Determining Which Employment Laws Apply to Your Business
Answering the question “Which employment laws apply to my business?” is never straightforward.
Why?
Because which laws apply to your specific business depends on a variety of factors:
Number of Employees
Some laws only apply to employers with a certain number of employees. For example, Connecticut requires employers with three or more employees to provide all employees with sexual harassment training. Employers with less than three employees only need to provide sexual harassment training to supervisory employees.
Type of Work Performed
The industry your business operates in or the type of work your employees perform can impose additional employment-related legal requirements. For instance, most employers in Connecticut cannot discharge or discipline an employee for off-duty cannabis use unless they have a written policy prohibiting it. However, certain employers, such as those in construction and healthcare, are exempt from this rule and can take action against employees for off-duty cannabis use without a written policy.
Location of Employees
While there are federal employment laws, most employment-related requirements come from state laws, which can vary significantly by state. Which state’s laws apply to your business depends on where you operate. And if you operate in multiple states, you will need to comply with each state's laws. Additionally, if you have remote employees based in different states, you'll need to adhere to the laws of those states as well.
Source of Funding
If your business contracts with or receives grant funding from a government agency, you will likely have additional employment laws to comply with. For example, any organization that receives a federal grant of any size or a federal contract of $100,000 or more must comply with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988.
We understand that figuring out which employment laws apply to your business can be confusing. Let us handle it for you. At Levene Legal, we can advise you on your business’ specific employment law requirements and help you implement compliant policies and practices.
