Employment laws are modified every year and staying up to date on all the changes can be a full-time job – and is, for human resource professionals and employers. For the experienced attorneys who write our books, this manual is a way to help educate businesses to stay on the right side of employment law, minimize the risk of litigation, and avoid costly penalties. This reference has been organized to fit your needs and outfitted with numerous features to help you make sure your policies and business practices are in compliance with the law.
- The snapshot and compliance threshold -We’ve gathered a list of questions (provided in An HR audit snapshot that will create a snapshot for you to use in determining whether or not you are complying with fundamental employment laws. If you do not know an answer to one of the questions, a page reference is provided so you can quickly find what you need to know and what you need to do. Compliance thresholds is formatted to help you determine what laws you are responsible for complying with, based upon the number of employees you have.
- The visual aids - To make this book a more functional resource, we’ve displayed the subject matter in lists, tables, and charts. Don’t miss:
- the list of "What discrimination practices are illegal?"
- the table answering "What can you and can't you ask in an interview?"
- And look out for:
- sample copies of mandatory posters in Posting requirements
- the flowchart to help you decide, "Is an injury recordable?"
- The content - While we’ve worked to make this book as effective as possible – providing efficient ways to find specific content without expecting busy employers to sit down and read the text straight through – we want every chapter to be readable and uncomplicated, letting you know what to do, how to do it, and a little bit of why. In case you don’t have time to read the whole book, here are some current hot topics we’d like to highlight:
- Based on the growing trend social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, Technology and the Internet and Social media have been designed to help you deal with the increased misuse of the Internet during working hours.
- Colorado has removed the excess burden on employers when hiring new employees. To read about the removal of duplicative verification and reporting requirements, see Recruiting and hiring.
- The passing of Amendment 64 made Colorado one of the first states in the nation, along with Washington, to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. To read more about how legalization impacts the workplace. Check out Marijuana for more information.
- The Wage Theft Transparency Act was passed into law in April 2017. The Act makes “wage theft” violations in Colorado, including nonpayment of wages or overtime compensation, public record and subject to records requests under the Colorado Open Records Act. Check out Wages and hours for more information.
- Thanks to House Bills 18-1217 and 18-1202, employers have new ways to receive tax breaks. Effective August 2018, employers are now able to take a tax credit equal to 20% of its contributions, up to $500, for employees’ 529 qualified state tuition program accounts. Also effective August 2018, employers are permitted to take a tax credit equal to 35% of its expenses incurred while:
- paying an employee during his or her leave of absence period, which is paid leave given to an employee for the purpose of making an organ donation, but which does not exceeding 10 working days or the hourly equivalent thereof
- for the cost of temporary replacement help, if any, during an employee’s leave of absence period.
- The connections - This book contains contact information – including websites, email addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers for many government departments and local organizations. In-text mentions of external sources are followed by links to make it easier for you to apply our text to your own business. To continue the dialogue, look out for sections entitled, Where to go for more information, like at the end of Benefits. Think of it as the most detailed address book you’ve ever owned!
So, relax – from hiring to firing, this manual will be your personal bookshelf HR manager!