Dive Brief:

• Even experienced franchise owners can be overwhelmed by human resource demands and HR compliance challenges.
• In a new report, XpertHR identifies the 10 most common HR dilemmas faced by franchises and offers guidance on how to address them. 
• The whitepaper helps franchises deal with issues including joint employer liability, employee leaves, reasonable accommodation requests, paid sick leave, employee classification, finding and hiring the right employees, onboarding and training and protected activity.

Dive Insight:

"Most franchises are really small business owners trying to run their business, keep up with changing laws, evolving technologies, recruitment and retention challenges, and changes in workforce demographics," says Tracy Morley, Legal Editor, XpertHR.

Morley says franchise owners, both small and large, should have a thorough understanding of federal, state and municipal employment laws, anticipate changes and proactively manage their workforce to reduce the potential for employer liability.

Franchisors also should remember that franchisees are independent business owners responsible for the business decisions they make. While the overwhelming risk is primarily to franchisors, especially when held accountable for the mistakes of their franchise owners, franchisees will feel the effects as well. Damage to a franchisor's brand could negatively impact a franchisee. In an effort to preserve the franchisor-franchisee relationship, franchise owners should ensure that customers and employees alike understand that the franchisor is not the employer.