- Wage-and-hour violations (such as insufficient pay, failure to pay overtime, etc.)
- Employee bias (such as discrimination against protected classes)
- Underfunded pension plans
- Harassment
- Independent contractor vs. employee disagreements
- Whether you have a strong anti-harassment and discrimination policy in place, and if you have a solid reporting mechanism for workers who feel they have been harassed or discriminated against. The process should be confidential and you should take all complaints seriously and investigate them. Whatever you do, don’t retaliate against an employee who has filed a complaint, as that could lead to a retaliation lawsuit being filed against your business.
- Reviewing your pay policies to make sure that you are accurately accounting for overtime pay, holiday pay and that you are not paying one class of worker more than another for the same work if they have similar experience and position.
- Reviewing how you are classifying independent contractors to make sure you are not running afoul of the law. The IRS is still taking a serious view of misclassification, and you also run the risk of being sued by someone who feels they should be classified and paid as an employee if you are classifying them as an independent contractor.
- Taking out an employment practices liability insurance policy. These policies cover legal fees associated with the above actions, investigation costs, and judgments and settlements. An EPLI policy could be your company’s lifeline for protecting your assets should your firm be sued.
Related Posts
Saving Your Business from the Threat of Occupational Violence
Over the past 15 years, workplace violence has been among the top four causes of death in the work environment, according to federal statistics. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says almost 2 million American workers report incidents of workplace violence each year, and “many more” cases go unreported. Workplace violence is defined by OSHA […]Safety Risks Soar as Job Market Tightens
One by-product of a strong economy is more employment, but the increased activity usually results in more workplace injuries. That’s because there are more inexperienced people on worksites and when a company is busy and there is more activity, the chances of an incident occurring also increase. This is especially the case in manual labor […]The Health of Your Drivers May Be Hurting Your Business
Most goods in the U.S. are delivered by truck. Trucking companies, businesses that deliver their own product and their customers rely on well-functioning vehicles and drivers for the success of their operations. Too often, though, driving a truck is not conducive to good health. That can spell trouble for the drivers and for the profitability […]Limiting Your Liability During the Company Holiday Party
With the fallout from the #MeToo movement forcing employers to change their internal conduct policies, they are also reassessing the office holiday party. While gatherings can be a good time for your staff to mingle casually with their colleagues and clients, they can also prove to be a liability for businesses – particularly if you […]Marijuana Laws Require New Workplace Policies
As states continue to liberalize marijuana use, employers are left in a bind in terms of enforcing no-drug policies, respecting their employees’ right to privacy and keeping a safe workplace. While a majority of states have medical marijuana laws on their books, only a handful of states require employers to accommodate (to a degree) staff […]
Leave a Reply