Comstock's Talks

In September, UC Davis was awarded the first federal funding given to a university to research cultivated meat, positioning the Capital Region to serve as a hub of the advancing technology. Efforts to advance the emerging food market using science and technology have ignited worldwide to address the global challenge of food access and proper nutrition for a growing population and the unsustainable environmental and ethical practices of industrial animal agriculture as it barrels toward the planet's capacity on land and at sea.

Written by Jennifer Junghans

Read and produced by Robin Epley

Read more here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/longreads/promise-new-proteins

Q: This has been a terrible year. Unfortunately, as a business, we're just scraping by — and that's despite the Paycheck Protection Program loan from the Small Business Administration. There's no money for a lavish holiday party, year-end bonuses or even anything more than a $5 gift. What can we do to show our employees how much we appreciate their hard work at year-end?

This Evil HR Lady column ran in the November 2020 issue of Comstock's magazine.

Written by Suzanne Lucas.

Produced by Shoka.

Audio engineering by Phillip Baldwin.

Read more here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/article/dilemma-month-easy-ways-thank-employees-hard-year

Ranchers and those in the conservation industry know there's an inherent value to working lands, such as cattle ranches. But how does one monetize that value?

Written by Jennifer Junghans

Read and produced by Robin Epley

Read more here:

https://www.comstocksmag.com/longreads/protecting-open-land

Q: I have a problem with employees calling in to say they are not coming into work once they've reached 40 hours. We have a lot of overtime available, so it's easy to have worked 40 hours by Thursday. People then call to say they are not coming in on Friday and don't want to use their paid time off to cover the time, since they're already getting paid for 40 hours (plus more, because of California overtime laws). It's really causing problems with scheduling. What can I do?​

This Evil HR Lady column ran in the October 2020 issue of Comstock's magazine.

Written by: Suzanne Lucas

Read by: Shoka

Produced by: Robin Epley

Read more here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/article/dilemma-month-why-startups-need-hr-help-they-launch

Q: I'm launching my own company this year, with about 12 employees, and I'm thinking about the importance of human resources services. Should I hire someone for that position, or can I use an outside service or an online site? And what are the most important things I should do before I launch?

This Evil HR Lady column ran in the July 2020 issue of Comstock's magazine.

Written by: Suzanne Lucas

Read by: Shoka

Produced by: Robin Epley

Read more here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/article/dilemma-month-why-startups-need-hr-help-they-launch

Family businesses are the heart and soul of Little Saigon in south Sacramento. These businesses and their customers are banding together to keep everyone afloat during the pandemic.

Written and read by Lien Hoang

Produced by Robin Epley

Read more here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/longreads/lineage-success

West Sacramento's Washington District has transformed in the past decade, due to efforts by the City of West Sacramento, developers and food entrepreneurs.

This story originally appeared in the September 2020 issue of Comstock's magazine. Read it here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/article/back-business-not-usual

Written by Graham Womack

Read and produced by Robin Epley

Companies can expect to see COVID-19-related employment lawsuits from nearly any corner, including wage and hour issues and disability discrimination. These four strategies can help mitigate risk.

This story originally appeared in the August 2020 issue of Comstock's magazine. Read it here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/article/back-business-not-usual

Written by Jennifer Duggan

Read and produced by Robin Epley

Q: I'm a small-business owner with fewer than a dozen full-time employees. I cannot afford to have a full-time human relations person, but I know I need guidance, including for onboarding new hires. What can I do?

This Evil HR Lady column ran in the February 2020 issue of Comstock's magazine.

Written by: Suzanne Lucas

Read by: Shoka

Produced by: Robin Epley

Read more here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/qa/dilemma-month-why-onboarding-critical-new-hires

We're considering making the temporary measures for people to work from home caused by the coronavirus lockdown more formal to keep our business going. What are our obligations as employers? Do we have to pay for the internet? How do we make sure our time cards are correct? How do we keep people engaged?

This Evil HR Lady column ran in the June 2020 issue of Comstock's magazine.

Written by: Suzanne Lucas

Read by: Shoka

Produced by: Robin Epley

Read more here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/qa/dilemma-month-how-working-remotely-can-be-effective-your-company