Description

This guide walks you through the many complicated procedures associated with keeping your business in compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  As an employer, you are responsible for seeing to the needs of your employees, and this guide helps you navigate through the complex situations that arise when an employee requires medical leave or a reasonable accommodation for a disability.  Have you ever asked a question like one of the following:

• Who is eligible for medical leave?
• What constitutes a disability?
• Which documentation can I request from an employee seeking medical leave?
• What if I can not afford to accommodate a disability? 
• Which forms need to be completed for military family leave?

Failure to comply with the FMLA and ADA correctly can lead to costly penalties. That is why this publication includes tips and tricks, forms, and more to keep you out of trouble and in compliance with the law. 

This publication also includes important information on other leave and disability issues. Check out these topics if you are unfamiliar with FMLA and ADA or want to brush up on what’s important:

• Do same-sex domestic partners qualify for family medical leave?
• Do I need to keep medical records separate from other employee files?
• Am I practicing reasonable accommodation?
• Am I properly displaying all FMLA posters?
• What pre-employment questions are considered discriminatory?

Description

The laws governing employee benefits are very detailed and very complex. Benefits take many forms, from simple holiday pay to complicated pension plans, this guide is intended to provide a well-rounded overview of the complex principal laws that apply when an employer provides benefits for its employees. 

From basic definitions to information on particular types of benefits, this guide covers what you need to know to stay in compliance. Have you ever asked a question like this:

• Are my benefits plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act?
• What are the advantages of group health plans?
• How will the Health Care Reform Act affect my coverage?
• When should severance be paid?
• What health care coverage is available for recently terminated employees?

Providing your employees with benefits can open you up to discrimination claims under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Age Discrimination and Employment Act (ADEA). That’s why this publication includes in-depth explanations, tips for compliance, and a break down of benefit types to keep your business out of trouble. 

Description

This guide walks you through the many complicated procedures associated with verifying the work authorization of your workers and maintaining a business that is in compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). As an employer, you are responsible for verifying that every individual on your workforce is eligible to work in the United States – that means paperwork and lots of it!

Completing the Form I-9 is a crucial step in the employment process, but one that is riddled with pitfalls for employers. Have you ever asked a question like this:

• Where do I get the I-9 form?
• Who do I submit it to?
• Which documents can be used to complete the I-9? Passports? Driver’s licenses? Do they count?
• How can I be sure that I am filling the form out correctly? 
• What if I have employees who have worked for me prior to November 6, 1986?

Failure to complete the Form I-9 correctly can lead to costly penalties. That is why this publication includes tips and tricks, forms, checklists, and more to keep you out of trouble and in compliance with the law. 

This publication also includes important information on other employment verification issues. Check out these topics if you are unfamiliar with employment verification or want to brush up on what’s important:

• Have all of your employees hired after November 6, 1986, completed I-9 Forms, and do you have the I-9 Form for each current employee?
• Do you make photocopies of the identification documents provided by your employees?
• Do you know what to do if an immigration officer has a warrant for the arrest of an employee? 
• Do you inform an employee of a Further Action Notice and give an opportunity to contest? 

Description

Hiring, firing, and discipline: three topics that affect every employer, no matter the size. Your employees are your greatest resource – however, they also represent a potential source of numerous liability concerns. This manual focuses on all the issues faced by employers and managers, with seven state-by-state charts and 18 chapters, covering topics such as:

Pre-employment issues
• Crafting a task-focused job advertisement
• Handling applications
• How to establish an employment-at-will doctrine

Interviews
• Sample questions and what to avoid asking about
• ADA concerns like reasonable accommodation
• Union-related questions

Employee personnel files
• Separation of medical paperwork
• Employee access
• Sarbanes-Oxley compliance

Discipline and termination
• Performance appraisals and progressive discipline
• Common discipline and discharge pitfalls
• Tips for a risk-free termination meeting

Description

The Department of Labor estimates that nearly 70% of employers are in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). With fines and penalties, small errors in wage and hour administration can quickly snowball into embarrassing and expensive situations for your company. When to pay, who to pay, how much to pay – there are so many questions that employers have to answer. 

This manual focuses on all of these wage-related issues, providing 20 chapters and 2 appendices, covering topics such as: 

Covered and exempt employees
• Exempt vs. non-exempt employees
• Classifying trainees and interns
• Commonly asked questions and answers 

Determining work time
• Defining “hours worked”
• Rest and meal periods
• How to record work time

Overtime compensation
• Computation of overtime compensation
• Exemptions from overtime
• Unauthorized overtime

In addition to in-depth material concerning the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), this guide is complete with state-by-state charts breaking down specific, local regulations. Check out tables detailing:

• State minimum wage amounts
• State payment of wages (including payment of final wages)
• State direct deposit regulations

Description

The Workplace Safety and Health Compliance Manual is the essential guide to understanding the OSH Act, OSHA standards, and employer obligations associated with safety and health in the workplace. This book covers topics such as: 

• Recordkeeping requirements
• Reporting requirements
• Inspections
• Citations and civil penalties
• Affirmative defenses 
• Development of a comprehensive health and safety program

In addition to 14 in-depth chapters, the guide provides 31 appendices to help employers stay in compliance with the OSH Act, including:

• Development of a comprehensive health and safety program
• Safety and inspection checklists
• Model hazard communication and lockout/tagout programs
• Sample forms (OSHA Form 300 and hazard assessment)
• State-specific contact information 
• Emergency action plan
• U.S. Department of Labor regional OSHA offices 

This publication was written by Ed Foulke, Jr., a partner with Fisher & Phillips LLP and former head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington, DC.