It's that time of year again—time to don ugly sweaters and drink rum-filled egg nog while socializing with co-workers at the company holiday party. This is also the time for heightened instances of sexual harassment and liability surrounding overtime pay and holiday bonuses. READ MORE

Controlling labor costs is crucial to driving profits, and recent studies suggest that hotel managers, having learned hard lessons in the 2008 economic crisis, are paying attention. But as rates and occupancy rebound, salaries and payroll-related expenses likewise are rising, indicating a need for vigilance. Value-engineering labor can help hotels reduce labor costs without compromising the market position they seek to achieve. READ MORE

Substance abuse of alcohol and drugs, including abuse of prescription drugs and illegal drug use, costs over $400 billion annually, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. These costs directly impact the workplace through reduced performance, employee turnover, lower productivity, absenteeism, higher insurance and workers compensation costs, damage to property, criminal activity, and injuries and death from accidents. Developing a workplace drug abuse policy is a way to deter and reduce the incidence of employee substance abuse, to reduce the costs to your establishment, and avoid hardships to others. READ MORE

Long ago, a hotel bar or lounge felt like a space filler on the lobby level. Since you could not realistically put another room there, you might as well put a small lounge to serve watered-down drinks and listen to piped-in music. It was a place to offer your guests, because there was nowhere else to really go. And not surprisingly, not many people would go there. Think of the Armada Room that featured Murph and the Magic Tones in the movie “Blues Brothers.” Of course resorts and five-star hotels were the exception, boasting their share of award-winning restaurants. But for most hotels, the nightlife options were never a destination on their own. READ MORE

Over the past few years a new business model has taken center stage in the market for transient lodging. The fundamental nature of this new model is an internet booking platform that facilitates and participates in the short-term transient rental of private homes and apartments. Participants in the market are, for example, Airbnb, HomeAway, and onefinestay. The model is often described as part of the sharing economy, in the sense that it facilitates the “sharing” of residential space between transient guests and the primary occupant of that space. READ MORE