Adoption 101: The Legal Fundamentals

Hiring Employees For The First Time? Use These Tips To Make Sure Things Go Smoothly

8 September 2015

Brayden Miles

If you are the owner of a small business and have expanded to the point where you are hiring employees, you may not be sure what that entails. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you hire and oversee employees. 

Know What You Can Ask During Interviews

It may seem natural to ask personal questions when you are interviewing prospective employees; you may want to know a bit about the people you are hiring. However, some questions are actually illegal to ask. You cannot, for instance, ask about whether someone is married or what their religion is. To avoid problems, stick to an interviewee's work experience and qualifications for the job they are interviewing for.

Put Policies in Place

It is important that you come up with workplace policies and guidelines and distribute them to anyone you hire. Include a policy about sick time, days off, disciplinary actions and other things that may arise on a daily basis during the course of the work day. When employees have a written set of guidelines they must adhere to, they know what is expected and can align their behavior to the rules in place. You might even require that employees sign a document saying that they have seen and read through company policies.

Take Discrimination and Harassment Training

Harassment and discrimination against your employees can lead to lawsuits, so it is important that you are fully aware of the laws involved and what you can and cannot say to those who work for you. You might consider discrimination and harassment training for yourself and any managers you hire, so that your company can be a comfortable place for everyone to work. Be sure that any managers you hire are also quick to address harassment and discrimination among employees you hire as well.

Consult a Lawyer Before Firing Someone

If you want to terminate someone's employment, it can be a good idea to first consult an employment attorney to ensure that you do everything properly so you can avoid claims and lawsuits from the person you want to fire. A lawyer can help you draft any letters of termination to protect you and your company in the future.

Use the tips laid out above to help you when you start hiring employees for your small business. Be sure to enlist the help of an employment law firm (such as John Franco Law) to ensure you are doing everything lawfully and for the benefit of both your company and your new employees. 

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