Written in Partnership with Thomas Herd
With years of law experience under his belt, serial entrepreneur Charles Lew is an expert in the industry—his successful namesake law firm, The Lew Firm, is proof. Beyond having an impressive track record in the field and numerous celebrity clients, Lew is also very versed in small businesses, having started many of his own including those in the hospitality and tech sector. Understanding the restaurant industry from firsthand experience gives him a unique perspective and understanding of the issues and needs of those in the business. On top of that Lew also serves as Los Angeles’ Small Business Commissioner, which coupled with his impressive resume makes him beyond equipped to create a company that brings all these aspects together. His most recent venture, HRmony—a play on “HR” and the desired harmony most businesses seek on their teams—is a legal technology app meant to help all businesses but in particular small businesses avoid employment-related lawsuits.
Lew explains it as a “litigation mitigation application,” and though it’s a bit of a tongue twister the slogan is perhaps the most complicated aspect of this easy-to-use platform. Created as a response to the significant increase in employment lawsuits that are sweeping the nation, and often putting small businesses out of work, it’s a mechanism of protection against many common suits—from harassment to PAGA (Private Attorney General Act) claims, and everything in between. The platform’s goal is to improve employer-employee relations before a small issue turns into an irreparable problem. Equipped with a geo-fenced program all employees signed up for HRmony will receive a notification requisition they fill out a short questionnaire upon either clocking in, or prior to clocking out.
The preset questions are specifically designed to address up to 90% of all employer-employee adversarial matters, aka potential common suits, yet there’s also an option to add on unique industry-specific questions as well. Questions include: have you experienced any harassment? Have you been injured? Did you receive your rest break during your shift? In addition to the questions portion there is also a scale of how happy the employee is with the work environment. The same request comes to employees at the end of the day, which allows management to not only gauge the general level of satisfaction across its team but use the data as proof in the case of any possible lawsuits. HRmony in a way acts as a proactive insurance policy. “It’s a simple tool to mitigate liability,” adds Lew.
However, the app, which will have a web-based support platform, takes things a step further by offering sensitivity and anti-harassment training. By providing videos, webinars, and follow-up quizzes, HRmony aims to increase workplace satisfaction, improve employer-employee relationships, and prevent the occurrence of business-crushing lawsuits across the board. Set to roll out early August, the program already has a waitlist of clients. To learn more about and stay up to date on the HRmony launch visit its website.
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