HR compliance issues are a major challenge facing businesses today as legal compliance in HR practices continues to change and update to reflect our changing society. Without a dedicated HR compliance officer at your organization, it will be nearly impossible to stay up to date with all changing HR compliance issues which could cause stress and unnecessary resource allocation for your company. To avoid adding extra stress to your organization, keep these HR compliance issues in mind and make it a priority to hire an HR compliance officer if you haven’t already done so.
Common HR Compliance Issues
Are you aware of the HR compliance issues facing your organization?
Diversity and Inclusion
Workplace diversity has become a major topic for businesses with more and more businesses today realizing the added benefits of having a diverse workforce. Still, though, many businesses use outdated recruiting methods that exhibit bias and avoid inclusion. If your company is seeking less employee turnover, improved customer loyalty or increased employee engagement, it’s necessary to alter your recruiting and HR policies to ensure that you’re hiring a diverse staff of employees.
Workplace Harassment
Another hot issue facing employers today is workplace harassment. While your organization likely has many legal compliances in HR practices, how you handle this issue could have major consequences. It’s not only essential that you implement strong workplace harassment prevention policies at your organization but that you ensure that all employees and managers at the organization take this issue seriously and understand that serious consequences will happen if they fail to adhere to these policies.
Family and Medical Leave
This act allows employees that meet certain criteria to take up to 12 weeks off from work to address family or medical issues. While this time off is generally unpaid, this act was designed to help employees keep their jobs as they attend to any medical or family issues they may be facing. This act is very important to follow because any employees who must take this time off should be allowed to return to work without penalty and, as an employer, it’s your job to ensure that your employees are treated fairly. This is a common HR compliance issue that is often overlooked but should be taken seriously by your HR compliance officer.
State and Local Laws
Most employers are aware of the federal compliance laws they must follow but some are unaware of the state and local laws they must follow as well. When it comes to HR compliance issues, it’s imperative that your HR compliance officer follow all laws, federal, state, and local, to ensure that your organization avoids any compliance penalties. Some laws to keep in mind that may differ from state to state and local area are pay equity laws, minimum wage changes, paid sick leave, and paid parental/family leave, just to name a few.
Employee Wellness and Mental Health
This has become a hot topic in recent years as more and more organizations begin to understand just how serious employee physical and mental health is on their bottom line. Many organizations have begun to implement employee wellness programs or employee assistance programs to offer their employees resources to help them maintain their mental and physical health. These programs also seek to educate employees about mental and physical wellbeing and to be proactive about their overall health. If your organization wants to keep your employees happy and healthy, implementing an employee wellbeing program at your organization is essential.
HR compliance issues are constantly changing as new issues are brought to light and our society changes the way we handle different issues. If you’re not sure if your organization is up to date on all compliance issues, now is the time to review the top HR compliance issues your organization could face and hire an HR compliance officer to protect your business against noncompliance penalties.
