HR departments need to be aware of various compliance issues related to employees.

HR staff might not be lawyers, but they often have to be aware of various pieces of legislation to do their jobs properly. The rules will vary across different states, but there are also federal laws to pay attention to. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to HR or you’re an experienced professional; you need to understand the rules and how to stick to them. Here are some of the key issues that you need to understand if you work in HR.

Anti-discrimination Law

The laws on discrimination have tended to vary widely between states and there are still differences when it comes to various issues. But there are some federal laws that you need to pay attention to and that offer fairly comprehensive protection.

Discrimination on a number of protected classes is illegal, including sex, race, age and disability. Some specific things to be aware of include Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Some legislation only applies to businesses of a certain size. Smaller businesses with fewer than 15 employees, for example, don’t have to follow the ADA.

Wages and Unemployment

Paying your employees a fair wage isn’t just something the law says you should do. It’s also often something that a business needs to do in order to attract the right employees. The federal minimum wage is $7.25, although it’s lower for employees whose wages are topped up with tips.

Different states may have different minimum wages too. You should also consider unemployment benefits law.

Employers are usually required by the state to pay into an unemployment program for their employees. This helps employees to have an income when they’re no longer working for your company.

Safety

Keeping employees safe is another vital responsibility for businesses. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) makes sure that employees have safe work environments. This can include a variety of duties, such as preventing fires and recording and reporting employee injuries.

All employees deserve to be safe at work and to have the right equipment and protective clothing needed to safely do their jobs. They should also have the right training and supervision to make it possible for them to work safely. It’s important to make sure you comply with OSHA requirements across various issues.

Unions

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is important to pay attention to in regards to unions. Even if your workplace isn’t unionized, you should be aware of the regulations. It’s important not to be seen to be interfering with employees’ rights to improve their working conditions or to unionize.

Things have been changing in the last few years, so it’s important to stay up to date with key decisions and how they might affect the actions and advice an HR department offers.

People in HR don’t have to be experts on all compliance issues, but it is helpful if they know at least the basics for key issues.

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