We find a common thread with many small organizations in how they have evolved over time. Sometimes, they are a business that started by one or two people in a garage or basement many years ago, and has now grown into a successful small business of 10 – 50 employees. But, over the years, the owners did not document policies and procedures on how the business would manage its employees and at the same time stay compliant with the myriad of local, state and federal labor laws. Some of the key federal statues that organizations need to be aware of, and comply with are:
National Labor Relations Act
Americans with Disabilities Act
Fair Labor Standards Act
Family and Medical Leave Act
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Many of these statues are amended by state and even local governments to include even more rules that must be followed. This is extremely difficult for businesses who operate in two or more states, where there may be differences in how to administer specific aspects of managing their human capital.
In a lot of cases, these businesses made a conscious decision not to employ a full time human resources professional, instead focusing on the daily work of growing the business, purchasing products, selling products and services, creating a web site, all of those seemingly hundreds of other things that are the the core activities of the business. It is understandable how a “cost center” like a Human Resources Department, or even one dedicated HR person could be a lesser priority than the revenue generating machine that is the primary focus of the business.
All it takes, however, is one wrongful termination lawsuit, one improperly investigated sexual harassment complaint, one fine from the Department of Labor for improper docking of an employee’s pay for unapproved overtime, to totally wreck an otherwise successful small business. Small business owners have worked too hard, have invested too much, to let one mistake in handling an employment issue ruin all that they have worked for.
Managers Resource Group, Inc. can help employers review their current policies and procedures, hopefully in the form of an employee handbook, to help ensure those policies are well documented and compliant with current labor laws. We can review, and if necessary, help organizations write compliant job descriptions. Our team can also review the documentation that the organization has regarding employee termination actions, prior to the termination, to help avoid potential unlawful termination complaints.
Since there are a variety of potential pitfalls in the hiring process, we can work with the employers to ensure the screening and hiring process does not put the employer at risk for future complaints and potential lawsuits.
Managers Resource Group, Inc. has the Human Resources expertise to help small businesses, non-profits and government agencies stay afloat in the stormy seas of employee management.
