Business owners throughout the United States, including those from the Fort Wayne, Indiana, area, are hard-working Americans out to earn money for themselves and their families, in an effort to live a fruitful life and achieve the “American Dream.” In addition to providing reputable goods and/or services for consumers, businesses also provide paying jobs to their employees. Businesses are essential to a productive, successful society.

But businesses also come with a myriad of responsibilities and laws that must be followed to stay in operation. They must operate and maintain a safe environment free of known dangerous conditions to both employees and consumers and must provide safe, clean, working environment, as based on the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

Employees are also protected against discrimination by federal and state anti-discrimination laws, which are regulated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Employment Commission. The EOCC, a federal agency, handles most federal employment discrimination claims in the United States, including alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.

With such laws and protections in place, it may be wise to have an employee handbook, which highlights and discusses all aspects of your workplace and gives your company’s rules and regulations for employees. You may also want to enter into an employment contract at the time of a hiring. These two safeguards may help your employees understand their rights and educate them about their responsibilities and duties as employees. They also may protect you in the event that a wrongful termination suit is filed against you.

Source: FindLaw, “Filing an EEOC Complaint or Charge“, accessed June 2, 2015