At your business, you’re the expert. You know everything there is to know about your products, services, customers, and employees. But how much do you know about state and federal labor laws? If you’ve got a sheepishly-clueless look on your face right now, don’t feel too bad. You’d be surprised how many people start a small business without the slightest idea of all the rules and regulations that they’re going to have to follow the second the hire an employee.
At The Medical Link, we provide access to superior online HR services so the precious hours in your day are spent doing the things you love to do, not worrying about whether or not you’re going to be called out for an unintentional violation.
Keep reading to learn five of the most important employment laws with which every employer should be familiar, and then contact The Medical Link so we can make sure you start handling your hiring and compliance with the right staff and the right advice today!
1. Minimum Wage Law
In the United States, wages are governed by The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) at the federal level. According to the Department of Labor, “The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. However, many states also have higher minimum wage laws. Some state laws provide greater employee protections; employers must comply with both.” The FLSA also dictates that time-and-a-half overtime must be paid to non-exempt and hourly employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek. Employers are not allowed to tinker with work weeks or demand that their employees work off the clock in order to avoid paying out overtime.
2. Age Discrimination
All business owners want to keep their overhead costs as low as possible, but you can’t let a person’s proximity to retirement affect your decision to hire, fire, or promote a certain individual.
3. Military Leave
Hiring veterans is a great move for companies who want to appear patriotic and supportive of military service people, but it’s important to realize that with this benefit comes great responsibility. According to The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), it’s absolutely illegal to avoid hiring enlisted or volunteer military personnel. It’s also illegal to fire these individuals simply because they’re called away to active duty. When these employees return from active duty tours of less than five years, it is a requirement that employers restore them to their old jobs or to equal jobs.
4. Gender-Pay Differences
According to The Equal Pay Act of 1963, “No employer…shall discriminate…between employees on the basis of sex by paying wages to employees in such establishment at a rate less than the rate at which he pays wages to employees of the opposite sex in such establishment for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions.” If an employee suspects, and can prove, that they’re being paid less or more because of their gender, it could mean big trouble for your business.
Feeling overwhelmed by all the rules and regulations you have to follow when hiring, firing, or promoting your employees? Let the online HR experts at The Medical Link make sure you have the right advisors to take care of all these compliance issues for you. Contact us today.
