Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 30, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 27 By Janelle Drolet Janelle Drolet is vice president of sales and operations for Towerwall, a Framingham data preparedness and compliance firm. 8) With a cyberattack or data breach, containment is all important, otherwise business continuity is not possible. Priority one is protecting your crown jewels: your critical data and assets. By identifying these upfront, organizations ensure the most valuable assets are safeguarded. 7) Everyone in your organization should be aware of the many cyber risks, what they are capable of, and how to prevent and block them. Having a resilient security plan well mapped out and tested is not a luxury; it's a necessity to protect against sophisticated threats. 6) Train employees to recognize a phishing scam. Users are the weakest link, but also the first and last line of defense. Adopt a sense of urgency in preventing cyber incidents. Shorten the time it takes to identify the intrusion. The faster the security response, the sooner the recovery, with minimal loss to business and reputation. 5) Secure commitment from manage- ment, which should offer oversight on cybersecurity. Security is not just an IT issue but a collective responsibility of everyone. 4) Make sure the security strategy helps achieve business objectives. A strong alignment will avoid conflicts and help everyone understand the role cybersecurity plays in contributing to the company's mis- sion, fostering a culture of accountability, awareness, and responsibility. 3) Integrate security priorities early in project discussions and avoid the after- thought approach to security. This should help with cooperation and collaboration. Having a plan that lays out cybersecurity policies and procedures can prevent vul- nerabilities from being overlooked. 2) Be conditioned like an athlete for preparedness. Conduct regular reviews of defenses, regulations, and compliance requirements. This includes auditing and testing defenses, such as running phishing simulation exercises, scanning for endpoint vulnerabilities, and rehearsing procedures. 1) You can't always prevent cyber inci- dents, but you can be ready to respond and recover from them. Cybersecurity is an ongoing journey. It requires vigilance and practice, controls like password managers and multi-factor authentication, employ- ee participation, and a commitment to a culture of security awareness. With commercial leases, the devils are in the details BY SARA BEDIGIAN Special to WBJ A s companies hire new employ- ees, the onboarding process is essential to ensure everyone feels welcome and prepared to begin a new career. Data shows 52% of new hires feel satisfied with their onboarding experi- ence, with 32% finding it confusing and 22% disorganized, according to a survey by payroll services company Paychex. Nearly half of new hires felt under- trained, which impacts productivity and retention. All companies should imple- ment an onboarding program to create a successful work environment. Optimize the first day experience. When employees enter a workplace for the first time, job duties, responsibili- ties, and objectives must be clear. Some companies take new employees out to lunch on their first day to build rapport and meet other team members. Employ- ees should be shown around the work area, and given access to equipment and access codes, Chauncey Crail writes in a Forbes article. Integrating new em- ployees into the workplace will create a collaborative and supportive team. Conduct consistent check-ins. Conducting regular check-ins is im- portant with new employees. Whether it's creating scheduled meetings or informal conversations, this can gauge performance and address any questions new employees may have. Consistent "support and feedback throughout the first year can help to improve retention and job satisfaction for new employees," Crail says in a Forbes article. Ongoing feedback and support should be includ- ed in onboarding programs because it shows employers care about their employees well-being. Re-onboard when necessary. Every new hire is different, and some may need a longer onboarding process than others. If a new hire seems disinterested, con- fused or is underperforming, this may be a sign more onboarding is needed, Gleb Tsipursky writes in a Harvard Business Review article. Feedback from new hires or conducting surveys can provide insights into what worked well and what could be improved. Re-onboarding oen increases employment retention by 43%, according to Paychex. An evolving on- boarding experience is the cornerstone of a company's success. BEST PRACTICES FOR ONBOARDING NEW EMPLOYEES BY SAMANTHA MCDONALD Special to WBJ D o-it-yourself leasing is risky business in the commercial space, where leases vary tremendously. There can be additional charges for taxes, operating expenses, and other costs. Unlike residential leases, little in commercial leases is governed by statute. Review the lease with a savvy attorney, and the consider the following ideas carefully: • Don't ignore worst-case scenarios. Nobody expects a lease default. But it happens. Understand and negotiate default provisions. Tenants should require landlords to mitigate damages by re-renting the property in the event of a default. Otherwise, they will typically be responsible for all rent due under the lease. • Consult your insurance agent. Have your agent review the insurance and indemnification provisions. Get the required coverages to comply with the lease and to protect yourself. Understand whether you are responsible to pay rent – and for how long – if you can't use the property because of a casualty loss. Do you need business interruption coverage to pay the rent? • Pay attention to legal formalities. If you sign a lease on an entity's behalf, make sure your signature indicates your representative capacity, or you risk personal liability. If you are a landlord, make sure the tenant entity is registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. • Check the financials! Landlords, make sure any proposed tenant is financially solvent. Consider getting a personal guaranty. Tenants required to pay operating costs under the lease should review the last three years of such costs. Expenses can vary, so looking at a few years will give tenants a feel for potential liabilities. • Know landlord and tenant responsibilities. Landlords are often responsible only for maintaining the building's structural components, leaving tenants with costly surprises. Beware if the leased premises has its own heating and air conditioning system. If tenants are responsible for systems that solely serve the leased premises, they could be on the hook for repairing or replacing expensive components. Review what can be included in operating expenses. If landlords are responsible for HVAC maintenance, can they charge tenants to replace a defunct unit? HVAC systems can cost six figures. Do capital expenses need to be amortized? • Do a thorough property inspection before signing the lease. Tenants typically accept the premises as is and need to understand the expected lifespan of anything they might have to repair or pay for through operating expenses. • Check on certificate of occupancy responsibilities. If premise use differs from prior use, clarify who must get a new certificate of occupancy from the municipality. • Choose a savvy broker to help with negotiations. Good brokers and attorneys can help you get the best deal possible. They can help identify and negotiate the lease's critical details. Some possibilities: Ask to only pay for tax and operating expense increases, rather than the share of total taxes. Negotiate a decreased security deposit. Consider getting expansion rights, extension rights, or termination rights. 8 Things I know about … ... About cybersecurity resilience Samantha McDonald is a partner in Bowditch & Dewey's real estate group, concentrating on business and property law. W W W

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