And in New Hampshire, the legislature made sweeping changes in how association meetings are conducted that impacted the self-managed association. The self-managed board should be in contact with their attorney so that they can be assured they will be informed of any judicial and legislative changes. Their legal team can also advise how these changes will impact the operation of the self-managed community so that the board can remain fully cognizant of its responsibilities in establishing and changing policy, thus avoiding a sink hole through ignorance of the laws. EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES Some areas in the governance of the self-managed association can be particularly problematic and care should be taken to avoid mistakes that can be costly to the community. Handling employment issues without legal guidance is paramount to aiming for a pot hole. If your self-managed association pays staff members, it must comply with state and federal payroll reporting requirements and all employment regulations. In almost all cases staff members cannot be issued 1099's. A Workers' Compensation policy must be in force if you have payroll employees. Supervision and management of staff without legal counsel is a virtual sink hole for the self-managed association. Maintaining personnel files, including job descriptions, performance appraisals, documentation of attendance and non-performance issues, is extremely important as this documentation provides a critical paper trail in litigation. Because employment law violation penalties can be very expensive, having the advice of an attorney who specializes in employment practices is especially needed in a self-managed community. May 2019 CONDOMEDIA 39