The Dish - December 2018

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Hello Members,The last 2018 edition of The Dish is here and packedwith great content for some reading over the holidays!Flip to Pages 6-7 for information on the upcomingNHLRA Centennial Celebration event taking place onMonday, February 4, 2019 at the Copper Door—Salem.Here you can also learn more about the NHLRA’s Cen-tennial Year and upcoming events for 2019 to celebrate100 years!On Pages 17-18, learn more about how you can im-prove your business’s marketing strategy for the up-coming year. Go to Pages 22-23 to understand the im-portance of background screening your job applicants.I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season andfrom everyone here at the NHLRA, we wish you happyholiday and a joyous new year! As always, if there areany questions, please do not hesitate to reach out tome directly via e-mail or phone (603) 228-9585.Alexa [email protected] 3

Event details including pricing, location, and registration can be found on nhlra.com.“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. “ - Oprah 4

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By: Erica Murphy, The Common ManThe Common Man Family recently made check presentations to Lakes Region charities as a result of their an-nual Common Man Invitational Golf tournament, held at Laconia Country Club this fall. They made donationsto the Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction, the WOW Trail, Happy Tails Dog Park, and allocate funds forour Common Man Scholarship Program for employees and their dependents. 10

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By: Amie Pariseau, NHLRAWHAT IS PROSTART?- Safety and sanitation - Management essentials- Culinary arts - Purchasing, inventory, and cost control- Kitchen essentials - Customer service and communication- Leadership - Sustainability 14

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By: Taylor Salvato, Social Media & Marketing Manager, NHLRA & Modern Restaurant ManagementAs 2018 comes to end, focus your efforts on reaching consumers and better promoting your business in2019. Below are a list of simple best practice habits and changes NHLRA members can quickly pick up andfind benefit to their business.1. NH FlavorsTake advantage of the free marketing and promotion NHFlavors.com provides for NHLRA members. Let ustell your story to consumers looking for a culinary, lodging, and entertainment destination in New Hamp-shire.Email me your upcoming special events or unique happenings at your property you would like promotedthrough social media and blog posts. Need new photos of your property taken or best practice advice for so-cial media and website content management? Contact Taylor Salvato at [email protected] for help. Follow@nhflavors on all major social media platforms.2. Make Mouths WaterIf you’ve ever made the mistake of going to the grocery store hungry, you’ll know how easily a simple pictureof good food will make your mouth water.The big food brands know what they’re doing – an image of a tasty dish is registered by the brain faster thanany words can. So why not follow suit? Photograph your dishes, put them on your website, share on socialmedia, and the readers will likely make their decision to dine with you on the spot.3. Answer That Bad Online ReviewThere is always one person who just loves to complain, but it’s important that you validate their feedback.Responding to their criticism in a meaningful and friendly way is a powerful tool for your reputation.Set up a Google Alert for your business name so you’ll be notified immediately when someone mentions yourname on the internet. You may even wish to attract a complainer back in with a small offer. It also showsyour other customers that you care a great deal about making it right.4. Get Your Google My Business Listing RightPut yourself in your customer’s shoes – you’re hungry and have a quick google on your phone for“restaurants in suburb x”. They like the look of your restaurant, but can’t immediately see your hours. 17

And just like that, you’ve lost them. Today’s customers are busy, and their attention span is shorter becauseof it. Having your basic information easily accessible, you greatly increase your chances of grabbing that time-poor, stomach-empty customer.5. Make Sure Your Website Looks Good on MobileSmartInsights.com report that 72 percent of people searching for food do so from their mobile phone, so ifyour customers have to contort their fingers and squint their eyes to see your info from their phone, you’relosing to the restaurant down the street.It’s not something you’ll need to do from scratch, just check with your web developer that they have opti-mized your site for mobile.6. Advertise on FacebookFacebook is a marketing giant for a reason; you can really get down to the nitty gritty when it comes to tar-geting an audience. Are you looking for people who like Greek food, who live in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and areretired? Facebook has you covered.Get started with a budget of just $5 a day. For a small investment you’ll be able to target your perfect audi-ence, and turn them into new customers.7. Make Yelp Work For YouWe’re pretty sure you’ve heard of this one. Even if you don’t make your own Yelp page, someone else will, soit’s best you take control yourself.As a restaurant owner it’s critical you get this one right, and monitor it like it was your restaurant’s bloodpressure. Doing this will make sure that anyone looking at your page will only see good things – and thatmeans – you guessed it, many more new customers.8. Get Customers Through Email MarketingYes, email marketing still works. In fact, it provides the highest return on investment out of all digital mar-keting strategies. CampaignMonitor.com states for every $1 spent, it generates $38 in revenue. The secret isto not hammer them with emails, don’t be pushy, and give them a reason to read it. That might be the returnof a favorite seasonal meal or a special discount for that month.9. Understand Your AudienceWhile you’re busy plating the best meals, keeping everyone happy, and balancing your books, it’s easy tooverlook your “brand”. That’s just marketing speak for understanding your audience. What do they like?What don’t they like? Is low carb important to them? Is good wine something they look for?Talk to them. In person and online. You’ll find they will be more than happy to give you their opinion. Thismeans communicating it in your promotional material, as well as on social media.Read the complete article on modernrestaurantmanagement.com. 18

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By: Clark—Mortenson InsuranceWhy Pre-screen? Maintain background checks on existing employeesMany job applicants have a criminal record that by continuing to perform them on a regular basis. Awould compromise their job placement, yet they do final element that can be included in a thoroughnot disclose this information. Therefore, consider background check is a credit report, which not onlthese advantages of pre-screening potential em- provides ulterior verification of social security num-ployees: bers and employment history, but reveals other trou- bling financial issues that could be a factor in the hir- Discourages applicants from hiding a criminal ing decision. background or falsifying their credentials Employment Applications Eliminates any uncertainties about applicants in the hiring process The background check will be more efficient, more valuable and less costly if the employment applica- Encourages honesty while going through the hir- tion contains certain elements, such as a statement ing process that all information is accurate and that any untruth- fulness or omissions are legal grounds for termina-Extent of Background Checks tion. A standardized format that consistently collectsAt a minimum, it is advisable to ensure that an ap- all necessary information will also speed the back-plicant’s history does not include a criminal convic- ground screening process. Here are some other help-tion or deferred prosecution for a specific crime. ful elements:Searches for criminal records might include federal,state and county records.  Any other names usedBeyond the basic criminal background check, take a  Reason for leaving past positionsrisk-focused approach to determining additional lev- (“disagreement” or “mutual agreement” are redels of screening, which might include identity verifi- flags)cation, education verification and professional li-cense verification. The access level and sensitivity of  Specification that names of actual employersthe position will be key factors in determining must be listed (staffing firms should be listed, notwhether additional screening is appropriate. the firm hosting temporary workers)  Detailed contact information for references listed 22

Legal DutiesTo simplify the task, you may find it helpful to out-source the process to a background screening serviceprovider. For many screening tasks, such as criminalbackground checks, outside providers can be fasterand more thorough. It is important that when se-lecting such a provider, you consider its financialstatements and health, its hiring and employmentprocesses, identity theft safeguards and, of course,service offerings.You are have several obligations to the applicant un-der the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Any applicant on whom an institution performs a background screen must give his or her written authorization to conduct the report. If you ultimately deny employment, you must provide notification through pre-adverse action and final adverse action notification letters.For More HelpIf you need more information about protecting your-self from liabilities associated with hiring and termi-nation, contact Clark-Mortenson Insurance. Our in-surance experts can keep you covered and give youpeace of mind.Serving the state of New Hampshireclarkmortenson.com l 877-325-2121 23

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By: Christopher T. Vrountas, Esq. and Allison C. Ayer, Esq., Vrountas, Ayer & Chandler, P.C.On October 31, 2018, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) settled a sexual harassmentand retaliation lawsuit the Commission brought against an Applebee’s franchisee. According to the lawsuitfiled in Federal Court in New York (EEOC v. Apple-Metro, Inc. and Hawthorne Apple, LLC, Civil Action No. 1:17-CV-04333) the restaurant employee, a transgender woman, was verbally harassed by fellow Applebee’s staffwho made crude and derogatory references to her transgender status and repeatedly and intentionally re-ferred to her with a male name and male pronouns. The lawsuit further alleged that the employee reportedthat she was being sexually harassed but the company failed to take adequate steps to stop the harassmentand instead fired her in retaliation for her complaints. The settlement requires Applebee’s to pay the em-ployee $100,000 in damages. The settlement also requires Applebee’s to revise and redistribute their anti-harassment policies and provide training to all employees at the offending restaurant and to individuals whomanage the other restaurants. Additionally, the Applebee’s restaurant where the harassment took place hasto report to the EEOC any and all internal complaints of sex-based discrimination or retaliation that it re-ceives, according to the terms of the settlement.The Applebee’s case reminds us that sexual harassment claims present significant legal exposure to restau-rants, especially when they fail to respond properly to complaints. The case also underscores the reality thatthe EEOC has refocused its efforts on ending sexual harassment in the workplace, especially in the wake ofthe #MeToo movement. To that point, the EEOC has declared its view that sexual harassment is a “pervasiveproblem” in the United States, and has asserted in no uncertain terms its intent to “ramp up its role as en-forcer” of sexual harassment claims.Further to the point, statistics recently released by the EEOC reflect that sexual harassment cases are on therise since the #MeToo movement began just about a year ago. According to preliminary 2018 data, the EEOCitself filed 41 sexual harassment lawsuits in 2018, which reflects more than a 50 percent increase in suits chal-lenging sexual harassment over fiscal year 2017. In 2018, the EEOC also coordinated the filing of multiple sex-ual harassment suits across the country as a way to remind employers that harassment violates the law andthe Commission intends to enforce it. The EEOC also saw a more than 12% rise since 2017 in the number ofsexual harassment charges that employees themselves filed against their employees. For charges allegingharassment, reasonable cause findings increased by 23.6 percent to nearly 1,200 in 2018. A similar upwardtrend was also seen in the amount of damages received by sexual harassment claimants. In 2018, the EEOCrecovered nearly $70 million for the victims of sexual harassment through litigation and administrative en-forcement, up from $47.5 million in FY 2017. Public interest on the topic of sexual harassment has also sky-rocketed, with hits on the sexual harassment page of the EEOC's website more than doubling in 2018, asmany individuals and employers sought information to deal with workplace harassment. 26

The increased focus on sexual harassment undoubtedly raises concerns for restaurant employers about howto avoid legal exposure for these types of claims. But it is important to keep in mind that there are effectiveways to combat the trend of sexual harassment claims and effectively prevent the problem from happeningin your workplace. While sexual harassment policies and training in the past has focused on how to avoidlegal liability, employers are well-advised to shift the focus to creating a workplace culture of respect and ac-countability that stops harassing conduct in the first place before it ever rises to the level of actionable har-assment. Here are some critical steps, endorsed by the EEOC in its 2016 Task Force Report, Promising Prac-tices and Checklists, to achieving that goal: Understand the risk factors for sexual harassment (including restaurant-applicable factors like young workforces, customer service oriented workplaces, power disparity and consumption of alcohol) and have responsive plans to mitigate those risks; Make sure that leadership is committed and engaged in preventing sexual harassment; Create an effective anti-harassment system that encourages people to come forward and empowers by- stander reporting by not only victims, by witnesses to unwelcome harassment; Clearly, frequently and unequivocally assert, through word and action, that sexual harassment will not be tolerated; Consider instituting climate surveys or other means that honestly assess employees' perceptions of the degree to which an organization tolerates sexual harassment of female employees by other organization- al members – the EEOC provided this example of one such climate survey used by the military; Develop and implement strong and comprehensive anti-harassment policies and have accessible and trusted reporting procedures; Establish and implement a trusted and fair process for investigating the procedures; Try to balance the concerns of both the person making the report and the person accused (finding cor- roborating evidence is important to ensuring due process but it is NOT required. Sometimes you will have to reach a conclusion by assessing credibility). Stress the commitment that there will be NO RETALIATION; Hold ALL employees, including leaders, “superstar” performers and supervisors, accountable for their conduct; and Reeducate, and conduct regular and effective interactive training tailored to the audience and organiza- tion.Restaurants that are guided by these principles and make efforts to implement them in their workplaceshave a real chance of avoiding legal liability AND creating an atmosphere where employees feel respected,heard and valued, which is always good for business.Chris Vrountas In partnership with Vrountas, Ayer & Chandler, members have [email protected] to 30 minutes of free legal advice per unique incident. Members who(P) 603-935-9789 need to retain services with VAC will receive a discounted member rate.27

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By: The National Restaurant AssociationThe National Restaurant Association is partnering with the Jackson Lewis law firm to host an \"Active Shootersin the Workplace; Key Strategies\" webinar on Jan. 9, 3 p.m. ET. The number of active shooter events has ris-en dramatically in the United States in recent years. Recent workplace incidents demonstrate the need foremployers to develop policies and procedures to plan for and protect their employees and customers duringthese highly dangerous occurrences. This webinar will discuss: Key components of an active shooter response policy Actions recommended by law enforcement officials to take when confronted with an active shooter in the workplace Potential workplace violence indicators Steps for addressing employees who have indicated previous violent behavior or indicators of violence Actions to take to prevent and prepare for potential active shooter incidents Managing the consequences of an active shooter incidentRegister now! If you have any questions, reach out to Shannon Meade at (202) 331-5994. 30

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By: Stephen Miller, CEBS, SHRM.comThe IRS and FBI are urging employers to prepare for end-of-the-year scams that aim to steal employee infor-mation.\"The holidays and tax season present great opportunities for scam artists to steal valuable informationthrough fake e-mails,\" IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig cautioned. While consumers are spending more timeonline making purchases, payroll staffs are preparing for end-of-the-year tax report deadlines. Rettig advisedeveryone to \"watch your inbox for these sophisticated schemes that try to fool you into thinking they're fromthe IRS or our partners in the tax community.\"The IRS reported a surge of new e-mail phishing scams, with a 60 percent increase this year in bogus e-mailschemes that seek to steal money or tax data. One recent malware campaign used a variety of subject linessuch as \"IRS Important Notice,\" \"IRS Taxpayer Notice\" and other variations insinuating official IRS correspond-ence.\"The most common way for cybercriminals to steal money, bank account information, passwords, credit cardor Social Security numbers is to simply ask for them,\" the IRS noted. Those who suspect they've receivedscam e-mails can forward them to the IRS [email protected] Data TargetedEmployer payroll systems are particularly tempting targets for thieves. The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Cen-ter (IC3) recently alerted employers to a scam aimed at obtaining employees' login information and pass-words to access their online payroll accounts and steal employee data, especially bank information relatingto direct-deposit credentials.This is similar to the phishing e-mails sent to businesses, but instead the e-mail is sent to employees re-questing they update or confirm their payroll system login information and password using a link to whatlooks like the payroll system's website. However, the site is actually run by scammers. The thieves \"gatherthe login information and then log in and divert the employee's paycheck to a different bank account,\" saidGreta Cowart, an attorney at Winstead, a Dallas law firm. \"The e-mail the employee receives looks legitimate 35

and does not contain the grammatical errors commonly seen in some of the other phishing e-mail scams,\"she noted.[SHRM members-only HR Q&A: How can I ensure my company protects personal employee information?]Safety MeasuresTo reduce threats to employee information in payroll systems, the FBI recommends that employers: Alert and educate employees about this scheme, including how to respond should a breach occur. Instruct employees to hover their cursor over hyperlinks included in e-mails they receive to view the actu- al URL, and ensure the URL is actually associated with the company it purports to be from. Instruct employees to refrain from supplying log-in credentials or personally identifying information in response to any e-mail. Direct employees to forward suspicious requests for personal information to the information technology or HR department. Ensure that log-in credentials used for payroll purposes differ from those used for other purposes. Apply heightened scrutiny to bank information requests initiated by employees seeking to update or change direct-deposit credentials. Monitor employee logins that occur outside normal business hours. Implement two-factor authentication for access to sensitive systems and information. The FBI encourages victims to report actual or suspected payroll-data thefts to their local FBI field office and file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov, noting \"payroll diversion\" in the complaint.\"Employers may want to instruct their employees not to provide log-in information or any personal infor-mation in response to any e-mail,\" Cowart advised.Employers contracting with vendors receiving employees' personal information, including outsourced payrolladministrators, \"should be certain the vendors are contractually bound to protect the information they re-ceive from both internal and external threats and keep such information appropriately secured,\" she recom-mended.Employers should also instruct their service providers to alert them regarding any suspicious activity thatcould put employee information at risk.Read the complete article on www.shrm.org 36

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By: Amie Pariseau, NHLRAAs I travel and visit different groups such as Girls Inc. and the Boys & Girls Club, and participate in industrypanels and activities such as Hospitality Month, I continue to have conversations with students and educa-tors about hospitality. When students think of career pathways in the hospitality industry, they picture a chefin a restaurant or front desk agent in a hotel. We know these careers are vital to the industry, but there areoverlooked and underutilized opportunities in hospitality that lead to a path of success. With your help, I’mworking on changing the perception by highlighting the broad category of fields within the service industrythat include hotels and resorts, restaurants, event planning, theme parks, marketing and sales, and more.On Thursday, November 15th, Ray Bewsher, Director of Human Resources at the DoubleTree by Hilton Man-chester Downtown, and myself hosted twenty Extended Learning Coordinators. There is a strong focus inNew Hampshire high schools (and middle schools) to offer students learning experiences outside the tradi-tional classroom setting. These experiences are called Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs). ELOs are pro-ficiency-based, relevant, flexible, and supported by adult community members.We began the morning with an ice-breaker. The coordinators each wore a sticky note on their back and theyhad to ask yes or no questions to determine what their job was. The jobs ranged from chef, expeditor, andfront desk manager to HVAC, controller, and night auditor. One of the jobs was coffee break attendant.When Ray stated it was one of the more coveted roles at the hotel, the coordinators were shocked. “Why?”they asked. Ray went on to tell them the coffee break attendant worked mainly first shift, Monday – Friday,and the attendant made $50,000. “WHAT?!” they exclaimed. This outburst was followed by two teachersraising their hands stating this was more than they were making in education. This was exactly the type ofexercise we needed to emphasize the earning potential in hospitality!The group later embarked on a tour of the hotel and saw everything- sales, the spa, the pool, banquets, thekitchen, and the “underbelly” where the laundry, engineering, and HVAC live. Along the way, Ray discussedjobs in each area and highlighted an entry level position and its salary followed by what it would take to pro-gress in the role and in responsibilities.After a recent run in with the coordinators, the group still expressed interest and excitement surrounding thehospitality tour. Ray and I met our goal of showcasing the industry to the ELO Coordinators who are on thefront line with the next generation of employees each day. They are now ambassadors of the opportunities,pathways, and growth we know the industry provides. The hope is the coordinators register their studentswhen Hospitality Month arrives in April.Registration for the 2nd annual New Hampshire Hospitality Month will open in January. Please let AmiePariseau at [email protected] if you would like to participate. 39

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By: New Hampshire Business Review StaffApprenticeshipNH, a grant-funded effort that seeks to address workforce needs in specific sectors throughoutthe state with a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training, has added two sectors to list ofthose served – the construction and infrastructure and hospitality sectors.“We want to be able to offer people in New Hampshire multiple pathways to enter high-need careers. Ex-panding our focus for apprenticeships in areas of growth such as construction and hospitality will enablemore people in diverse career paths to advance,” said Emily Zeien, grant manager for ApprenticeshipNH atthe Community College System of New Hampshire, which operates the program.The two newly added sectors join the advanced manufacturing, information technology and healthcare sec-tors, which have been served since the program’s inception.Through ApprenticeshipNH, employers are connected with community colleges to develop apprenticeshiptraining programs that help businesses develop a skilled workforce.In the construction and infrastructure sector, participating employers can include construction managementcompanies, land surveying companies, civil drafting and CAD firms, state and municipal highway and trans-portation departments and landscaping companies, among others. The partnerships can leverage existing de-gree and certificate programs in heating, ventilation and air conditioning, computer-aided design, civil engi-neering technology, landscape and environmental design and diesel heavy equipment technology.Hospitality sector employers include hotels, resorts, restaurants, event and conference centers and ski andrecreation centers, among others. They can leverage existing degree and certificate programs in hospitality,culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, event and conference management, restaurant management and resortand recreation management.Employers in each sector have the flexibility to identify coursework and programs that best align with theneeds of their businesses, Zeien said. They can also take advantage of the Business and Training Centers ateach college to develop customized, non-credit training.Read the complete article on www.nhbr.comFor more information, visit [email protected]. 43

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By: Erica Murphy, The Common ManEvelyn \"Ebbie\" Quinn of Goffstown, formerly of Meredith, celebrated her 104th birthday with family andfriends at the Route 104 Diner in New Hampton. She was a frequent patron of the diner when she lived in theLakes Region, and her family and friends brought her back to celebrate \"104 at the 104.\" 45

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November 2018—December 2018900 Degrees, LLC 99 Restaurant & Pub— Baker Commodities Blue Moon Evolution CorporateCJ Avery’s Casual Favorite Foods, Inc. Flag Hill Winery, Distillery, Franconia Inn Dining Catering and EventsGovernor’s Inn Great NH Restaurants Henniker House Bed & LaBelle Winery BreakfastLiberty Lane Catering Maine Course Mountain Edge Resort & MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Hospitality Group Spa at Sunapee BarThe Beach Plum 2 Trimark United East White Mountains AttractionsHow to Pay your Dues - Pay online by logging into your account at nhlra.com - Call the NHLRA office at 603-228-9585 - Mail a check to 16 Centre Street, Concord, NH 03301 47

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