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Cut Claims, Keep Contracts: Month-to-Month General Counsel (Free Trial) for Florida Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Companies

1) Turn Your Contracts into Risk Filters, Not Just Signatures

• Crystal-clear scope and exclusions. Spell out spaces, frequencies, and service levels by zone (lobbies, restrooms, kitchens, clinics, labs, data rooms). Exclude or price separately: biohazard cleanup, mold, asbestos, lead paint, pest remediation, confidential waste, and emergency water extraction—unless specifically contracted.
• Specifications and acceptance. Tie quality to objective checklists and a simple acceptance process (e.g., weekly sign-off or digital badge scans). If issues arise, client must provide prompt written notice and a reasonable cure window before withholding payment.
• Change orders and surge labor. Give your teams a lawful pathway to handle “one-off” requests and event cleanups with documented approvals and pre-priced rates.
• Risk allocation. Use fault-based indemnity and limitation of liability appropriate to the contract value; disclaim consequential and punitive damages where permitted. You’re not an insurer of the premises.
• Lost keys/FOBs and access devices. Allocate replacement and rekey costs to the party controlling access lists. Require immediate notice of lost devices and define interim security steps.
• Damage and “missing item” claims. Require timely notice, allow an investigation window, and limit remedies to repair, replacement, or credit up to a capped amount unless willful misconduct.
• Insurance alignment. Require the client to maintain premises coverage and name your company as additional insured on a primary and non-contributory basis when appropriate. Match wording to your actual policies.
• Confidentiality and privacy. Protect what your teams see after hours: documents, cameras, access codes, health or financial records in professional offices.
• Venue and dispute resolution. Keep governing law and venue in Florida (e.g., Miami-Dade). Add streamlined ADR or small-claims options for faster, cheaper resolutions.

2) Compliance That Works in the Field (OSHA, Chemicals, Healthcare, Construction)

• HazCom and SDS. Maintain a current SDS library (digital or on-site), label secondary containers, and translate top labels into simple “task cards” (dilution, PPE, dwell time, ventilation). Make supervisors responsible for spot checks.
• Bloodborne pathogens & post-incident steps. If you clean medical or public spaces, train on exposure control, sharps protocols, and post-exposure medical steps. Document training and vaccinations where applicable.
• Specialty work. For floor stripping/refinishing, pressure washing, post-construction, or high dusting, deploy job hazard analyses (JHAs) and pre-task briefs. Don’t let “quick favors” create uninsured exposures.
• Ladder and fall risks. Written rules for heights, three-point contact, defective-ladder tagging, and when to use lifts/vendors instead.
• Waste streams. Clarify who owns regulated or confidential waste and how it’s bagged/locked/stored before the hauler arrives. Your team’s job ends at the container, not the landfill.

3) People, Pay, and Scheduling—Grow Fast Without Wage-and-Hour Pain

• Clean onboarding. I-9s completed on time, lawful background checks with FCRA notices/authorizations, and consistent disqualification criteria tied to actual job duties. For Florida employers subject to E-Verify, build “no dispatch until verified” controls.
• Timekeeping that matches reality. GPS/geofenced clock-ins, travel time between sites, and accurate rounding rules. Eliminate off-the-clock habits (“just finish that restroom”) with supervisor coaching.
• Overtime and differentials. Written rules for overtime, shift differentials, and holiday/event premium rates. Pay plans that your payroll system can actually implement without manual “fixes.”
• Split shifts and call-outs. Clarify minimum call-out pay and how canceled shifts are handled. Document, document, document.
• Consistent discipline. Use a simple, respectful corrective-action path and stick to it. Uneven discipline is a lawsuit magnet.

4) Subcontractors and Temporary Labor—No Breaks in the Chain

• Mirror protections downstream. Your subcontractor agreement must carry your indemnity, limitation of liability, confidentiality, background standards, and insurance requirements.
• Insurance and COIs. Require equal or better coverage; name your company as additional insured; collect COIs before work starts; calendar expirations.
• Site controls. No access badges or keys until paperwork clears. Create a fast, friendly onboarding packet so compliance doesn’t slow the job.

5) Documentation That Wins Disputes (and Impresses Customers)

• Proof of service. QR codes or NFC tags by zone, with scan logs, time stamps, and photo attachments for periodic tasks (e.g., floor finish, restroom deep clean).
• Issue tickets and cure workflow. A simple app-based path from client complaint to resolution with photos and time stamps. When the file is clean, credits and chargebacks drop.
• Incident reporting. Factual, not speculative. Who/what/when/where/how, photos, witness names, and camera references. No “fixing” reports later—use addenda only.
• Key control logs. Check-in/out with serial numbers, badge IDs, and immediate notice rules for losses.

6) Insurance That Matches Your Promises

• General liability with the right endorsements. Watch for janitorial/contractor exclusions that kneecap your core work; confirm completed-operations support.
• Workers’ comp and return-to-work. A light-duty pathway (supply cage, inventory, training) lowers reserves and speeds recovery.
• Commercial auto and HNOA. Many crews carpool in personal vehicles; make sure hired/non-owned coverage is in place and that drivers meet your MVR standard.
• Crime/fidelity coverage. Allegations of theft happen. A fidelity bond or employee dishonesty coverage can be the difference between a tense conversation and a closed file.
• Pollution or contractors pollution liability (CPL). Consider limited CPL for chemical releases or overspray in sensitive sites.
• Cyber. If you store access codes, floor plans, or tenant rosters, you have cyber exposure—even if you’re not “tech heavy.”

7) Sales and RFPs—Win the Account Without “Nuclear” Terms

• Redline traps. Reject client language that makes you an insurer or guarantees response times you don’t control. Use fault-based indemnity and realistic SLAs with cure rights.
• Price escalators for inputs. Labor, chemicals, and disposables move; include CPI or documented pass-throughs above a threshold.
• Evergreen terms and exit ramps. Balance renewal convenience with termination for uncured non-payment or safety hazards.
• SOW hygiene. Your proposal and the client’s SOW must match. If a site requires sharps handling or biohazard cleanup, price and insure it accordingly.

8) Your Free Trial: Quick Wins You Can Feel

• Contract snapshot and prioritized redlines for your MSA/SOW package and a live RFP
• Compliance check for HazCom/SDS and bloodborne pathogen training where applicable
• Payroll/timekeeping risk scan focused on multi-site travel, rounding, and call-outs
• Insurance/COI audit against your top three client contracts
• A 30/60/90-day action plan your ops team can execute immediately

9) First 30 Days on Plan: What We Stand Up

• Finalized, plain-English MSA, work order, change order, and subcontractor packets
• Version-controlled site specs with QR/NFC proof-of-service and photo requirements
• Incident report template, evidence preservation steps, and a “lost key/FOB” playbook
• Supervisor coaching on documentation, client communications, and wage-and-hour pitfalls
• COI calendar and license/training tracker your managers actually use

How You Measure ROI

• Fewer chargebacks, credits, and unpaid extras thanks to clean scopes and cure rights
• Lower claim frequency/severity (slips, property damage, “missing item” allegations)
• Faster collections, better RFP win rate, and fewer contract escalations
• Calmer audits and better insurance renewals because your files match your risk
• Higher client retention as QA and documentation become visible value
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Ready to Put a Legal Safety Net Around Your Cleaning Business?