New Model for Franchise Employee Training in a Post-NLRB World

The National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) rulings on franchisors’ joint-employer status with franchisees has cast a chill on the relationship that can threaten both organizations’ ability to deliver a consistent brand experience.

Franchisors now feel the need to further distance themselves from franchisee employees in order to reduce liability risks. But at the same time they still have to protect their brand image and give customers what they expect.  

The recent wave of mobile digitization of employee training may provide an effective solution for franchisors to maintain the appropriate liability distance from the franchisee, while still insuring a consistent brand experience.     

The NLRB ruling has created a false dichotomy between franchisor liability and brand experience.

Poorly or ill-trained employees can severely impact the brand experience for customers if brand standards stray and vary from restaurant to restaurant.  To solve the problem, franchisors can turn…