As a small business owner, keeping abreast of employment law can be something of an arduous task. It is critical that you are aware of employment law to ensure that you do not end up in hot water. Employment laws are country dependent, so while your business may operate in one country, but you reside in another, you will need to ensure that you are fully up to date on all aspects of employment laws and regulations to avoid a courtroom scenario.

In short, employment laws have been put into place to ensure that all employees are protected from any unfair incidents that may arise within the workplace. This means that if an employee is mistreated within your company, there are laws in place to ensure that this does not continue. While employment laws can seem something of a burden, they are put in place to ensure that everyone’s work lives are protected. What is more, if you put in place good codes of practice within your place of employment, you will have a happy, and productive, workforce. By fully cooperating with employment laws, you are ensuring that you are a great employer that everyone will want to work for.

While employment laws can vary from country to country, a general rule of thumb is that all employment laws address the following concerns:

• Employee welfare
• Harassment and bullying
• Discrimination
• Working hours
• Dangerous working environments
• Complying with health and safety laws
• Holiday entitlement
• Breaks and rest periods

Of course, the finer details of each law will be dependent on the country in which your business operates. If you operate within the USA, you can contact a solicitor such as Rosslawgroup.com who will be able to assist you with any queries or questions that you have.

Employment laws have been passed to ensure that suitable working standards have been met. Every employee has the right to work in a clean, safe environment, and their working day should be hindered, or blighted, with workplace bullying. Of course, as a responsible, and ethical, employer you are fully aware of the ramifications of not ensuring that your company is following employment laws that are in place.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of any changes that may occur within employment law. While these laws do not often change, there will largely be a lot of media attention when they do, so it is easy to ensure that you are compliant, and abreast, of any issues or changes that are taking place. In short, your employees are your responsibility and you must ensure that they are safe at all times. Do bear in mind that no one is expecting you to know the finer details of all employment laws, that is what solicitors are for, but you will be expected to know the basic, and fundamental, elements of employment laws to ensure that you have a happy, productive and compliant business.

Employment laws are in place to serve both the employer and the employee. Ensure that you are aware of any issues and use them to your full advantage.

Image Credit: Chris Potter