EMPLOyER'S PRACTICAL LEGAL GUIDE Plain Language About ...

xivEmployer’s Practical Legal Guide(Continued from page xii)ment or amend policies and practices so as to keep current withchanging laws and regulations.The Employer’s Practical Legal Guide provides you an opportunityto audit your personnel policies via a series of question-andanswersections covering important points in employment law.Your answers will demonstrate whether your personnel practicesare in compliance with current legal requirements. If you seemto be frequently checking the “Don’t Know” boxes in the audits,that should raise a red flag, warning that you need to consultwith your attorney immediately. At a minimum, you shouldhave an employee manual in place, along with a procedure forinvestigating and remedying employee complaints regardingharassment, discrimination and retaliation.Note that the audits in this report are not exhaustive becausethe questions cannot reflect the myriad of state laws on personnelpractices and compliance requirements. As such, HR personnel oryour attorney should check with your state department of labor orhuman rights commission to ensure compliance with all fed eral,state and local laws. In addition, you may want to have your attorneyconduct a comprehensive audit of your company to ensurecompliance with all applicable laws or to suggest new policies andprocedures to further limit your liability.There’s no question that labor and employment laws arecomplicated and confusing, but your company’s long-term survivalcould depend on how well you understand and complywith them. Spending a few hundred dollars consulting with anattorney, drafting new policies and procedures or rewriting youremployee handbook could save you thousands—possibly millions—ofdollars in legal fees and judgments down the road.In addition, keep in mind that our employment laws allare based on the simple concept of fundamental fairness in theworkplace. Employers who treat their employees with respect willhave a better relationship with them, which will, in turn, translateinto increased productivity and profitability.Keeping that concept in mind when using this special reportwill go a long way toward ensuring that you have an amicablerather than an adversarial relationship with your workforce.