Five employment laws every manager should know
It is important for a manager to be well versed with the current employment laws. So here are five you need to know.
How familiar are you with your responsibilities as a business owner a manager? And we’re not just talking your moral responsibilities to treat your staff and customers ethically, but your legal obligations to adhere to the law as an employer.
You’d be surprised at how many small businesses are unaware of their legal responsibilities, and unintentionally break the law as a result. But your employees may not be as ignorant – and can sue you if you don’t adhere to the law.
So, with this in mind, here are five employment laws every business owner and manager should know.
1) NLRA
NLRA, which stands for the national labor relations Act, is a law that enables employees to speak up about their working conditions.
This means that, as a manager, you need to listen to them when they complain about their salaries or their working conditions. This is important to know because most new employees are advised not to discuss their salary packages with their colleagues.
However, if a manager punishes an employee for speaking about their salary and other sensitive employment issues, they will file a lawsuit.
2) ADA
ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities and is often overlooked at workplaces. As a business owner, if you have more than or equal to 15 employees in your workplace, it is essential for you to protect people with disabilities from being discriminated against at work.
If an HR manager tries to overlook a candidate just because they have a disability, the manager will be responsible for reminding them to hire someone on the basis of their merit.
3) ADEA
ADEA, which stands for Age Discrimination in Employment, is another law that most managers are not aware of.
Sometimes, people are discriminated against at work because of their age. You need to be aware of this law because discriminating against someone on the basis of their age can lad to a lawsuit, especially if a prospective candidate is well informed on the workplace laws.
4) FMLA
The Family Medical Leave Act is the only law that is prevalent in most organizations across the globe. However, the problem is, not many companies acknowledge this law.
Most managers agree that an employee will be granted 14 weeks’ leave after delivering a baby. However, FMLA covers more than this.
If anyone from your family is sick, you can qualify for urgent leave. A manager can help the employee by acknowledging their problem and providing them leave under the FMLA.
If you aren’t well versed in these laws, it is best to hire a top employment lawyer to ensure you’re fully versed in your responsibilities.
5) Title 7
This is the most important law in the workplace because it protects employees on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, sex, or pregnancy status.
This means you can’t refuse to hire someone just because they’re pregnant or recently got married. Similarly, you cannot fire an employee because they are not in alignment with your religious beliefs. And if an employee shows up for work after completing her maternity leave, you cannot treat her differently.
Make sure your managers are aware of these laws
If you are a business owner it is your responsibility to ensure you are familiar with these laws – and that your managers are too. And that you all adhere to them, and treat all your employees as they are entitled to be treated with full protection from the law.
