with resi-dents who are leery of the prospect of a tax increase,

but he hopes business devel-opment in the valley, such as the new facility planned by Schweitzer Engineering Lab-oratories, can help boost the viability of a school bond.

“If we can attract business that broadens the tax base, we can reduce the impact of things like a new school,” Hall said.

Hall and his wife, Kelly, be-

came empty nesters this year when their son, Nick, began his freshman year at Gonzaga University. (Their daughter,

He’s driven by optimism

Tribune/Steve Hanks

Joe Hall stands in the lot at Joe Hall Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Nissan in Lewiston.

Since 2000, Business Profile has recognized a Business Leader of the Year each December, selecting individuals based not just on success in business but on contributions to the health and vitality of the community.

This year’s honoree isn’t new to the pages of Business Profile. Joe Hall was featured in 2002, when he’d been a partner at Hall-Copeland Ford for about five years. Since then, Hall has bought out his former partner, Tony Copeland, who retired in 2004.

In the 2002 interview, Hall was

asked to share something he’d learned from Copeland. His answer, excerpted in part below, sums up the philosophy he embraces as a business person and volunteer: That the suc-cess of his business — of any business — is inextricably linked to the health of the community:

“I guess I see a lot of similar traits between the people I’ve worked for — Paul Titus in Tacoma; my dad, Wally, in Prosser, Wash.; and Tony (Copeland). They’re all well respected in the dealer community, they’re all

well respected within their own com-munity, they’re leaders, they put a lot of time and energy and financial resources back into the community. Quite frankly, we’re all in it together. The stronger the community is, the better our business is going to be, selfishly; but then we live and work in the community, too, so it’s to the benefit of everybody. Its a lot easier if everybody participates and helps out a little bit.”

seeDrIveN,PAge9

Jessica, recently was mar-ried and has a teaching job in Federal Way, Wash.)

But while they hope some-day to travel and camp a bit more, so far they’ve found themselves just as busy as they’ve ever been. Through-out the fall, they attended athletic events to cheer on Nick’s former teammates who are still in high school. It’s perhaps an example of how deeply involved in a community a family can be-come through its children.

That so many in this val-ley demonstrate a commit-ment to youth has been clear to Hall since he arrived here

from Yakima in 1997. In his 2002 interview for Business Profile, he described his and Kelly’s first impression of the community: “no graffiti and the kids had great manners.” He was impressed when he learned how much the Boys and Girls Clubs had to do with this, ultimately serving as president of the organiza-tion.

Supporting a new high school is a similar invest-

ment, he said. The commu-nity, including businesses like his, benefits from such an investment.

“I think we’re fortunate to live in the community we do,” he said.

While he focuses on the lo-cal climate and what he can do as part of his community, Hall acknowledges his busi-ness has been influenced tremendously recently by events beyond his control.

The way Ford Motor Com-pany has navigated the chal-lenges of the past two-plus years, which saw domestic competitors Chrysler and General Motors file for chap-ter 11 bankruptcy protection, has been an advantage for dealers, Hall said. Ford’s not taking the government bail-out undoubtedly has influ-enced customers, both those


cover story

Business Leader of the year2009 — Marty Zacha, ATK – CCi/speer, lewiston2008 — Jeff Martin, Gritman Medical Center, Moscow2007 — Jody servatius, Twin river national Bank, lewiston 2006 — Gerard Connelly, Tri-state Distributors, Moscow2005 — Casey Meza, St. Mary’s and Clearwater Valley hospitals, Cottonwood and Orofino2004 — Duane Brelsford, real estate developer, Pullman2003 — Clyde Conklin, firstBank, lewiston2002 — Dale Alldredge, entrepreneur, lewiston2001 — Bruce finch, Happy Day Corp., lewiston2000 — ed schweitzer, schweitzer engineering laboratories, inc., Pullman

Tribune/Steve HanksHall stops to talk at the service counter.

see DrIveN, PAGe 13

DrIveNFrom page 8

Joe HallAge: 53residence: lewistonFamily: wife, Kelly;

daughter, Jessica, teacher in federal Way, Wash; son, nick, student at Gonzaga university

education: Washington state university, bache-lor’s degree in business management, 1980

civic/professional: American legion Baseball board member, past president; Boys & Girls Clubs of the lewis-Clark Valley board member, past president; All saints Tri-Parish capital cam-paign finance council member; lewis-Clark state College foundation board member; northwest ford Dealer Advertising Association board mem-ber, past chairman


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Guardian Angel Homeswww.guardianangelhomes.com

ATVS - MOTORCYCLESGuy's Outdoor Equipment

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AUTO DEALERS

Chipman Taylor Chevy Oldswww.chipmantaylor.com

James Toyotawww.jamestoyota.com

Vern Eide Motorcarswww.verneide.com

BEAUTY SCHOOLS - SALONHeadmasters

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BUSINESS SERVICESValley Vision, Inc.

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CAMERAS - PHOTOGRAPHYWasem's Drug

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CERTIFIED PUBLICACCOUNTANT

Su Brown & Associates, PLLCwww.subrown.com

CHAMBER OF COMMERCELewiston, ID Chamber of

Commercewww.lewistonchamber.org

CHURCHES

Abundant Life Churchwww.abundantlc.org

Warner Avenue Alliance Churchwww.warneralliance.com

CREDIT UNIONSPotlatch No. 1 Federal Credit Union

www.p1fcu.org

DENTISTSDentistry "4" Children, LLP

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Making Valley Smiles Brighter since 1997www.yourvalleysmile.com

“Sightings on the Web”

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DENTISTS (CONT.)James E. Pierce, D.D.S.www.LewistonDentist.com

Dr. David Wilkinson, DDS, MSwww.wilkinsonortho.com

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Banner Bankwww.banrbank.com

FLOORING

Floor Coverings™ Internationallewiston. oorcoveringsinternational.com

FUNERAL HOMES

Mt. View Funeral Homewww.MtViewFuneralHome.com

Merchant Funeral Homewww.MerchantFuneralHome.com

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GRAIN DEALERSAlmota Elevator

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HARDWAREErb Hardware

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HOSPITALS

St. Joseph Regional Medical Center

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INTERNET SERVICES

Cable One.netwww.cableone.net

.


Website Directory of Area Businesses and Organizations

Call 208-848-2246for Advertising Information

2 5 5 9 1 9 E Q _ 1 0

LIBRARY FOUNDATIONLewiston Library

www.lewistonlibraryfoundation.org

NEWSPAPERSLewiston Tribunewww.lmtribune.com

Moscow Pullman Daily Newswww.dnews.com

PORTSPort of Clarkston

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Port of Lewistonwww.porto ewiston.com

PUBLIC LIBRARIESLewiston City Library

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Alliance Title & Escrow Corp.www.alliancetitle.com

Assist-2-Sellwww.lewistonclarkstonhomes.com

Cindy Perttuwww.CindyPerttu.com

Coldwell Banker TomlinsonAssociates

www.cbtvalley.com

Joyce Keeferwww.joyceKeefer.com

Judy Higginswww.HigginsTeam.com

Kathy Parsellswww.KparSELLS.com

Realty Executiveswww.RE-TP.com

Marilyn Wilsonwww.wilsonsell.com

Parkview Real Estatewww.parkviewrealestate.com

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TAX SERVICESTaxMaster Income Tax

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TELEVISION STATIONSKLEW News

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TRAVEL - OREGONOcean Terrace Condominiums

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USED AUTOSClarkston Auto Sales, Inc.

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WINDOWSWindows, Doors & More

www.wdmsstore.com

Re/Max River Citieswww.HomesAtRiverCities.com

Rock-n-Roll Realtywww.Rock-n-RollRealty.com

Century 21 Price Rightwww.21priceright.com

Results Realtywww.ResultsRealty.net

Windermerewww.WindermereAllstar.com

RECREATION CENTEROrchard Lanes

www.orchardlanesbowling.com

REHABILITATION SERVICESOpportunities Unlimited

www.oui.org

RVSLewiston RV Center

www.lewistonrvcenter.com

.

business answers


Q: I’m curious. What are some of the more common types of human resource management lawsuits that are being filed today?

A: Well, there are a few that come to mind.

Let’s begin with one we probably hear most about — wrongful termination. Many managers are under the erroneous impression that if they are an at-will employer or do business in an at-will state, they can terminate an employee for no reason and without docu-mentation. Technically, that’s true. However, while the at-will employment doctrine states that employment relationships can be termi-nated by either party at any time for any or no reason, with or without cause, with or without notice, it’s not quite that simple. If it were, why are employers being sued for wrongful termina-tion and faced with defend-ing managers by explaining why they fired an employee for no reason? Of course, the answer is there are notable exceptions (beyond the scope of this article) to the em-

ployment-at-will doctrine. Basically, at-will employees are entitled to certain legal protections against wrongful termination and cannot be fired for reasons that violate the law or public policy. It is, therefore, prudent and recommended that managers document progressive dis-ciplinary actions, up to and including terminations, so if a discrimination charge in a wrongful termination suit is filed against the employer, it has a history to show justifi-cation for its actions.

Another category of HRM lawsuits involves wage-and-hour violations, which basically include not pay-ing non-exempt employees for regular or overtime hours worked, not providing legally-mandated breaks, and inaccurately defining work schedules. Over recent years, some larger employers have found out the hard way it does not pay to withhold compensation rightfully be-longing to employees or not providing them with legally required breaks. Managers have been unsuccessful with arguments such as “employ-ees chose to work through their breaks” or “a few minutes of extra work here and there are insignificant.” The courts tend to see these perspectives differently. And while larger companies have been slapped with multi-million dollar judgments in class-action lawsuits, small businesses are not immune to the potential wage-and-hour charge.

Three other categories include age discrimination, pay inequities and family responsibilities discrimina-tion. With an aging workforce and some employee-friendly decisions by the Supreme Court, the Equal Employ-ment Opportunity Commis-sion has seen a spike in age discrimination claims. In fact, this area of discrimina-tion law may be the fastest growing.

With regard to pay inequi-ties, the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 has paved the way for

employees who are subjected to compensation discrimi-nation to be able to file a lawsuit. This law defines, among other things, that dis-crimination is occurring (and the clock starts over) every time that individual receives a paycheck that delivers dis-criminatory compensation, regardless of when the dis-crimination actually began.

Finally, in 2007 the EEOC issued guidelines related to unlawful disparate treatment of workers with care giving responsibilities, referred to as family responsibilities discrimination. It’s impor-tant to note here that while family caregivers are not a new protected class, they are covered under existing federal and state laws. Two common practices that the EEOC seeks to end are: treat-ing male caregivers more favorably than female and sex-based stereotyping.

The bottom line? Fairness. Juries and judges may be more likely to make deci-sions based on fair versus legal treatment of employees. Additionally, employees who feel they have been treated fairly, even in situations with negative outcomes, are not likely to sue in the first place. Providing adequate notice, being consistent, and docu-menting actions go a long way toward treating em-ployees fairly and avoiding lawsuits.

Goodwin is an associate pro-fessor in the business division at Lewis-Clark State College on the Lewiston campus.

Lawsuits come with human resource management territory

CoMMentArY

Debbie Goodwin

2910

37LT-10

2337 3rd Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501 208-743-7858Inspiration At Your Feet

FLOORING FOR YOUR LIFE

Merry Christmas &

A Happy New Y ear


RECORDS: NOVEMBER

Sponsored by: Steve Donovan (208) 413-0494

1. Number of homes on the market as of Nov. 30: 137.2. Number of homes sold in the last six months (June 1

to Nov. 30): 112.3. Average sales price of those homes sold in the last six

months: $197,958.4. Average days on the market in the last six months:

80.

Source: Multiple Listing Service

MOSCOW

1. Number of homes on the market as of Dec. 7: 481.2. Number of homes sold in the last six months (June 1

to Nov. 30): 303.3. Average sales price of those homes sold in the last six

months: $170,521.4. Average days on the market in the last six months:

138.

LEWISTON, CLARKSTON AND ASOTIN

HOUSING MARKET UPDATE

Question: I recently participated in a Job Vacancy Survey through the Idaho Department of Labor. Are the results from that survey compiled and available for viewing?

Answer: Yes, they are. Your responses, combined with those of more than 3,400 businesses across the state and from all industries, will provide policy leaders and others with a greater understanding of the hiring needs of Idaho businesses.

The final report and press release are now available at http://lmi.idaho.gov/researchproject. For more information or additional assistance, please contact your nearest Idaho Department of Labor office.

ASK IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

DRIVENFrom page 9

Joe Hall Ford, Lincoln, Mercury,

NissanLocation: 1617 21st

St., LewistonOwners: Joe Hall and

Phil AdamekEmployees: 62 full

timeProducts/services:

Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Nissan vehicle dealership; service and parts department; rec-reational vehicle service and repair; Lewiston Auto Body, located behind the dealership, offers repair and paint

History: Joe Hall bought into the deal-ership, then Tony Copeland Ford, with Tony Copeland and Phillip Adamek in 1997. They operated it together as Hall-Copeland Ford until 2004, when Copeland retired and Hall bought him out. Adamek retains 11 percent own-ership and handles fleet and commercial sales.

SEE DRIVEN, PAGE 14

considering Ford for the first time and drivers loyal to the brand who take pride in the company’s choices.

“We hear it from custom-ers a lot,” Hall said. “That’s part of the reason why they’re looking at Ford.”

But being the only domes-tic auto manufacturer not to take the bailout isn’t enough in itself, Hall said.

“You still need quality,” he said. “You can’t do it without good products.”

Ford has delivered, he said, offering not just quality, but quality in the right products.

With more customers seeking economical cars rather than the pickups for which Ford traditionally has been known, the company has come through with af-fordable, high-quality op-tions such as the Focus and Fusion.

“They want a car they’re not going to have problems with,” Hall said, noting that the quality of all cars, not just Fords, has improved consid-erably over the past decade.

Whether the shift to small-er vehicles is driven by fuel economy, smaller families or other factors, the bottom

line, Hall said, is “we’re sell-ing more cars now.”

The recalls that shook Toy-ota in late 2009 and 2010 may have resulted in a few addi-tional sales for Ford dealers, Hall said, acknowledging there may have been a few more Toyota drivers through his door than before. But he’s quick to put the situation in perspective: “That stuff is going to happen when you’re

dealing with something as complicated as a vehicle,” he said. “I think it just goes to show you it can happen to any company.”

Despite the relative strength of the Ford brand, the economy — the worst Hall has seen in his 30 years in the industry — has made

2500

92kP

-09

LCHomeSearch.comSteve Donovan • 208-413-0494

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to friends old & new.

Thank you for a great year. If your buying or selling..

Call Your “Hometown” Agent

290414LT-10


INDIVIDUAL BANKRUPTCIES (BY COUNTY, THROUGH NOVEMBER)

02468

101214161820

D J F M A M J J A S O N

Asotin County12-month total: 63

’09

02468

101214161820


Garfield County12-month total: 5

’09

20

02468

1012141618


Latah County12-month total: 84

’09

02468

101214161820


Nez Perce County12-month total: 165

’09

02468

101214161820


Whitman County12-month total: 75

’09

02468

101214161820


Lewis County12-month total: 12

’09

02468

101214161820


Idaho County12-month total: 40

’09

02468

101214161820


Clearwater County12-month total: 37

’09

DRIVENFrom page 13

newlYliCenseDBusinesses

ablE to Do rePAirs—Joesyverson,handy-man,landscaping,1137university,Clarkston.

CoNfluENCE appRaIsals — KeithBinkley,realestateapprais-als,917Thirdst.,lewiston.

GatEway MatERIals INC. —GatewayManufacturing,boatmanu-facturing,1012ParkAve.,lewiston.

HopkINs stRuCtuRal DEsIGN —PaulHopkins,structuralengineering,1634PowersAve.,lewiston.

JuMp staRt JaVa —Gaylalamb,coffeeshop,810PortDrive,Clarkston.

laRENa’s wEDDING aND event—larenaMyrick,eventplanning,1029CedarAve.no.10,lewiston.

lC tax solutIoNs llC—T.J.snarr,rodsnarr,book-keeping,accounting,128Mainst.suiteB,lewiston.

tHat oNE plaCE —KimGoodson,giftshop,840Mainst.,lewiston.

tRoy’s MobIlE DEtaIlING —TroyHooperetal,mobiledetailing,732BrydenAve.,lewiston.

for lean times. But Hall is an optimist, and he’s seen good reason to remain that way, starting with the leadership at the top of Ford Motor Com-pany.

President and CEO Alan Mulally came to Ford from Boeing in 2006 and made choices, Hall feels, that po-sitioned the company to ride out the automotive industry crisis as well as possible.

Mulally had the foresight to go to Wall Street and apply for loans he knew the com-

pany would need to weather the worsening climate. His timing was right on; in the spring of the next year, the markets collapsed.

While Mulally helped make it possible for Ford to sur-vive without a government bailout, he had no interest in seeing other automakers fail, Hall said. Other companies disappearing outright would have been disastrous for Ford, he said, in part because they share suppliers.

Since then, Mulally has overseen changes that have streamlined the company, Hall said, “right-sizing” Ford so it can be profitable with the current demand. Through it all, he has made tough deci-

sions and shown he’s exactly what Ford needed, Hall said: a leader.

“He holds people account-able.”

Hall met Mulally about three years ago at a company event, where the two played golf. Knowing the former Boeing executive had left his home on Mercer Island to run Ford from Detroit, Hall asked if he missed it.

“Oh, no, Joe. I’m having the time of my life,” Hall re-members Mulally replying. “I’m helping save an Ameri-can icon.”

Looking back at the past couple of years, Hall is grate-ful that “employees have hung in there with us when

it’s been tough,” he said. “They’re optimistic.”

“Maybe I’m too optimis-tic,” he said. “But I have to be in what we do.”

Tatko may be contacted at [email protected] or at (208) 848-2244.


1617 21st St. • Lewiston, ID • 208-746-2391www.JoeHallFord.com

2011 FORD FIESTA 2011 FORD MUSTANG

1

2011 NISSAN MURANO 2011 NISSAN JUKE

2011 FORD F150 RAPTOR


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Business Profile Dec 2010