You are Liable When Serving Liquor

A bar in New Mexico is actually a rare sight. It’s not that there aren't enough to go around if you count the restaurants with a fully stocked bar inside. It’s just that compared to a neighboring state like Texas, New Mexico bars have become few and far in-between. Why?

Limited Licenses

To keep it simple, it comes down to the letter of the law in New Mexico. There is actually a limit on liquor licenses. This means that people who are looking to open a legitimate business that sells alcohol have to buy the license off of someone who already has one. As you can imagine, this can really elevate the cost of a liquor license, and for a small business or starting businessman that can be nearly impossible!

And, that is not the only problem a bar owner has to deal with as third party liability laws leave the business owners completely liable for serving an intoxicated person. In fact, bar owners can actually have their liquor license revoked and destroyed over this offense. Strange right? Not serving an intoxicated person in a bar? Everyone who is drinking in a bar is intoxicated to a certain degree no matter their tolerance. This begs the question of how does one know the cut off?

Now, if you noticed I said that a bar owner could have their liquor license revoked and destroyed, so not only is there a limit on liquor licenses in the state, but they also destroy the ones that get taken away, thus making it even harder to attain them because it doesn't seem like they are much for making new ones.

How Much for a License???

So, it works like this: liquor licenses are expensive, and by that I mean really expensive. In most other states, they run $1,500-$2,500, but in New Mexico and under its policies, they cost about $500,000! That means inflated bar prices, which can lead to fewer customers and then results in bar closures or relocation out of state.

Some Suggestions     

There may not currently be a way around these unfortunate circumstances, and though we can hope that someday these policies will be revised in your favor, it doesn't change the fact that you are liable for what goes on in and around your bar. Somebody gets in a fight, breaks a chair or two? Maybe a pool cue? Broken bottles are always fun too, but when the dust settles, it's on you.

People get hurt and people sue -- it's the way of the world. All you can do is to make sure you have proper liability insurance today because it may be too late tomorrow. Check out Linton and Associates today so we can have your back tomorrow. 

Tips on Developing a Company Wellness Plan

Obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes -- these are all unfortunate problems that have continued to arise in the modern world. It’s human nature to want things now, and that's why eating out at a fast food establishment during the lunch hour is the most common choice. After all, who wants to spend time after a hard day's work, making a healthy lunch for the next day?

Now, it's not the employer's responsibility to make sure that their employees are eating healthily, but it is in their best interest. Employees that exercise daily and eat a relatively balanced diet tend to not get sick as much and have more energy during the day. When your employees aren't sick that means they are doing their jobs and their parts to make the company money.

Incentives Matter

Sure, you are dealing with grown adults and they should care about their own well being, right? Who says they don't, but in this economy, their job comes first. So, why not help them along the right path a little bit?

It is a way to get them started on the right path and show them you care about their health and wellness. There are many inexpensive ways to encourage your employees to follow a regular exercise plan and to eat healthier without buying everyone annual gym memberships for Christmas next year, and you can even have fun with it.

No More Junk

This means clearing out all unhealthy foods and drink that are so often within reach in an office. Take the soda in the vending machines and replace it with water, juices, and, at the very least, some of those fancy electrolyte drinks. Then, it is time to toss the candy, bags of Doritos, and other high-fat, high sodium snacks. Don’t even think about leaving donuts in the break room. Put out some healthy snacks that employees can grab. It will help power them up in the afternoon instead of being hit with the carb let-down in the afternoon that finds employees trying to stay awake.

Have fun!

Get the fun going with some good old healthy office competitions! Host a monthly company sports game; you can even alternate the sports. One month could be football while the next could be hockey! Have a sign-up and offer prizes to encourage employees to get involved and active. The prizes don't need to be expensive. Gift cards to the movies work great, and they are easy on the wallet.

Host a Picnic!

It's been proven that just basking in the sun helps people with their health so have an annual company picnic to celebrate the coming of summer and encourage employees to bring healthy homemade dishes, host a 'best dish' competition, and have an award for most improved on their health regimen!  

Get Started Now!

Start with small things but get started on the healthy track as soon as possible. By implementing your company's wellness plan today, soon you will see that your employees have more energy, reduce their sick days, and are alert and active on the job.  

Why Should I Offer Health Benefits?

Whether you are a new business or have been at it for a very long time, employee benefit packages play a very important role in employee morale and incentives. You might be asking yourself if it is really worth it to offer health care benefits if the government is going to take over the health care business.

Don’t wait for the Supreme Court to make the decision for you. Employees consider health care coverage one of the most important of the benefits they want from a potential employer. How you approach this crucial benefit will affect not only your bottom line, but it will also impact how your employees view your business as a desirable workplace.

What Benefits to Offer

Offering the traditional health insurance will give your employees the most choices. They can see whatever doctor they wish or go to any hospital. But, this can be a more expensive choice than managed care forms of insurance because of co-pays or other fees.

Look at plans that include mental health care, maternity coverage, dental or vision care also. Consider allowing your employees to contribute to health savings accounts. Remember that some options allow employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for medications and co-pays. Some companies pass on more of the cost to their employees in the form of shared premiums. How you present health coverage is up to you and depends on your budget.

Should I Use a Broker?

Brokers can put together packages that place your smaller company in a larger insurance pool. As a result, this could significantly reduce costs to you and to your employees. However, don’t forget to do a little research first to make sure that you have opted to partner with a broker that is reputable.

A good broker should provide you with bids from a number of insurers with a variety of plans to choose from, and, if they don’t, it means you have not found the right partner yet.

Maximizing Savings

Providing health insurance to your employees is a significant expense so you want to be sure that you maximize savings to your company. You can do this in a number of ways:

·         Include as many of your employees as possible or all of them if you can.

·         Terminate policies for employees that no longer work for you. They may be able to purchase a continuation policy that shifts the cost to the employee entirely and retain their coverage.

·         Consider wellness incentives. Offer healthier choices in vending machines or the company cafeteria. Volunteer to pay a portion of a gym membership or bring in a massage therapist to help those who are stuck behind a desk all day alleviate their neck and back strain.

The health of your employees is important. Time lost to illness can be a big expense for a business of any size but especially a small business. Do your homework and find the most cost effective policy for your company then go ahead and offer your employees this important benefit.

Showing Your Employees You Really Care Pays Dividends

Why is it that it is so much easier to show employees dissatisfaction than to let them know what a great job they’ve done? Happy employees are always willing to put in that extra effort to turn a good job into a great job when they feel that the effort will be appreciated. But, is just saying, “Thank you," enough?

Great Rewards Don’t Cost Much

A company can let employees know that they are appreciated in numerous ways that won’t break the bank. Even though certificates of appreciation in a personnel file are a nice gesture, sometimes a company can offer a more tangible symbol of appreciation that will really improve employee morale. This is a win-win situation.

When employees are satisfied with working conditions, they want to do their best.  But, in these tough economic times, the usual rewards of a raise in pay or other monetary gestures may prove a difficult fit for a small business.

So, what else can a company do to let employees know how much their efforts really count? Here are some ideas:

·         Put out a monthly or weekly company newsletter and feature a story about one of your employees.

·         Have a casual dress day, especially during the hotter summer months.

·         Recognize employee birthdays with a cake and coffee. Make that coffee break a little bit longer to celebrate.

·         Have a pot luck lunch and let employees bring a dish to share.

·         Ask for cost-saving ideas from employees and reward the best ones with a bonus.

·         Celebrate the completion of a project with a half day of work and a picnic lunch.

Trading services is also time-honored way of giving and getting extras for your company. See if your company can make a trade in services with a local restaurant and have a special Employee Appreciation dinner. The options here are limited only by the ability of a company to make its services available in exchange for goods or services from another company.

If You’ve Got It, Share It

If your company has a bigger budget, employees can always be rewarded with bonuses or salary raises, but there are other ways to let them know you appreciate their work. Try these:

·         Offer flex-time to employees who have young children or who are caring for an elderly or ill relative.

·         Put in a workout room so employees can keep fit or offer other health and wellness services like on-site chair massage.

·         If you have a conference room that isn’t used much, open it to employees for birthday parties or family reunions.

·         Sponsor a company sports team or bowling league.

Showing your employees a little appreciation makes coming in to work each day a little nicer, and the rewards that are returned in improved performance are always worth it. What have you found works well with your employees? Share your response below.