CHAD TISONIK
Advisory Practice Leader & Associate VP

Much of the talk about the FMCSA fines for hand held cell phone use in commercial motor vehicles misses the point.  Some are saying $11K is too high a fine for employers – but this is peanuts compared the 7-figure judgments that can be handed down for negligence if
employers fail to establish and enforce a policy on cell phone use by employees when they're driving on company business.  This isn't just an issue for trucking companies - any business that asks it employees to drive on the clock should be wary of the liability involved.

DON JERRELL
Associate Vice President

With the new FMCSA rule restricting cell phone usage in commercial vehicles, many professional drivers are wondering what constitutes a “compliant mobile telephone” for the purposes of this rule.  In addition to banning hand held cell phones, the rule also prohibits devices that use push to talk features (where you have to hold the button while speaking and that use cell/satellite signals). Devices such as CB's and walkie talkies are still considered acceptable.  (See our last blog post on this for an explanation of why this is.)

DON JERRELL
Associate Vice President

CHRIS TANKE
Transportation Practice Leader, HNI

RENEE KUHS
Compliance Attorney, HNI

We've gotten lots of questions about the provisions in Wisconsin's concealed carry law and what they mean for employers.  The following 9 questions cover the basics of what all employers should know about the law when determining policies and procedures for your company.

RENEE KUHS
Compliance Attorney, HNI

TIM ATKINSON
Senior Advisor

In chess, “endgame” refers to the final moves of the game when only a few pieces are left on the board. It’s a critical point in the game; one wrong move can end it all. As a result, endgame strategies are often quite different than strategies used in earlier parts of the game. The trick is knowing when the endgame is about to begin. The very best chess players anticipate it. They plan for it.

If you're a business leader, it may seem impossible to imagine your last day driving the operations of your company. But if a big change took place tomorrow, would you be prepared?  How would your company respond if something happened and you couldn't show up?  Can your company survive without YOU?

Few business leaders believe tomorrow could be their last day driving the day-to-day operations of their company. It may seem impossible to imagine life without one of your greatest passions.