Small Businesses, Big Regulations
Small business regulations have changed a lot since 1892, when the Woodbound Inn was first founded on the shores of Lake Contoocook in Rindge, New Hampshire. And because they're still constantly changing, the Woodbound's owners, Rick and Janet Kohlmorgen, asked Pauline Mathews to perform safety audits and set up their employee handbook.
Safety audits for an inn? "According to OSHA regulations, even a business with less than ten employees is required to have an emergency preparedness and response plan," Pauline explains. "Most companies are required to post an OSHA safety summary form on last year's accidents and incidents, and have their log and safety plans for the past five years available for inspection."
In addition to the safety audit for the inn, Pauline created an employee handbook. "Every company has its own culture, policies and values," says Pauline. "But sometimes, in the press of work, they're set aside. Both employees and employers make spot decisions that aren't in the company's best interests. An employee handbook records your policies in words everyone can understand. Employees know what is expected from them and they know what to expect from their employer."
With 20 to 25 employees on the off-season and 50 during the summer, the Woodbound has an especially safe, caring and supportive culture. The owners encourage their staff to make decisions on their own. "But we wanted to give them guidance," says Rick. "The employee handbook does that. It formalizes the rules for long-term employees; it fills in the gaps and answers their questions. New employees feel more comfortable when they see the rules in writing. We've had the employee handbook for a year now, and the employees like it."
Early in his career, working with the Marriott Hotel chain, Rick gained experience with both government regulations and employee handbooks. Couldn't he have handled compliance and handbook issues himself? "Maybe if I were heavily involved in the personnel field," he says. "And maybe if we had the time. But the rules keep changing and Pauline is aware of what's going on. We're in a better situation now than we were a year ago."
"Pauline made it easy for us to get into compliance with the rules and regulations we didn't know about." Rick Kohlmorgen, owner and operator of the Woodbound Inn