Which Laws Apply to You?

Depending upon the size of your employee population, certain laws may apply to you! It is important that you know which laws those are, so you can comply. Staying compliant with state and federal employment laws can help keep your business out of trouble. It’s important to make updates to your policies if you meet a certain employee-mark. While some laws are mandatory despite the number of employees in the company, others only become active once you meet a threshold. For instance, COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) are only for employers who have 20+ workers.

All employers, regardless of size, must comply with a large number of employment laws, such as harassment in the workplace, wage and hour laws, child labor, domestic violence laws, paid sick leave, and unemployment insurance laws. Certain laws apply to virtually every employer even if they only have one employee. Many of these laws are mandated to provide employees with a safe and fair working environment.

Employers with 20 or more employee will need to comply with COBRA laws, while employers with 15 or more employees will need to comply with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) laws. The COBRA law is enacted to provide workers and their families with continuous health care coverage when group health coverage would otherwise be lost due to certain events. THE ADA laws on the other hand, is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against employees who have disabilities. Employers are required to provide accommodations to disabled employees and ensure that they are provided the same opportunities and benefits as everyone else.

Laws change when you have 2, 4, 5, 16, 16, 20, 25, 50, 75 or 100 employees. As your business grows, so do the laws you are required to comply with. Make sure your company and management staff is aware of what type of employees fit into this category (e.g., part-time, independent contractors). Certain laws also apply to a specific type of employers whether it’s a non-profit, a private-sector, or a governmental organization.

We can educate you as to which laws you must comply with. We can make sure your employee handbook is up to date with the laws that do apply to you, and which should be included in your employee handbook. Knowing all the laws that apply to your specific organization can get overwhelming. Luckily, we’re experienced and knowledgeable when it comes to dealing with employment laws and can help you determine which ones are applicable to your company. An updated employee handbook keeps the most accurate and current information regarding your individual policies and procedures and is an easily accessible way for your employees to get information about the company rules and their rights.