8 Things
            Small Business Owners
               Should Know About
                  Employment Law


                           Did you know......

• That based on the number of employees you have, how many federal employment laws and regulations are you subject to? The minefield includes the alphabet soup of ADA, FMLA, ADEA & FSLA. For more about employment laws affecting your business", please see "Employment Law For Employers"
   

• That by allowing employees to eat lunch at their desk you could cost your business thousands in overtime wages and penalties? Employees who are performing work while eating (the infamous working lunch) must have that time counted towards hours needed to reach overtime. For more information please see "10 Common Overtime Violations"  

• What you may have to do if one of your employees comes to you and says s/he has been the victim of domestic or sexual violence at home? In Illinois you must allow for certain time off to deal with the issues. For more information, please "The Victims Economic Security Act (VESSA)"
   

• That if you hire an undocumented worker, s/he may still be entitled to overtime wages? The Supreme Court has stated that just because a worker is undocumented does not take away from the fact that s/he has performed work for which they must be paid, regardless of their immigration status. For more information, please see "Undocumented Workers and Wage Eligibility
   

• That if you are considering providing a departing employee a Separation / Severance Agreement what s/he will expect to be in it? Typically, these contracts may include provisions for continued benefits, neutral references, agreements not to contest unemployment, confidentiality clauses, and much more. For more information, please see "Severance Agreement Essentials"
   

• Why your carefully crafted Employment Handbook may create a landmine under the National Labor Relations Act ( even if you're not a union shop). If you have provisions which restrict an employee from talking about their salary or other issues, you may run afoul of the NLRA. For more information, please see "Your Handbook May be Hazardous Under The NLRA"
   

• How to protect your business from unsolicited resumes? You don't have to interview everyone who sends you a blast resume. But you do have to be careful in how you place your employment ads. For more information, please see "Protect Your Business From Unsolicited Resumes"

• Bellas & Wachowski has a simple, but comprehensive Labor and Employment Checklist that can assist in evaluating potential areas of vulnerability for you and your business. To view the complete list, please see "Labor and Employment Audit Checklist"
   

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The law firm of Bellas & Wachowski has over 37 years experience protecting individuals and small business owners throughout Chicago in matters of Business Law, Business Litigation and Employment Law. Should you be faced with matters requiring legal guidance or litigation, you should always consult with experienced business and litigation attorneys. For more information visit:

www.bellas-wachowski.com

Bellas & Wachowski
15 North Northwest Highway
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068
1.800.825.9260

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