It's deeper than that as there are other aspects you need to see which can impact your business in one way or another. One aspect business owners tend to overlook is the importance of tackling employment issues in the workplace.
While it is stressful to deal with employment issues, they should not be swept under the rug. Even though many people consider employment issues as normal, as a business owner, you must strive to put off the fire before your company gets engulfed in flames. But the more important question now is, what are the 5 major kinds of employment laws and why should it be a big deal for the business owners?
5 Major Kinds of Employment Laws
Here are the different employment laws every entrepreneur should know.
Civil Law
The civil rights law focuses on protecting employees against any type of discrimination. You cannot hire, promote, or fire an employee on the sole basis of the following characteristics.
- Religion
- Race
- Age
- Gender
- Medical condition
- Sexual orientation
- Nationality
- Whistleblowing
You need to be fair in every decision you make in your workplace. There are other civil rights laws out there, but all of them have one main goal: to protect everyone from discrimination.
Compensation Law
As the term suggests, compensation law aims to secure the workers' wages. No matter how motivated and eager your workers are because of their passion, they still work with the intent to earn money. To protect their rights, the compensation law targets the following:
- Requirements of minimum wage
- Pay rate and working hours for minors
- Overtime pay
- Accident or injury compensation of workers
- Child labor
You need to adhere to these laws to ensure that your workers are well-compensated legally. Failing to comply with these laws can lead to severe penalties and damage to your business reputation. LA-based workers who face issues related to their compensation often seek help from employment lawyers in Los Angeles for proper legal guidance. On other other hand, an employment lawyer in santa ana ca can provide the same legal assistance for workers in Santa Ana. The law is on the side of workers, and as an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure they are being treated fairly.
Family and Medical Leave Law
This employment law particularly gives workers the right to take time off work. This is to cater to their own needs like medical reasons. Under this law, a worker has 12 weeks off allocated as their medical leave and family needs in a given year. However, there are still some requisites to satisfy before these rights become vested and these are the following:
- The employee should accumulate 12 months of working prior to the leave period.
- The employee should have a total of 1250 working hours in the past 12 months before taking the leave.
You don’t have to pay your worker when they are on leave, but you can ask them to go back to work if they can.
Workplace Safety Law
As a business owner, you also need to adhere to different safety rules in your workplace. Some agencies strictly implement safety standards for business establishments, and some include requirements like the following.
- Giving workers safety equipment.
- Training workers with their duties, especially when operating heavy machinery.
- Not letting uncertified workers do technical jobs like machine operations.
- Checking that the workers are drug and alcohol-free.
- Informing workers regarding the safety standards.
By following these, you can save yourself from any liability in case your employee gets hurt.
Work Eligibility Law
Work eligibility laws clearly define who can work for a particular job or duty. It sets the standards of being fair when it comes to hiring individuals. For example, when hiring new employees, you should verify and check the immigration status first. If the applicant is undocumented, you can’t hire them because it is illegal. This law itself could be confusing, so it would be better to seek an attorney’s help about the work eligibility of applicants in the United States.
Why understanding these laws are important?
When you understand these pertinent employment laws, you can improve your workplace. You’ll also have less time worrying about lawsuits or fines because you know what law to follow. Likewise, you can offer your workers a healthy environment, which could encourage them to stay in your company for a long time and help you achieve your business goals.
Moreover, it’s understandable that some employment laws are broad, which could give you a hard time digesting them. In this case, it would be best to seek legal advice through an attorney. Your attorney can help you navigate on the right legal track you need to know.