By Mary Adams, J.D.

A disgruntled employee can get no satisfaction from calling the state workers compensation agency on you because—as an informed business owner—you should already know that if you employ four or more full-time OR part-time workers, it is the law that you possess workers compensation insurance coverage.

A harassment claim to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will not affect your business, because—as a prepared business person—you already have a policy protecting against employee and client harassment, and you utilize an outside neutral source for any employee who is not comfortable talking to internal management.

Your business will pass Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) inspection of your employees’ I-9 work documents because—as a compliant business owner—you use the free Department of Homeland Security database to process new-hire documents.

Just a few federal, state, and local laws can bring your business to at grinding halt, if any of these agencies contact you regarding a complaint and you are not prepared.  You don’t want to get to know them, especially since all records become public, and—before you know it—the wage board is contacting you concerning an audit on how your business manages overtime, bonuses, commissions, tips, etc.

Small businesses are the most vulnerable to civil and court liability, because they do not have the money or resources to fight against regulatory harassment, while trying to pay vendors and employee payroll. Questions? Let’s talk.

Mary Adams, J.D., is Principal Consultant at The Employee Relations Group (T.E.R.G.) in Fort Lauderdale. She can be reached at Mary@TERG.com.