Most employment situations are considered employment at will, meaning that an employee can be fired as you (the employer) sees fit. But there are limitations. You still cannot fire employees in a discriminatory fashion. Downsizing can create many legal problems, especially if you employee more than 100 people. 

If your business is this large, make sure you review your layoff plan with a lawyer before moving forward.

Q: There are certain covenants in the neighborhood association where I live. Are they legally binding?

A: Covenants are rules put into place by communities to ensure certain standards are met in a neighborhood. For example, a covenant may restrict the homeowner's ability to erect a satellite dish if that is felt to be unsightly by the association's governing body.

While covenants aren't laws, they are enforceable by the association. If you violate them, your homeowner's association may be able to sue you - so if you are buying a home in a community with such rules in place, make sure you are familiar with them before moving forward.

You have a right to expect that your job won't expose you to known health risks. Under the OHSA Health Act and various state laws, employers must protect employees from known hazards, ensure that buildings comply with safety standards, create plans for an emergency evacuation.

Q: I'm having some personal problems and would like to see a therapist under my company's health plan. Will my boss find out about this?

A: The highest level of privacy afforded an employee is reserved for medical records. For that reason, many employers have their medical benefits administered through their health-care provider. If they do need to see the information, they're required to maintain it in a confidential manner and not release info to anyone in the workplace except those who need to know.

Our friends and collaborators as Lone Star Crowdfunding, a new venture, placed a crowdfunding FAQ on their homepage to help potential investors in the state of Texas learn more about how regulation changes will effect their investment plans in 2015.

This concept is interesting and has grown in popularity in other states. Now the Lone Star State gets in on the action and the business lawyers behind Lone Star Crowdfunding realized they were spending hours a day answering questions from prospective investors. Hence, the FAQ.

This is a great read that clears up a lot of misconceptions about how new laws in 2015 will affect micro-investing. Soon, the site will become a full-on business portal.