•  Have a high concern for all party interests and search for mutually inclusive solutions.
• Develop self-awareness and, if possible, prepare yourself for the negotiation or confrontation.
• Clarify what needs are being threatened by the conflict.
• Identify a place that is safe and, preferably, neutral territory.
• Take a listening stance. Be prepared to actively hear what the other party is saying.
• Assert your needs with clarity.
• Approach the interaction with flexibility.  Be open-minded.
• Manage impasses with calm, patience, and respectful behavior.
• Build an agreement that works highlighting areas of mutual importance.

These guidelines will prevent you from being walked on and help you to be open to the solutions and needs of the other party. To read the full article , visit NAWBO online.

Most people have seen the circled letters on ads or job applications. But does everybody know what they mean? And from a small business perspective, what is the implication to business practices?

•  Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964 (Title VII) – Prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, or color. This law applies to businesses with 15 or more employees. :
• Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) – Men and women must be paid equal pay for substantially equal work within the same organization. This act applies to businesses with 20 or more employees. The most inclusive of the group, this law applies to most businesses with one or more employees.
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) – Individuals 40 years or older are a protected group. This law applies to businesses with 20 or more employees.
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sections 501 & 505 – Protects qualified individuals with disabilities that work within the federal government.
• Title I & Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act 1991 (ADA) – Protects qualified individuals with disabilities that work within the private sector and local and state governments. This law applies to businesses with 15 or more employees.
• Civil Rights Act of 1991 – Provides monetary damages for those found to be intentionally discriminated against.

• Make final federal tax deposits
• File final employee pension/benefit plan, final quarter or annual employment tax return and final tip income and allocated tips information return (if applicable)
• Issue final wage and tax withholding to employees and payment information to any subcontractors
• Report from W-2’s and 1099’s issued
• Report capital gains and losses, partners’ or shareholders’ shares, corporate dissolution or liquidation, and sale of business assets or other exchange of property.

• 32% of MBA interns want a full time job offer after the internship as opposed to only 12% of undergrads 
• 47% of undergrads listed money as important versus 30% of MBA grads
• 43% of MBA interns want to trial an employer compared to only 20% of undergrads
• 43% of MBA interns and 42% of undergrads said they want to do challenging and interesting work on their internship

• Treat the intern just like a potential employee. Use a detailed job description to match skills and interests with the desired intern position or project. 
• Clearly state upfront what the required time will be and whether or not the intern will be paid. This aspect of the internship can be setup through the school to minimize host company paperwork. 
• Create a system of accountability for the intern’s credit or wage received.
• The host company should work from the perspective that the intern will be temporary, so be careful with secret data as a non-compete will not apply. 
• The host company needs to be very specific in monitoring the intern’s time and deadlines as the intern will most likely leave. This aspect can also be coordinated with the school as the intern may be getting school credit for their time. Also for this reason, the internship’s time should be well planned. 
• Ideally, notice of the position is placed months in advance. The best way to find a candidate is by posting an announcement on the respective college or department’s bulletin board. Also contact faculty within that department for student recommendations. For example, if Firm A has a marketing project, they should post their announcement in the College of Business and contact the marketing department. Some schools have faculty assigned to act as internship liaisons for their respective fields.

1. Increased productivity – Interns are extra manpower that often have incentives to  perform beyond the standard employee.
2. Enable existing employees – Interns free up other employee time that can be focused on more valuable work.
3. Build managerial experience – Not only does the internship allow the firm to trial a new employee, but it provides an opportunity for an existing employee to gain some supervisory experience.
4. Inject enthusiasm – Interns often bring new energy and new ideas. They may be more likely to think outside the box then firm is used to.
5. Broaden firm capabilities – Interns may have skills other staff lacks and coming directly from the academic environment, they are privy to the latest methodologies and technologies.
6. Improved recruiting – The opportunity to hiring an intern after graduation provides savings on the costs of recruiting efforts and hiring mistakes.
7. Secure future employees – Internship programs allow the firm to pre-recruit, pre-qualify, and pre-train potential employees.
8. Talent advantage – The firm is able to secure top talent before it enters the “open market”.
9. Community involvement – Having interns improves the firm’s reputation with the community and the school.
10. Pre-networking – Forging collegial relationships early on can lead to even greater rewards to be shared with future colleagues. 

1. Legal counsel – Before proceeding in your decision, consult your human resources and/or legal department for potential ramifications of the termination. Some dismissals will be more complex than others and professional advice may very well pay for itself.
2. No surprises - Give verbal and written warnings as well as maintaining performance appraisals. This will keep the individual from being surprised by your action.
3. Be prepared - Have the necessary documents, severance or vacation pay, or reference materials ready at the termination meeting. Have a plan in place for compensating for the increased workload.
4. Don’t get guilted into a decision - Think long and hard prior to the termination about doing so, then stand by your decision when letting the individual go.
5. Communication - Don’t torture the individual with meaningless conversation and don’t get involved in an argument either. Don’t talk about the termination with other employees not involved in making the decision.
6. Timing – Experts agree that once the decision is made to let someone go, do not procrastinate. The situation will usually get worse. The best time to let someone go is early in the week and in the morning. Never right before a weekend or holiday.

The coming and going of employees is a natural cycle in any business. Proper management of the process will minimize the negative impacts on the growth of the company. To read more tips on the termination process, visit HRhero.com, AllBusiness.com, BusinessTown.com, or the University of California - Berkeley's College of Natural Resources.