Many small businesses believe they do not have to follow federal labor laws. However, these apply to many small businesses, so owners need to know and consider them when establishing employee policies.
Failing to follow them can result in thousands of dollars in fines and jail time. It can also result in having to backpay employees. At the same time, it can also result in lawsuits from employees, which brings court fees, settlements and more. All of this can seriously damage a business, so it is better to know the following laws ahead of time.
Family and Medical Leave Act
The FMLA is one of the commonly misunderstood or ignored laws. It demands that any business with more than 50 employees grants full-time employees 12 weeks of unpaid time off for eligible family and medical issues annually.
National Labor Relations Act
Even companies that do not employ workers in a union still must adhere to the NLRA. This applies to almost every business and allows workers to unionize and conduct activities to grant them their Section 7 rights. Section 7 rights enable employees to discuss various terms of employment, including their wages.
Occupational Safety and Health Act
OSHA is a labor law that wants to reduce the risks of workplace injuries for employees. Established in 1970, it puts regulations into place that minimize the chances of workers injuring themselves.
To learn more about these laws, check Ohio’s state employment law handbook. Additionally, business owners can check with the state’s government offices to know which of these they need to adhere to.