Tag: state

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Employment Laws

Equal Opportunity Employment Laws

Several weeks ago we covered how to write an employee handbook. In our next series, we outline the local, state, and federal laws that you should include in your employee handbook.

Equal Employment

Equal Employment Opportunity prohibits unlawful discrimination based on age, race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability, and genetic information. This also prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who file discrimination complaints.

On top of this, many states and localities have added additional antidiscrimation laws such as health disabilities, gender equality, diversity, and inclusion. Be sure to firstly check what your state and city’s entitlements are and secondly, include them in your employee handbook.

Leave of Absence Laws

Some leave of absence policies, such as personal time off, are based off employer discretion. Others are governed by state and federal laws. Some examples include medical, military, and jury duty leave.

Additional obligations to consider include:

  • FMLA: The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (for employers with 50 or more employees)
  • USERRA: The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
  • ADA: The Americans with Disabilities Act (for employers with 15 or more employees)

As you can see, number of employees influence some of these entitlements as well as location. Another growing trend is paid sick leave. This varies greatly from state to state, so we recommend checking your own locations state and local laws.

This week was just the beginning of Employee Handbook obligations. Stay tuned for next week where we cover wages and drug testing.

Inspiration for this post came from “Employee Handbook 2.0: Aligning Your Policies With Employment Laws,” by Melisa Morrison, published in the April 2022 issue of American Quilt Retailer.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.

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Employee Handbook Part 2

employee handbook

Last week we covered where to start on your employee handbook. Now we’ll cover how to fill in the bones. Read on for a policy outline as well as state and federal regulations.

State and Federal Regulations

Firstly, employment laws change frequently and vary by location. Some recent updates that come to mind include legalization of marijuana and open-carry laws. Both would necessitate an employment policy if these apply to your location.

Second, the best place to start for federal regulations is at the U.S. Department of Labor. We also encourage you to subscribe to their email updates.

Next, each state has an organization that deals with employment law. We recommend you become familiar with your state’s Department of Labor website resources and utilize state contracts. You can find links to individual state offices at the DOL website.

Finally, you always have the option to contract with an employment law attorney who will send you the appropriate legislative updates. This is a huge time-saver and overall the best practice from a liability standpoint.

Handbook Outline

Last but not least, check out below for a way to structure your employee handbook:

  • Introduction to the Company and Values
    • Company mission statement
    • Why you were founded
    • Insight into company culture
  • Employment
    • Local, state, or federally mandated policies
    • General employment policies such as hiring and termination guidelines
  • Compensation
    • Work schedules
    • Lunch and break periods
    • Time reporting
  • Benefits
    • Vacation, sick leave and other time-off policies
    • Employee discounts
  • Workplace Guidelines
    • Safety and security
    • Use of company equipment and services
  • Work Rules / Standards of Conduct
    • Dress code / grooming
    • Cell phone use / personal calls / visitors

We hope you found this information useful in getting started with your employee handbook. Inspiration for this post came from “Yes, You Really Need an Employee Handbook,” by Melisa Morrison published in the February 2022 issue of American Quilt Retailer. Melisa has over 30 years of experience in HR and is the Director of Human Resources for Latex Construction Company.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.