Some firms who preach to their adivsors... "Do what's right."... "We expect you to operate your business in a legal, ethical, and moral fashion."... are a bunch of f'ng hypocrits. You've read it before on these forumns. The firm I worked for practically forced me to get a degree in employment law. Yes, you know the firm. The firm that has one broker/one assistant offices. If you are a male advisor, don't bother hiring an "assistant". This firm, in my opinion, treated me very, very, very differently because of my gender. HR would be better labeled 'The Risk Management Department'. It's much easier to "harass" a non-profitalble adivisor to quit, than to fire an "assistant" whom could cry 'harassment' an get a settlement for $40k. How can you try to run a finacial services business when the Dow drops from 14K to 7K in 30 months with your 'Bravo Oscar Alpha' trying to get you fired. She succeeded in shedding enough tears to put me on a final written warning, partly because "He messes up my desk, and that bothers me." No you can't fire them, I didn't want to. I wanted a teammate, but I had hired Ms. Know It All. Also it's not called the FA ombudsman line for a reason. One of my female FA counterparts had fired 2 female "assistants" during the time I was on a final written warning. I probably mailed over 1000 'thankyou', 'Holiday', and 'Sympathy' cards to my clients, and this is the treatment I received.  I bleed green for this firm, I nearly went into backruptcy for this firm, I pledged to do the best I could for my clients in the modern day great depression. My assistant, whom obviously was working for a rich, cocky, arrogant, greedy, male, financial advisor was due so much more than her hourly salary. I read a quote the other day referring to one the top republican presidential candidates for the 2012 election... "If you're a male accused of sexual harassment, you're fired. If a male accuses a female of sexual harassment, he's laughed at." Let the Sierra Oscar Bravo's come after... I'm broke. Surely they would waste their precious legal resources on poor lil' ol' me!