As an employer in San Diego, you have myriad legal obligations to the people who work for you. If you fail to live up to these obligations, you could face lawsuits and you could also face action from government agencies ranging from the Department of Labor to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
On employment law matters, it is important that you are proactive, rather than reactive, whenever possible. It is far better to insulate your company from lawsuits and government citations than it is to respond and fight after something has gone wrong. This means that the time to talk to an employment lawyer in San Diego is before problems arise. Sepahi Law Group, APC can provide you with invaluable assistance managing your employer/employee relationships in a way that helps your business maximize its human resource potential while protecting the business over the long-term.
When to Talk to an Employment Lawyer in San Diego
As an employer, it is a good idea to talk to an employment lawyer as soon as you hire your first employee. During the hiring process, it is important you follow all non-discrimination rules and that you do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, old age, and disability status. Even conducting a hiring test that seems legitimate could be considered discrimination if it has a disparate impact on a protected class. An attorney can advise you on smart hiring practices that can reduce the risk that you will be sued.
When you actually bring the employee on board in your company, you must make sure that they are legally allowed to work in the United States and you must complete all paperwork for the new hire. You need to fulfill your payroll tax obligations with the Internal Revenue Service and pay an appropriate wage to avoid problems with the Department of Labor or accusations of wage discrimination. An attorney can help at this stage as well, explaining your rights and obligations and helping to develop an appropriate protocol for dealing with new hires.
Drafting a company handbook is also advisable as soon as you begin to hire employees so that the code of conduct is understood and so you make clear that violations will not be tolerated. Employers can reduce their risk of being found liable in hostile work environment cases if they can show that they had strict policies and a way for workers to report problems safety. Your employee handbook will include the details you need to protect against litigation, and your lawyer will help with the drafting.
Your employment lawyer in San Diego will also guide and advise you on a huge number of other employment law matters including OSHA compliance, non-compete agreements; required workers’ compensation and unemployment coverage, and wage and hour laws. You do not want to make a mistake that can cost you when you bring employers into work or when you already have people doing work for your business. Sepahi Law Group, APC can help you to take a strategic approach to interacting with workers so you foster positive relationships while reducing the risk of legal problems. Call today to learn how we can represent your business.