When your business is ready to begin employing people, you are going to feel that all too familiar mixture of excitement and nervousness. This might be with good reason because even if your business is ready to begin employing workers, you might not be, as you still might need to brief yourself on the legalities involved and what you need to do in certain situations. To get things started, here are just some of the many legalities that all employers must know before employing workers of any number, from workers’ compensation to wrongful termination.
#1 You need to know about workplace injuries and workers’ compensation
You must learn everything you can about workplace injuries and workers’ compensation for your state. You should probably invest in workers’ compensation anyway, even if your headcount is under the number that legally requires businesses to invest in this.
You need to know about the most common workplace injuries and make sure that you get the compensation that covers all of them so that your employees are well cared for in the sad event of an accident. You need to make sure that you do not cut any corners with this, as it could be detrimental (and possibly even terminal) for your business if you do.
#2 Be mindful of wrongful termination
You need to be mindful of wrongful termination. Know that if you fire or terminate an employee or a co-founder, they can take you to court if they feel that this was an unfair decision on your part. You need to make sure that it is for a good reason when you fire an employee, and you have evidence to back up your reasons why they should have been fired.
If they have been fired for negligence, you should make sure that you have a large number of examples of negligent behavior, either on security cameras or through work and uncompleted documents. If you are firing them for bullying and harassment, you need to make sure that you have witnesses, evidence, and any victims, so they have no possible reason to bring a case against you.
For instance, if you’re planning to terminate your business co-founder due to mismanagement of company finances, such as reckless or unauthorized spending, it’s essential to compile solid evidence to support your decision. This can include detailed financial records, expense reports, bank statements, and any documented approvals or rejections related to spending. Additionally, researching resources like blogs or books focused on how to fire a cofounder and legal considerations can be highly beneficial. These sources can provide insights on handling such separations professionally, including advice on exit agreements, non-disparagement clauses, and legal precautions.
#3 How to prioritize the health and safety of all employees on site
You should know how to prioritize the health and safety of your employees on-site, and if you don’t, you should probably reconsider being a business owner. Most of it is common sense: follow the law, don’t cut corners, listen to your employees when they feel something is unsafe, and provide the proper training.
Unfortunately, you might be shocked at how little some business owners really care about their employees’ well-being and will actively blame the employee and tell them that they are in the wrong. Clearly, this is never the right thing to do, but in the current business climate, it can have some serious knock-on effects that can be detrimental to any business in the short term and in the long term, cause the demise of the business altogether.