Assisting with employment-related matters is a part of our regular work for advisory firms. Recently I discussed these issues with my partner, Scott Unger, who advised me of the top five employment-related considerations for an advisory firm employer:
1. Have a well-drafted employee handbook. A well-drafted employee handbook will assist employees with finding the answers to their questions along with setting forth your company's philosophy, guidelines, benefits, policies and procedures. It also will provide employees what is expected of them.
For example, the Financial Services Industry is required to have policies and procedures in place to protect customers' nonpublic personal information.
In addition, the handbook should set forth policies and procedures for ensuring compliance with both state and federal privacy rules. Moreover, the handbook should state your company's policies and procedures relating to ensuring compliance with both federal and state employment laws. Having policies and procedures in place (and adhering to them), likely will aid your company in defending a state or federal employment discrimination lawsuit.
2. Hold yearly anti-discrimination training. Yearly anti-discrimination training will help employees understand their obligations under the law. The purpose of this training includes: communicating to employees that work-place discrimination will not be tolerated; teaching them what is discriminatory; explaining the consequences of engaging in discrimination; and outlining where to report discrimination if they see it or believe they were subjected to discrimination. Yearly anti-discrimination training is likely to help any organization if it is ever accused of engaging in unlawful discrimination.
3. Create and implement policies and procedures for reporting discrimination. Employees should not only understand when they should report allegations of workplace discrimination, but also to whom they should report it.
