Hamilton County Business Magazine Dec/Jan 2023

www.hamiltoncountybusiness.com

Published six times per year by the Hamilton County Media Group PO Box 502, Noblesville, IN 46061 317-774-7747

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Mike Corbett mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bridget Gurtowsky bridget@gurtowskygraphics.com

CORRESPONDENTS

Chris Bavender crbavender@gmail.com

Ann Craig-Cinnamon jandacinnamon@aol.com John Cinnamon jlcinnamon@aol.com Samantha Hyde samantharhyde@gmail.com Patricia Pickett pickettwrites@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS

David Heighway heighwayd@earthlink.net Cari Sheehan cari.sheehan@btlaw.com

Judith Wright jw3@iupui.edu

Please send news items and photos to news@hamiltoncountybusiness.com Submission does not guarantee publication

Subscription $20/year To subscribe or advertise, contact Mike Corbett at mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com

Copyright 2022 Hamilton County Media Group. All rights reserved.

Rachel and Chef Samir Mohammed making burrata together

Mental Health and Your Workforce

Companies need to prepare for mental health modifications at work

The facts are startling: one in five American adults experiences mental illness in their lifetime. That ratio easily translates into a business environment where it is common to have employees who are living with mental illness. A topic that once was downplayed by employers is now very front and center in the workplace: Mental illness is a fact of life in modern American culture, and it cannot be ignored.

A 2020 study by the National Institutes of Mental Health found that about 18% of the American adult population lives with an anxiety disorder, and nearly 7% suffer from clinical depression. And the numbers are even more concerning in younger adults. A recent study by Boston University found that 60% of adults between ages 18-29 reported experiencing anxiety and 61% experienced depression. Those numbers are six times higher than studies conducted before the pandemic, clearly showcasing the magnitude of its cultural impact. Adding to high percentages, several studies have found that one in four Americans over age 18 are taking prescribed mental health medications— which translates to an estimated 50 million adults under the care of a physician for a mental health condition.

Reasonable Accommodation

Mental health illnesses range from anxiety and depression to panic disorders and obsessive-compulsive conditions to more serious posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and personality disorders. While most Americans are not experienced in recognizing or talking about mental health issues, employers are expected to be prepared to welcome and accommodate workers who have mental health disorders.

Mental illness is a disability addressed in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Adopted in 1990, the federal statute

prohibits employers from unreasonably discriminating against people with disabilities. As the ADA website says, the law “guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of life.” And one of those mainstream opportunities is the right to be employed.

At what point does anxiety and/or depression become a disability? By law, a person has a mental disability if their impairment substantially limits one or more major life activities, like the ability to work. Under the ADA, an individual’s disabilities are not to be considered by an employer in decisions regarding hiring, maintaining, disciplining, promoting or firing a worker. If an individual has the requisite skill, experience, education and other jobrelated requirements, and can perform the essential functions of the job, the employer is expected to consider a reasonable accommodation.

A job applicant is not required to disclose a mental illness unless the condition would prevent them from performing job tasks expected by the employer. Likewise, an employee who develops a mental health condition while on the job, is not obligated to report the diagnosis to their employer. The employer is permitted to ask whether the employee is able to complete job tasks but is prohibited from asking about mental health disorders. Often, the employer only becomes aware of the condition when the individual requests an accommodation, as permitted by the ADA.

Accommodating an employee’s mental health condition can be perplexing for an employer. When a worker asks for accommodation for a physical condition, such as a broken leg, most managers can easily identify ways to facilitate continued productivity. But when an employee says they are suffering from depression, most

managers are at a loss for how to accommodate the condition.

The federal ADA law requires employers with 15 or more employees to offer accommodations to employees who present a request and can substantiate a disability. Large corporations long ago developed protocols to address and accommodate mental health disorders. Most have human resource specialists experienced in handling accommodation requests, and some even have in-house legal counsel oversee complying with the ADA. But for smaller employers, there is a substantial need for training and establishment of policies and practices to avoid missteps under the ADA.

Support Animal

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is an organization that offers practical guidance on ADA compliance to employers of all sizes and types. Among its expertise, JAN helps employers consider the feasibility and effectiveness for workplace accommodations alternatives. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, JAN provides free guidance and technical assistance to employers seeking feasible job accommodation solutions, along with a free toolkit, targeted to help employers develop policies to promote an inclusive environment for all individuals.

Companies are expected to take steps to reasonably accommodate persons with disabilities so the employees can perform the essential job functions. Because people experience mental health issues in a variety of ways, the accommodations are evaluated on an individual basis. The U.S. Office of Disability Employments provides a few examples of accommodations for mental health disorders:

• Allowing an employee to telecommute or work remotely;

• Flexibility in work hours;

Judith Wright

• Adjusting work hours around counseling or therapy appointments;

• Permitting food or drinks to mitigate known side effects of medications;

• Providing quieter and less distractive workspaces;

• Software to remove distractions when working on a computer; and

• Reapportioning job duties among workers.

Accommodations can be extended to allow an employee to bring a support animal to work or have a temporary job coach on site to help with training and adjustment. The bottom line is, employers are expected to find ways, if feasible and not cost prohibitive, to help the person with disabilities be a successful employee.

Filing Complaints

A request for an accommodation doesn’t necessarily need to be in writing. Requests should be handled with the same level of review, regardless of whether it involves a physical condition or a mental health concern or some combination of both. The law allows the employer to seek input from a mental health professional regarding the employee’s condition and suggested options for accommodation. Often the request results in an interactive process to identify a feasible solution that allows the employee to remain productive.

This is not to say that an employer is required to hire everyone. Companies are not required to comply with all accommodation requests, especially if the requests are cost-prohibitive, impractical or infeasible. Nor are they required to lower performance standards or productivity requirements. An employer is not prohibited from terminating an employee who is disruptive in the workplace or presents a potential danger to others.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission oversees complaints about employer mishandling of workplace accommodations. Workers who believe accommodations for mental health conditions have been wrongly denied can file complaints and request an EEOC evaluation. Last year, the EEOC received roughly 8,400 complaints from those who claimed

their employer discriminated against them due to mental health issues. That number represents nearly 30% of all claims filed against employers for workplace discrimination. It is estimated the occurrence of mental health discrimination is actually higher, as many employees are reluctant to bring a formal complaint. Unfortunately, whether an employer’s efforts to accommodate an employee were reasonable and up to expectations is often a subjective determination. Once challenged, the employer’s decision is reviewed with hindsight. Nonetheless, the EEOC looks favorably on employers who earnestly attempt to accommodate employees with disabilities.

Likewise, feeble attempts at accommodation are subject to harsh outcomes. As an example, in October 2022, the EEOC ordered a company to pay $175,000 in damages to an employee who was terminated after she disclosed to her supervisor that she had a panic attack and was taking medication to treat anxiety and PTSD. Earlier in the year, the EEOC brought a lawsuit against Hobby Lobby for refusing to allow an employee with PTSD, anxiety and depression to bring her trained service dog to work (noting that customers are permitted to bring service animals into their stores).

In today’s environment, it is essential for employers of all sizes to have policies that anticipate and will accommodate workers with mental health issues. All employers should face the reality that a workforce that copes with mental health disorders has become a fact of American life.

Judith Wright is a Clinical Professor of Business Law and Mosaic Senior Faculty Fellow at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Do You Discriminate?

If You Have a Brain, You Have a Bias

If you have a brain, you have a bias; and if you have a bias, you have the potential to discriminate. Bias is when we put people into “groups” and treat them differently based on preconceived beliefs about them based on fear or misunderstanding. Discrimination is differing treatment of people based on an immutable characteristic such as sex, gender, race, national origin, age, or other legally protected category. But where do we get the preconceived beliefs about people that create the initial biases?

Social and cultural norms are engrained in us from birth to adulthood. Biases and discrimination can be perpetuated by the social and cultural norms without us even realizing it. What we believe is “normal” can be discriminatory, and we must critically examine our own biases, and how those biases manifest into discriminatory actions, to combat discrimination.

Identification of Biases

One way to identify our own biases is through studies and tests hosted by non-profits and university research. For example, Project Implicit, a non-profit organization, is composed of researchers that focus on implicit social cognition. The mission of Project Implicit is to educate the public about bias and to provide a “virtual laboratory for collecting data on the internet.” Project Implicit offers free online tests to help people recognize their own biases, whether known or unknown. The tests span from racial bias to weight (obesity) bias and anything in between. The tests can be a starting point for people to recognize and combat their own biases and discrimination. However, taking the test is not enough. People must take the initiative to eradicate their own biases (once known) to combat

discrimination, especially in the context of business.

Bias/Discrimination in Business Discrimination in business is commonplace, particularly in recruitment, hiring, promotions, and discharge.

Recruitment

Most jobs start with an application process, generally consisting of a candidate submitting a resume to the potential employer. At the top of a resume is the candidate’s name. Bias and discrimination start with

Hiring

the single name on top of the resume. The hiring personnel reviewing the resume start to form a mental image about the candidate based solely on the candidate’s name. The hiring personnel reviewing the resume start to assume the candidate’s gender, race, and personality based on the candidate’s name. How can a person make such assumptions? Hiring personnel draw from their own experiences and cultural norms. Certain names are more common in minority populations. Certain names are more common for females versus males. Certain names have older origins that signal a person’s older age. Certain names draw out emotions of the hiring personnel based on the hiring personnel’s past experiences and acquaintances, whether good or bad. A single name on top of a resume can create so many assumptions that can influence whether an employer calls the candidate in for an interview.

Bias and discrimination appear in the screening process once the candidate obtains an interview. Placement tests and qualifications assigned to a job are discriminatory when they are not relevant to the position advertised. Aptitude and intelligence can also be discriminatory when they are used to disqualify minorities, who are otherwise qualified for the job, but who are unfamiliar with the language, concepts, and social situations used in the aptitude and intelligence tests. For example, if a job requires a high school diploma or higher degree that is primarily a manual task such as mowing a yard, the requirement could be a basis for discrimination because statistically minorities have less access to education. In addition, stereotypes of male and female can also be imposed. For example, females should be receptionists, or males should be construction workers.

Promotions

Bias and discrimination appear in promotions within a business. For example, some employers place males on separate job tracks than women and/or minorities. Seniority systems can be discriminatory if a business has a history of past discrimination and only promotes employees based on seniority, meaning that the most tenured employees get promoted, which are normally Caucasian males. In addition, promotions based on supervisors’ recommendations can be discriminatory to the extent that the supervisors rely on their own stereotypes or only promote their friends or people most like them.

Cari Sheehan

Businesses can train employees, supervisors, and C-Suite executives to recognize their own biases and biases in others.

Discharge

Bias and discrimination appear in discharge and lay-offs within a business. Discharging an employee based on a protected classification is discrimination. A less blatant form of discrimination in discharge could include a business having a policy that relies on seniority systems in which women and minorities have the lowest seniority because of past discrimination.

Remedies to Bias/ Discrimination in Business

There is no “one size fits all” remedy to combat discrimination in business. However, there are some practices that businesses can incorporate to help eradicate discrimination. Businesses can train employees, supervisors, and C-Suite executives to recognize their own biases and biases in others. Businesses can implement blind hiring processes, such as removing the candidates’ names on the top of resumes and assigning a number

system to resumes when choosing candidates to interview. The veil of ignorance regarding the candidates’ names helps the hiring personnel focus on a candidates’ qualifications and not a candidates’ immutable characteristics. Businesses should also apply all policies and procedures fairly and equally to everyone, and not have separate sex/gender tracks

within the business. While these remedies may not fully eradicate discrimination within a business, it is a step in the right direction. HCBM

Cari Sheehan is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Indiana University Kelley School of Business - Indianapolis. Ms. Sheehan focuses her teaching and research on business ethics and business law. Ms. Sheehan is also a practicing attorney in the Indianapolis community helping attorneys on a variety or legal claims including attorney ethics.

This article should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own lawyer on any specific legal questions you may have concerning your situation.

Businesses can implement blind hiring processes, such as removing the candidates’ names on the top of resumes and assigning a number system to resumes when choosing candidates to interview.

9th Street Bistro defied the odds Creative Cuisine Creative Cuisine Creative Cuisine

he restaurant business is notoriously difficult. In fact, one out of three restaurants will go out of business in its first year according to the National Restaurant Association, and that’s in a normal year. When you throw a pandemic into the mix, that could be a “recipe” for disaster.

Samir and Rachel Mohammed, owners of 9th Street Bistro in Noblesville, could easily have been among the failures when they opened their restaurant in early 2020 just as the pandemic was hitting. Despite the unfortunate timing, their passion for their business, perseverance and creativity not only helped them survive and thrive but could be models for other businesses encountering difficult times.

Easy Leap

Samir, aka “Chef Samir” has a long food background that began as a 13 year old dishwasher at a restaurant in his hometown of Taos, New Mexico. Four years in the Coast Guard afforded him the opportunity to attend Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco which resulted in culinary awards on his ship and a Dietary Nutrition degree.

In 2006, after moving to Denver, he worked as Executive Chef at several highly rated restaurants which led to awards as “Best Rising Chef” and eventually to the chance to cook in the James Beard Kitchen in New York City. Following a stint traveling the world as a food consultant for a resort company Samir returned to Denver in 2015 and was involved in several successful restaurants.

Rachel, who is from Indiana and an IU grad with a background in Arts Administration, Nonprofits and Management, met Samir after moving to Denver for work. She jumped at the chance to change career paths when Samir asked her to join him in opening a restaurant in Breckenridge, Colorado. “When I fell in love with a Chef, I quickly learned that because of this industry’s atypical hours, I’d need to be in this world in order for our relationship to work. It was an easy leap for me, as someone who has had a lifelong passion for food, beverages and hospitality,” says Rachel adding, “we have found that our strengths and weaknesses balance each other well.”

Rustic Twist

After operating two different restaurants in Denver the couple felt they made a good team and loved working together. “My passion for hospitality, experience managing people and skills in marketing and accounting matches Samir’s vast knowledge of and propensity for making great food. He is organized, creative and runs an efficient kitchen with little waste,” says Rachel, who adds that Samir’s love for local, seasonal and organic ingredients sets his dishes apart. He puts his own rustic twist on the classics, using farm-fresh ingredients as much as possible, as well as curing his own meats, making his own cheeses, and baking bread daily. So, they set out to open a restaurant of their own and chose to do it in Indiana to be close to family and because of the proximity to the farmers growing and raising the food they use in their business. “We wanted to create something more than a great meal— we want to offer a memorable dining experience. Creating relationships with people in our community brings us joy, and since we love food and drinks, it was natural for us to open a small, neighborhood Bistro,” says Rachel. They chose downtown Noblesville for their small neighborhood bistro. Samir says they love the area and being close to local farms. “I love the idea of being close to where the food is coming from,” he says adding that the term “farm to table” gets thrown around a lot but it’s all he’s ever known. “Working in

restaurants as a kid it was just the way of life. It was the way we cooked food.”

Sunday Supper Club

Rachel and Samir took over their space at 56 South 9th Street in January 2020, and began a three month remodel process bringing in kitchen equipment and getting ready to open in April. Obviously, the pandemic had something to say about that and they were faced with deciding how to proceed. “When we set out to open our business, we agreed that we would have to stay flexible and find the balance between staying true to our passions and values, and meeting the demands of a new market. We didn’t anticipate that we’d be tested in the way we were during the pandemic! Looking back now, the pandemic allowed us time to get to know our community and the needs of our market,” says Rachel.

An option for most restaurants during the pandemic was resorting to take-out but Samir and Rachel had no reputation yet and were against the idea of typical take-out because they felt that their fresh local food wouldn’t travel well and would violate their values. So they punted with a creative way of making it work. “We imagined the Sunday Supper Club; doing takeout but on our terms,” says Rachel, adding that it was so successful that they have kept it as another revenue stream. “And more importantly, a solution for people and families seeking quality and convenient meals and provisions,” she adds.

The Sunday Supper Club is a new menu weekly of fresh food that can be reheated well. The menu is available for ordering on Tuesdays with pickup on Sundays. Rachel says they have customers who did not miss one week of the Sunday Supper Club throughout the pandemic.

Despite the challenges that a restaurant brings such as staffing, supply chain shortages and rising costs of rent, supplies and marketing, Rachel says they are very pleased with the success and support they’ve had. “We have found a community of people who share our passion for food and drinks, appreciate our commitment to using fresh, local ingredients and value the atmosphere we’ve created at the Bistro. And we do this alongside a team of individuals dedicated to accomplishing our same goal of delivering a memorable dining experience,” she says. Samir and Rachel say they have been overwhelmingly welcomed in Hamilton County and are focusing on the personable, cozy atmosphere that they have created at their bistro while planning other concepts they hope to open in Noblesville in the future.

In an age when there are so many chain restaurants and small farms are being encroached upon, Rachel thinks there’s a lot at stake. “If we lose small farms and local restaurants then we’ve lost our character,” she says.

Samir sums up why he has such a passion for his profession. “What I love about food is that it brings people together.” HCBM

Serving Northern Hamilton County

One of the Chamber’s most popular events, the annual Charity Bottle Auction is coming up! We will be set up at United Animal Health surrounded by a wide assortment of wrapped bottles for the highest bidder. In addition, guests will enjoy a special holiday performance from the Hamilton Heights choir.

As in previous years, we are asking members to giftwrap a bottle or two of something to donate, this could be your favorite alcoholic beverage or something disguised to surprise the highest bidder such as a bottle of salad dressing (the only limits are your imagination). Collections for bottles for this year’s auction are currently underway. All proceeds from this year’s auction will be allocated to our not-for-profit members. If you would like to donate a bottle please email jesy.ide@nhccoc.org.

This event will take place on December 8 from 11:30 - 1 pm at United Animal Health. 4310 W State Rd 38, Sheridan, Indiana 46069

Camp Bow Wow COMING SOON Noblesville, IN www.campbowwow.com/noblesville/

Luncheons the second Thursday of every month.

January 12 - 11:30 am - 1 pm

Local Dining Panel Cicero Town Hall

February 9 - 11:30 am - 1 pm Entreprenuership and the Chamber Sheridan Public Library

March 9 - 11:30 am - 1 pm

Corey Sylvester of Edward Jones Red Bridge Community Building

April 13 - 11:30 am - 1 pm

Carey Lively, The Pursuit Institue Remnant Coffee House

May 11 - 11:30 am - 1 pm State of the Towns Address Arcadia Town Hall

May 12 - 4 - 7 pm

Sheridinner Fish Fry Biddle Park, Sheridan

Please check the Chamber website and follow us on Facebook for the most up to date calander. nhccoc.org @NHCChamber

The Mayor’s Award

Robert’s Settlement –

DECEMBER

December Luncheon

Ritz Charles

December 6, 2022

11:00am – 1:00pm

Eggs & Issues

The Palladium

December 9, 2022

8:00am – 9:00am

Upcoming Events

JANUARY

Caffeinated Conversation

Monterey Coastal Cuisine

January 10, 2023

8:30am – 9:390am

Eggs & Issues

The Bridgewater Club

January 13, 2023

7:30am – 9:00am

OWN Tactical Workshop

Prairie View Golf Club

January 24, 2023

8:30am – 9:30am

Cost Reduction Presentation by Schooley Mitchell

January 26, 2023

8:30am – 9:30am

Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year!

From the OneZone Team

Welcome All of Our New Members!

Click on the New Member Company Names Below and Visit their OneZone Member Directory Contact Information.

Atalian US Ohio Valley Inc.

Ben Buys Indy Houses

Carmel City Lifestyle

Carmel Jazz Festival, Inc.

City Wide Facility Solutions

Elevated Image Suites

FlexWerk

Harba Solutions, Inc.

Home2 Suites by Hilton IndianapolisKeystone Crossing

Indianapolis Zoo

Jinya Ramen Bar

Jug’s Catering Just Tacos Time

Northwestern Mutual - Fishers

OneMidwest Financial Partners Outlook Hamilton

Pence Media Group

Platinum Patio and Pavers Indianapolis

The Purple Guys ReUse Computers

Shelly Walters Realty Group SMC Corporation sweetgreen Fishers (Opening Early 2023)

The Original Gridiron Gang & Foundation

The Skillman Corporation Webence

Click Here Now and Visit the OneZone Member Directory

SIGNS AND BANNERS

Logan St. Signs & Banners

1720 South 10th St. Noblesville, IN 317-773-7200

Open M-F 8-5

www.loganSt.signs.com www.noblesvilletrophies.com www.noblesville.com www.HamiltonCountyTV.com

Digitally printed signs and banners of any size, vehicle wraps and graphics, T-shirt printing, laser engraving. Great customer service, fast turnaround. Family Owned and Operated. Serving Noblesville and Hamilton County since 1992. Also home of Noblesville Trophies. 773-7391

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

Sharp Business Systems of Indiana

7330 East 86th St. Indianapolis, IN 46256 317-844-0033 www.sbsindiana.com

We are serious about improving our clients businesses by updating office technology, managing office printing and streamlining critical business processes. Sharp Business Systems of Indiana, a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, can increase your company’s bottom line.

Hamilton County’s 200th Birthday

tarting in January and continuing throughout 2023, the people of Hamilton County will have a once in a lifetime opportunity. They will be part of the activities to recognize the two hundred years since the county was founded. This will be an opportunity to examine and celebrate all of the county’s history.

The county was originally established by state legislature on January 8, 1823 which said:

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Indiana, that from and after the first Monday in April next (1823) all that part of the county of Marion, and north of Marion, contained in the following bounds, shall form and constitute a separate county, viz: Beginning on the range line dividing ranges 2 and 3, east of the second principal meridian, at the southwest corner of section seven, in township 17, and range 3, thence running north on the said range line, to the township line dividing townships 20 and 21, thence east on the said township line to the northwest corner of section 5, in township 20, range 6, thence south on the section line to the southeast corner of section 8, township 17, and range 6, and thence west on the section line to the place of beginning.

Section 2. The said new county shall be known and designated by the name of Hamilton, and shall enjoy all the rights, privileges and jurisdiction, which to separate and independent counties do or may properly appertain or belong.

The first Board of Commissioners convened on May 12. At that time, the county was divided into two townships, White River and Delaware, which eventually became the nine that we have today.

Development of the area had a slow start. Calvin Fletcher, an important central Indiana settler, rode through here in May of 1824 and wrote in his diary, “We went by the way of Noblesville which is laid off on the N[orth] side of W[hite] River in a very thickly timbered country—not a stick missing.” The county started growing

many of the local communities were segregated so much of the growth came from “white flight” from Indianapolis. 1968 was indicative of a turning point which saw the last KKK rallies at the same time that Murphy White was elected to be the first African American member of Noblesville City Council. That year also saw the establishment of the Noblesville Human Relations Commission, which was created to confront racial issues.

By the 1980s, demographics and attitudes began to change. The county saw more diversity in its population as cities like Carmel and Fishers boomed. There was also growth in the arts and humanities as theater groups and museums were established.

in the 1830s when towns like Westfield, Cicero, Germantown, and Bethlehem (Carmel) were established. By the time the first railroad came through in 1851, much had changed.

The county grew even more during natural gas boom which started in 1887, but failed within twenty years. The 1923 centennial of the county happened at a problematic time with a loss of population and the growth of the Ku Klux Klan. We have a lot of information about the centennial events, many of which would be inappropriate today.

Among other things, the centennial pageant staged an “Indian attack” which never actually happened.

The county really didn’t start to recover until the 1950s with the start of suburban growth. At that time,

Hamilton County’s Bicentennial will look at all of this history through our five themes—arts, diversity, education, historic preservation, and parks/ environment. Programs funded through our grant program will take place every month of 2023, with a full calendar of events located at www.hamcoturns200.com/events Additionally, our opening ceremony will be an opportunity to learn about all five of our themes alongside entertainment

from the Creative Director for the Center for Performing Arts, Michael Feinstein! Join us on January 22nd, 2023 at 3pm at the Palladium in Carmel. Tickets can be reserved for the free event at https://thecenterpresents. org/tickets-events HCBM

David Heighway is the Hamilton County Historian. Jessica Layman is the Hamilton County Bicentennial Coordinator

David Heighway and Jessica Layman