As an employer, it’s up to you to create the policies and regulations that let your employees come to work in a safe and productive work environment. Unfortunately, many employers neglect to put the time and effort into making sure employment law problems don’t come up. Creating a Human Resources department and making sure that you don’t find yourself in court for a lawsuit should be considered priorities for every business owner. We’ve put together a few of the most common issues that can lead to employment law problems so that you have an idea of what to focus on as you create the policies and departments needed to keep your business running from a legal standpoint. Below, you will find 3 common issues that can lead to employment law problems. Remember to reach out to Derryberry & Associates LLP if you are dealing with an employment law issue or would like expert legal advice for your business.

1. Neglecting Employee Complaints

One of the worst things you can do as an organization is neglecting employee complaints. Internal employee disputes will oftentimes lead to an employee filing a complaint to management. It’s important that the supervisors and managers in your company take complaints seriously and handle them the right way. If not, you could find yourself dealing with an employment lawsuit later on down the road. Make sure your employees have a well thought out avenue to file complaints and that HR managers take them seriously.

2. Not Creating an Employee Handbook

Another huge mistake that business owners make when it comes to employment law is not creating an employee handbook. The employee handbook is essentially a guide that provides each employee with expectations related to performance, details on benefits, and a demonstration of the company’s compliance with labor laws. A great employee handbook has all of the company’s policies laid out in an easy to understand way. It’s a great idea to hire a business lawyer like the professionals at Derryberry & Associates LLP to help you create an employee handbook the right way.

3. Poor Employee Training

One of the biggest pitfalls that companies fall into when it comes to employment law is not properly training their employees. You want everyone in the organization to be aware of the company policies and understand anti-discrimination and harassment issues. You can create training that helps your team understand their role as an employee and what options they have when they run into an issue at work. It’s also important to train your Human Resources team to deal with disputes and complaints in a professional and legally acceptable way. Don’t neglect to invest in training your employees, otherwise, you are likely to find yourself dealing with an employment lawsuit.

We hope this article has provided you with some intelligent approaches to employment law that help you avoid expensive lawsuits and errors. Reach out to Derryberry & Associates LLP if you have any questions on employment law or would like expert legal advice for your business.