Ignorance of the Law is no Excuse!

10 KEY EMPLOYMENT LAWS TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF

For the most part, “common sense” and following the “golden rule” in our everyday lives at home and at work not only enriches our lives, but keeps us out of court, too!

When you think about it, most lawsuits occur because we fail to apply common sense in a given situation, or fail to respect another’s rights. In employment law, our obligation as employers goes well beyond recognizing and allowing the rights of our employees, it means a significant work load for HR professionals to keep companies in compliance.

Record keeping, policy development, conflict resolution, training, hiring and retaining, managing and applying HR strategies and tactics are taxing and tedious tasks – even for the smaller employer.

You don’t have to be an attorney to “know the law,” just to practice it. In addition to the many articles we make available to you free of charge at StrictlyHR.com and the powerful tools through our strategic business partner, HR That Works, you should invest the time in reading and researching the legislative guidelines of the 10 key employment laws that have the greatest impact on your business.

Follow the links below for more information on:

FMLA  http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/ 

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is enforced by the Department of Labor (DOL).  It provides eligible employees unpaid leave during any 12-month period for any of the following reasons: for the birth and care of the newborn child, for placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care, to care for an immediate family member, or to take medical leave.

ADA  www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Home page is operated by the Department of Justice (DOJ).  The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, programs and services provided by state and local governments, goods and services provided by private companies, and in commercial facilities.

COBRA  http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_cobra.html

The Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliated Act (COBRA) amends the ERISA. COBRA provides for the continuation of group health coverage for certain former employees, retirees, spouses, and dependent children.

ERISA  http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/compliance_assistance.html

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) sets uniform minimum standards to assure that employee benefit plans are established and maintained in a fair and financially sound manner.

Federal Minimum Wage Rate  http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm

The federal minimum wage requirements are regulated by the Department of Labor (DOL).

EEOC  www.eeoc.gov

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC enforces the principal federal statutes prohibiting employment discrimination.

FLSA  http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-flsa.htm

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments.  

NLRB  www.nlrb.gov

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent Federal agency created in 1935 to enforce the National Labor Relations Act.  The NLRB conducts secret-ballot elections to determine whether employees want union representation and investigate and remedy unfair labor practices by employers and unions.

OSHA  www.osha.gov

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a division of the DOL.  OSHA investigates and enforces the OSH Act of 1970.

DOL Required Postings  http://www.dol.gov/elaws/posters.htm

This link provides the postings that are required by the Department of Labor (DOL).