What Are My Responsibilities as an Employer?

Most businesses are seeking to grow, and that means adding employees. Along with employees, come responsibilities to ensure that the people that work for you have a good experience. Gaining and keeping good employees can be difficult, and with unemployment numbers at record lows, it would be wise to make sure your employees needs are met.

Safety First:

Make sure to establish and maintain a written, active safety program. If you’re a small company and that’s not possible, allow workers to select at least one safety representative from their ranks.

Create a safe work environment. Take every reasonable precaution to ensure the safety of your workers. No one wants to work in an unsafe environment, nor should they be expected to.

If you work in an environment where there are hazardous substances, train employees how to safely use, handle, store, and dispose of any and all of them.
Have plans and train employees on how to handle emergencies. Unfortunately, in today’s world, this may mean having a plan for dealing many unsettling possibilities. Make sure all employees understand their accident reporting duties and procedures as well.

Supply safety protective equipment and train workers on their proper use. If at all possible, appoint a supervisor who sets the standards for safety and performance, and who helps create and maintain safe working conditions. In many cases, this responsibility may fall to you, especially if you own a small company or at least until you grow.

Compensation and Hours:

Compensate your employees fairly. Good employees are difficult to find and harder to keep. Follow state and federal guidelines regarding minimum wage. You may want to look at what similar companies are offering for similar positions and be competitive to attract and keep good workers and staff.
Every employee should be given a written contract with their expected salary and job description to sign. Compensate them in accordance with that document.
Determine and provide a reasonable amount of work. If an employee is hired to take a full-time position, determine what hours they will work and how many hours they are expected to complete in a given week. Stick to that agreement. The same applies to part-time employees. Yes, there will be times when those parameters may change, but discuss those changes with your employee prior to making them.

Overtime hours – compensate non-exempt employees for overtime hours in accordance with government regulations, which means time and one half per hourly wage. To determine whether an employee is exempt, or non-exempt, consult a labor lawyer or HR consultant. If an employee is expected to work overtime hours, discuss those hour with him or her and reach an agreement that works for both you and your employee. Overworked employees often perform poorly and the quality of work or production is therefore diminished. Be reasonable and realistic; make wise decisions on overtime hours.

Include accurate accounting along with each employees paycheck. This requires a statement showing gross pay, deductions, and withholdings, and their net pay for the pay period and the year to date.

If an employee leaves or is terminated, make sure you get them their final paycheck as soon as possible; certainly no longer than 30 days after termination.
If you have 50 or more employees, under the provisions of the Family Medical Leave Act, you’re required to give employees time off for sickness, disability, or family leave.

The primary thing, as an employer, is to be fair and reasonable and expect the same in return.

Employers that follow the rules and suggestions here, as well as from certified HR consultants and labor lawyers, will incur less cost and reduced risk of having employees.

If you have questions please feel free to call us at 407-490-2468 or use the form below:
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