By Jake Van Loon,

As the smell of pumpkin spice lattes fill the office air and the cheesy costumes come out of the back of closets, small business owners are taking stock of the ghouls and goblins they might employ and wondering if they will see next year.

Let’s take a look at the characters that wander the house of horrors that is your workspace. Would you be better off taking one of these monsters off your team roster?

The Mummy:

This decomposing deceased may have been king way back when, but things change when you take a 2000-year nap. Now that he has awoken, he is wreaking havoc.

Everyone has encountered or worked with someone who was high and mighty a long time ago, but the times change rapidly and the mummy can be bitter about the shift in processes or technology.  If you have someone that refuses to adapt to the modern day, it is time to let him or her go.

The Werewolf:

For the majority of the time, this team member will be completely agreeable and productive. Then it happens. Once every four weeks or so they make it their job to bite the heads off of everyone on your team and bring them down to their animalistic level.One of the distinguishing factors of a professional is their ability to keep negative emotions and moods out of the workplace. If a member of the team is being a disruption on a regular basis, then it could spell the end when the chips are down.

The Zombie:

A reality of collaborative work is that there is often someone who has not contributed a single thing, communicates in grunts and growls, and is in the corner eating…something.Any project manager has the tough job of cutting the dead (or living dead) weight. The walking commerce dead should be the first to go.While these are bad examples, you may also have the Superman or Wonder Woman working with you to make that October 31^st deadline. Remember to wish them a happy and safe Halloween from Hunter Business Law.