Small business owners can easily pick from a local pool of business and contract lawyers when they incorporate or at tax time. Entrepreneurs with a unique product, design or manufacturing method often can walk through their own Patent & Trademark applications online. But where do you find answers for sticky employment law questions?

Q: Do all employees need an NDA?
Q: How long can you set a Non-Compete Contract with a new sales hire that will stand in a dispute?
Q: Do old hire, promotion and workplace habits leave your business open to a discrimination suit?
Q: Is there a local attorney experienced in Whistleblower cases for just-in-case legal consultation?
Q: Is there a fair, equitable and legal way to terminate non-performers?

Meet MEL – http://MyEmploymentLawyer.com — a legal information and referral resource developed by Employment Law specialist Neil Klingshirn. The MyEmploymentLawyer (MEL) site is actually a network of employment lawyers across the United States. MEL:

· Answers employment law questions thru free searchable FAQs and on-request Q & A’s;

· Refers queries to attorneys who practice employment law in specific states and jurisdictions;

· Provides links, referrals and access to an attorney directory that helps you locate an employment lawyer in your area;

· Publishes up-to-date employment news and topics from “Workplace Fairness;”

· Publishes In-Depth FAQ Topics: Non-competition agreements; Severance pay; Retaliation; Harassment; Family leave; Discrimination; Wrongfully accused; Whistle-blowing; Overtime.

· Offers a Searchable Database of Answers: Benefits; Contracts and Employment at-will; Defamation; Discrimination; Family Leave; Harassment; Non-compete; Overtime; Retaliation; Severance; Unions; Wages (minimum, final pay, vacation); Workers compensation.

Nota Bene: MEL is a free information-sharing network and employment lawyer locating service. In a clear disclaimer – NOT written in legalese — MEL notes it does not provide legal counsel or attorney direction on its web site. Certain employment issues, such as a termination or complex non-compete agreement, demand individual, formal legal advice. But don’t worry about lingo: MEL presents practical info without legalese, and even claims to have a sense of humor … albeit “lawyer humor.” ?

We Fess Up: TopTenWholesale has a business Of Counsel relationship with the firm associated with MEL’s founder, the Neil Klingshirn partner in Fortney & Klingshirn, who also practices through FKLaborLaw-dot-com. Neil created MyEmploymentLawyer to be accessible to non-lawyers.

MEL Tip: MyEmploymentLawyer now hosts a helpful public access blog where users can share stories, info and knowledge. Maybe you’ve heard the buzz among young job seekers who post to popular social media sites (MySpace, Facebook) that job recruiters and potential employers scan those sites looking for pages by their job applicants. (Alas, a dream job can disappear if a MySpace page shows bad judgment or bizarre personal details!) Similarly, Meet MEL notes that employers and employees – as well as their opposing lawyers – may be scanning MEL’s public postings. Something to take under advisement. The price is definitely right; the service is free.