Employee Handbook - The Three Must Have's

It is time to update your employee handbook and it is a good business practice to review it annually.  Here are three (3) items you should have in your employee handbook:

1. Employment Laws Should Follow the Employer’s Size

Employment laws require an organization to be compliant based upon the number of current employees who are on the payroll.  Employment laws change when the employment numbers change.  (Please see guidance link below.):

For example, below are the grids of compliance for employment laws.  The more employees you have, the more employment laws you will need to comply with.

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Background Checks - Why Do Them? Which Ones Should I Do?

Good morning!

If there is one single “to do” item you should not skip in the recruitment process, it is administering background checks.  Why are they so important?  Let me provide some examples, and give you my top four (4) background checks you should administer on any potential employee of your organization:

• Criminal Background Checks – If a prospective employee committed an offense in the State of Kansas (KBI check) or anywhere in the United States (federal background check), knowing what their history is becomes critical to decreasing liability for your organization.  Through these background checks, I have discovered past issues of aggravated assault (one time against a police officer), theft, drug charges and even murder!  Conduct a criminal background check!
• Credit Check – HR Partners encourages this when three primary areas of responsibility will be in the employee’s job description. 

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Required DOL Posters - IMPORTANT TO READ

HR Partners receives numerous calls each year from our clients (or potential clients) about getting an “updated” Department of Labor (“DOL”) poster for their businesses.  They receive phone calls or emails from very aggressive companies that state you “have to” get the new updated DOL poster ASAP or you will not be compliant with the law.   Clients share with us how much they have spent in the past, or how much the current company is charging for this service.  With multiple locations, this expense can add up quickly if multiple posters are required.

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UPDATE - Please Read

On November 12, 2021, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion reaffirming its earlier stay of the OSHA Private Employer ETS. As a result, OSHA has confirmed that it is suspending activities related to implementing and enforcing the Private Employer ETS pending future developments in litigation.

Moving forward, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation will randomly designate one circuit court of appeals from among those where lawsuits against the OSHA Private Employer ETS have been filed to consolidate and hear all OSHA Private Employer ETS lawsuits.

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