Hired Your First Employee

So you hired your first employee, and things are going well. Congratulations — you’re probably really close with your first employee. You tell them things about your family and what you do on the weekends. They sometimes even become a confidant on personal and business matters. But be careful — that line unfortunately has to be drawn somewhere between professional and personal. Sometimes your first employee doesn’t work out. They move on to other things, and with that goes a lot of your best-kept secrets.

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. It gets lonely at the top — or the bottom — when you put your people first, as most of us do. If it ends on amicable terms, no harm no foul. But if it gets a little crazy — company data walking out the door, or company clients walking out the door — things can heat up real quick, and you find yourself calling an attorney.

Oh boy, you just got sidetracked from your business and are now focused on possibly saving it. Things like this happen — so how do we avoid it? The best way is way upfront: don’t get attached, especially not in today’s world of here today, relocated tomorrow. Set expectations upfront. I am the owner, and unfortunately my life’s work — plus my family — rides on the success of my company. The employee is a part of it, but they get to go home from the aggravation of a client not paying the bill, or not having enough money in the account to fund payroll, whatever the matter is. We take that home with us. That is the life of a business owner.

So have clearly defined and deliberate conversations. Ask about the family and what they did on the weekend, but stay out of domestic issues at home and steer clear of giving personal advice. Try to keep everything as close to professional as you can. Don’t be a cold-hearted AI bot — you have empathy and sympathy — but don’t dive too deep. It’s a slippery slope, and you can find yourself at the bottom.

So here are some things to put in place: EPLI coverage that protects you from wrongful termination claims, an EAP program that gives employees an outlet if they’re struggling with personal matters, and a handbook that defines things like PTO, bereavement policies, and more.

Stay frosty, my friends.