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Employee of the month programs are used in a lot of large chain restaurants and hotels but you can also find them in small businesses. In those situations, they’re probably hurting your bottom line. It’s not that rewarding employees for good work is a bad idea. People that feel appreciated are likely to work harder and be loyal which are important qualities for any employee. The problem is that the program creates a competitive environment which can lead to hostility towards the winners....

Modern families plan modern weddings, and nowadays more couples are opting to have a friend or relative officiate their ceremony after getting “ordained” online. But can an Internet “priest” or “minister” legally officiate your wedding? Most states have laws about who can perform a marriage ceremony, limiting the officiant to a judge or court clerk, government official, or a minister or clergy member. In the age of online universities, it may not be too surprising that some seek religious credentials online as well....

Monday kicked off, in full force, the “Cash for Clunkers” government program. Also known as the CARS program, Cash for Clunkers allows car owners to trade in their older autos for a sizeable discount on a more fuel-efficient set of wheels. New-car hopefuls can bring in their cars dating back to 1984 that get no more than 18 miles per gallon. The amount of discount depends on the fuel efficiency of the new car, rewarding 22+ mpg with a $3500 discount and cars getting 10 miles more (or better) a total of $4500 off of a new car sticker price....

Like the Rodney Dangerfield of holidays, Flag Day seems to get no respect. But since being declared a holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, Flag Day has been a day to commemorate to adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the then-13 states that comprised the United States of America in 1777. To help celebrate Flag Day, here are three pretty cool facts about Old Glory:...

Did walking away from your CitiMortgage just get easier? CitiMortgage, a CitiGroup mortgage provider, announced the launch of a pilot project this week. The new program will allow distressed homeowners to hand over the keys and walk away, under certain conditions. The notion of “deed in lieu of foreclosure” isn’t a new one. It’s the idea that you can convince your lender to take the house instead of having them run you through the gauntlet of foreclosure proceedings....

The 2010 Colorado law obligated retailers with $100,000 or more in yearly sales in Colorado to issue a report to the Colorado consumers, notifying them that they had to pay sales tax on online purchases. Under that same law, the retailers would have to provide the state with the names of these consumers, as well as their addresses and amounts spent. The U.S. District Court held that the law placed an unfair burden on out-of-state retailers and that the burdens unfairly discriminated against these retailers....

If you’ve found yourself in a bit of a criminal pickle, you may want to find the best attorney possible. But good ones could charge high fees, and you may want to know a few things about criminal defense and payment plans before dialing for attorneys. Criminal defense attorneys only receive payment for their services through their clients. Unlike in a civil case, there’s no damages to take a percentage of, and no attorney fees to recover....

Smokers know that quitting is difficult. Beyond the physical addiction to tobacco, there’s the habit of inhaling deeply and exhaling, a poisonous daily meditation practice reinforced over years. Electronic vaporizers, or e-cigarettes, have replaced tobacco for many smokers who need a hit in their lungs but are trying not to light up. They have been proven effective in aiding smoking cessation, but e-cigs have risks of their own. Instead of the ticking time bomb that smoking cigarettes offers, vape users face physical explosions from faulty batteries malfunctioning and causing injury....

Facebook’s ad-targeting system has once again landed it squarely in the middle of a Title VII Civil Rights Act claim filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Facebook, the largest advertising agency in the world, allows its advertising customers to select among tens of thousands of distinct niche target markets so as to provide these customers with very targeted advertising opportunities. Facebook, in return, can charge a very high premium for this highly coveted offering....

Update: Vicodin, Percocet Bans Could Be on the Way The safety of popular painkilling medications is under the regulatory microscope again this week, as drug makers appear before an FDA advisory panel that is considering ways to reduce the incidence of liver problems linked to products containing acetaminophen. When over-the-counter (i.e. Tylenol) and prescription (i.e. Vicodin) acetaminophen products are used properly, there is very little risk of liver damage, according to the FDA....

The initial findings of a little known federal agency, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, were released yesterday regarding the gas explosion in Middletown, Connecticut, on February 7, 2010. According to a comprehensive report by the Hartford Courant, the Chemical Safety Board found 400,000 cubic feet of gas was released into the air in a tight area behind the Kleen Energy building. The congested area likely slowed the dissipation of the gas which was ignited by a still unidentified source....

Move over, pink slime. There’s a new potential target for food purists’ scorn, and it’s the focus of the first Salmonella sushi lawsuit linked to a recent nationwide outbreak. “Nakaochi Scrape” is the term used to describe “backmeat” that’s shaved off fish bones, and then added to products like ground yellowfin tuna that’s used in sushi, MSNBC reports. Nakaochi Scrape “looks like ground tuna hamburger,” a lawyer for two alleged Salmonella sushi victims told MSNBC....

Unionizing is something we used to only learn about in high school, but unions may be making a comeback. Gawker Media has become the first online only media outlet to have its employees unionize. Gawker Media is the parent company of Jezebel, Deadspin, Gizmodo, Gawker and other gossip and news sites. Gawker Media employees recently voted to join the Writers Guild of America. The now unionized employees will begin the process of forming a bargaining committee and decide what to bargain for....

In a haunted house hanging like no other, a 17-year-old employee at Creepyworld was found hanging by a noose Thursday evening. The teen was a hired actor at the Fenton, Mo. Halloween attraction, and had been using the noose as a prop. Police are unsure of how she hung herself, but believe that she stood on top of a nearby bathtub and placed it around her neck. She may have slipped and the investigation is ongoing...

That beautiful star for the top of the tree has ruined Christmas! Well, to be truthful it was more the rickety ladder you used to get to the top of the tree, the one that caused you to topple over and fall. If you find yourself in the hospital emergency room from a holiday decorating injury, you will not be alone. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with consumer products, and it has some pretty surprising data on holiday decorating injuries....

Black Friday sales are a bargain shopper’s dream, but every year there are reports of people injured or even killed in Black Friday stampedes, the website Ranker reports. Shopping after Thanksgiving is as much a tradition for some families as turkey and stuffing. But to make sure everyone comes back home with smiles and bags full of holiday bargains, it’s important to take some safety precautions. Before you head out to hunt for deals, think about how you’ll get in and out of the stores without getting caught in a Black Friday stampede....

Child support is an inescapable obligation. Even if you were never married to your co-parent, the law still requires that a parent provide financial support to the other parent for their child, except in unusual circumstances. This is separate from alimony or spousal support. If you have a child, the law requires that you either share custody or pay support, and sometimes both, regardless of whether you are married to the other parent....

Marijuana has come to seem like the growth industry to get in on for anyone who can handle a little uncertainty. States are increasingly legalizing cannabis for medical or recreational use, sometimes both, and celebrities are scrambling to establish marijuana brands while the industry is still young. It seems like those who invest in cannabis today could do great financially down the line. But the cannabis business has its own special wrinkles....

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to veto state legislation for renewable energy this week. But he will follow up by signing an executive order propelling California to the top spot for most stringent energy standards in the country. The “Governator” will veto legislation that has been passed in state Legislature because of its restrictions on sourcing renewable energy out-of-state. Instead, he will sign an executive order that mirrors the state legislation’s mandate that 33% of California’s energy be sourced by renewable energy–such as solar, wind, and geothermal–by 2020, but that will allow utility companies to seek renewable energy from beyond California’s borders....

Need some legal tips on selling your business? That’s not suprising considering that the number of small businesses that were sold in 2013 increased by 41.7 percent in the third quarter. Mergers-and-acquisitions insiders predict that the market will pick up this year, CNBC reports. With consistently low interest rates, this may be a good time to say bon voyage to your business and hello to endless vacation days. If you’re planning to sell your small business, here are three legal tips to get you started:...