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Working from Home in New York City

Did anyone catch the article in the Real Estate Section of the New York Times this past Sunday about the plethora of New Yorkers who are running micro and small businesses out of their homes?  If not, definitely check it out.  Here is a link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/realestate/running-a-home-business-in-new-york.html?emc=eta1

The article describes people around the city who are running all kinds of businesses out of their homes, from personal trainers to bakers to retailers of children’s clothes.  As the article suggests, not all of these businesses are done above board and on the books.  But there are a surprising number of ways to compromise with your neighbors. Working out of your home is a great way to save money as you start the business and can be convenient too. If you are already running a business out of your home, or thinking about starting one, I would love to hear about how it is going and what challenges and successes you are encountering.  Do you find a way to hide it from the neighbors or get them involved?  Either way it is important to recognize and acknowledge the challenges early on rather than wait for them to grow into something more serious. I really enjoyed the article and was heartened and inspired by the the incredible entrepreneurial spirit that so many New Yorkers have.

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Want Ad Abuses

Most micro and small businesses do not have the resources for a full-time in house counsel.  This means the business owners need to be that much more vigilant to ensure that the actions the business takes comply with state and federal laws.  If your small business is planning on posting a want advertisement, there are a few points you should be aware of in regards to possible discrimination and job security.

The advertisement should be worded so that it does not appear to discriminate against any protected class.  At first this seems like something that can be done obviously, and in most cases it can, but some wording that suggests discrimination is still prevalent in advertisements today.  Protected classes include favoring: men over women (or vice versa); blacks over whites; or one age group over another.  The age group is one that is often forgotten about by many small businesses that operate without the advise of a lawyer.  To comply with the discrimination laws, an advertisement should not contain phrases such as “age 25 to 35 preferred,” “recent college graduate,” or “recent college graduate” as these phrases may suggest the business is discriminating against older persons.

Want ads can also inadvertently suggest the job is more secure than it is.  Many employers post ads that may give employees more rights by using phrases such as “long-term growth,” “permanent,” “secure,” or “career path.”  Phrases like these may create an inference that the employer is offering a job that cannot be terminated except for notice or cause even when the employer has no intention of giving workers added job security.

The best advise is to avoid copying and pasting a similar business’ advertisement until you know what all of the phrases and wording within the ad imply.