Emily Wilson
Human Resource workers have a lot to deal with on their plates. Compliance, recruiting, retirement, there is always something happening at the office that requires your attention. For this reason, you should always be one step ahead of the game, and work on the basics, something we will deal within this article.
Today we will be talking about compliance issues, and how to get them under control. Learning about these requirements is vital, and we will gladly help you along the way. So, keep the rules below in mind, do your best to have your employees actually stick to them, and you (and your office) will be right as rain.
Employee leave rules
Leave policies are pretty tricky by themselves. In fact, leave laws are being expanded in many areas in the west, most often so they substantiate paid family leave, making it much easier for everybody involved.
Namely, an employer needs to understand the leave requirements in these areas If you want to stay compliant with these rules. Paid leave laws are changing, and you need to act accordingly and update your policies.
Furthermore, these same policies need to be included in your handbooks and have it be part of your training program. Lack of compliance with these rules means much harsher fines and penalties than you would expect.
Diversity
Diversity and inclusion laws are becoming more and more relevant nowadays. An increase in these laws, a strengthening of these regulations means a fairer workplace. Companies have changed their recruiting and their HR policies in order to keep with these standards.
There is a sense of greater openness in our society today. People who have been discriminated against based on their skin colour or their sexuality in the past now get another shot. Of course, there is no sense in going overboard in the other direction. Common sense is key here, as is tolerance and understanding.
Benefits
Another important compliance issue is the rationing and the setting up of benefits for employees. Healthcare, dental, insurance policies, all of these need to be analysed and check. It’s common for a company to get set in its ways and to forget about laws that they just see as route or habitual. Employee benefits are a common victim of this mentality and these problems.
It also means that if you are offering a competitive and strong benefits plan, you will be able to choose from higher talent level pools. They also work wonders for turnover issues. This all means you get better competitiveness on the market, and you also act in line with the law.
Harassment
Harassment has been a very sad reality of offices and workplaces for hundreds of years. Luckily, for some time now there has been headway into this issue, and things are starting to get at least a little bit better. In fact, the scandals of recent years have made even more headway, and are especially vital in the entertainment industry. This all lead to the revamping and reflection upon harassment policies.
Namely, strong policies, preventing harassment of any kind in the workplace is a sign of any serious company. Letting these things go by is immoral, unethical, and simply shameful.
Local and federal laws
Of course, there is no shame in asking for help. In fact, we advise it. Talk to your legal department, get some help. Maybe contact a good company, like Standard Candle for example, and see if they have any assistance in terms of advice or software that they can provide. Talk to your boss, see if there are any interns that can help you with your homework. It’s a pin keeping up with this aspect of the law, and the consequences of failing to do so can be pretty serious.
Cyber security
The bogeyman of modern businesses – cyber security breaches. We all know how back in 2017 there have been several serious data breaches at a number of high-level companies. One of these companies, in fact, has been a credit reporting agency. These are threats that target all business, big or small. This means that all sensitive data needs to be stored, protected, kept under digital lock and key.
On an HR level, you need to implement proper rules, settings, and setups to protect your policies and your data. Keep your employees educated, have them comply with all of the newest rules and regulations that are there to protect data. LifeLock data protection settings, or just training camps on how to stay safe online, are vital and useful investments.
The (physical and mental) health of employees
You need to take into account the health of your employees, both physical and mental. The HR rep needs to facilitate the right conditions in the office, conditions that will keep the health and mental stability of your workers in tip-top shape. Human resource rules and regulations within your company, overseen by the HR representative (i.e. you) need to follow this line of thought.
Employers are slowly becoming more and more aware, and more proactive when it comes to the mental health and wellness of their employees. Things like wellness programs, paid leave, relaxation, a healthier work environment, all of these are now core parts of most professional company programs.
Conclusion
Having your employees comply with regular and current regulations is not simple, nor is it easy, but with the right setup and proper education, you can definitely find a way to make this work. Sometimes its more of a matter of remembering just what kinds of rules exist, and actually sticking with them, then doing anything complex or complicated. But whatever your situation might be, we are certain this article was able to help in some capacity or another.
