What Small Business Owners Need to Know about Employee Rights

In today’s business world, one lawsuit can seriously damage any company, but in the case of small ones the risk of having to shut down is even greater and quite a realist, unfortunately. That is why every small business owner needs to be well versed in many legal aspects, regardless of what line of business they are in. One of the most delicate segments is, by all means, labour law. There are laws, bylaws and regulations protecting employee rights for good and fair working conditions, health and safety, wages, working hours, freedom from discrimination and more. 

In order for a business owner to be able to create a safe and healthy work environment that meets or exceeds legal requirements, they need to know so much about employee rights, because disregarding such provisions not only leads to an unpleasant work environment, but also exposes the owners to liability. That’s why we’ve decided to present a brief overview of employee rights and what a business owner needs to be aware of. Needless to say, the environment in which your company operates may be different, but chances are there are certain regulations pertinent to the following aspects.

A safe workplace

Workers have the right to a safe work environment, free from exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, dangerous machinery, etc. So, employers need to actively look for potential health and safety threats and remove them and react promptly when warned about the existence of such hazards. Furthermore, they need to organize the proper training and provide safety equipment.

Fair wages and equal pay for men and women

One of the burning issues, especially in some developing countries, is typically addressed by several laws. Namely, employees have the right to be paid fair wages for their work and each country or state has the right to set the minimum wage. That’s why business owners need to check local requirements. Also, it is illegal to pay men and women different wages for similar work, though we are still witnessing many such examples. However, most countries have laws that prohibit such practice and employers need to be aware of them.

Fair employment contracts

All the rights and liabilities of both the employer and employee need to be clearly stipulated in the employment contract. Since preparing such a document requires the knowledge of the law, it’s no surprise that many small business owners in Serbia, for example, contact this reputable lawyer from Novi Sad for help. Only then can they be sure that they are well protected and that their employees can be sure that they receive all the rights they’re entitled to.

Freedom from discrimination and harassment

Employers must not discriminate against candidates or employees based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Again, specific rules vary, but a great majority of countries have legislation that deals with this issue. One of the most prominent problems in this respect is definitely sexual harassment. Some studies have confirmed that every third woman has experienced sexual harassment at work, with the highest levels in the food services and hospital industry. Of course, this problem by no means affects only women. People of any gender can experience (and perpetrate) sexual harassment at work. What employers need to do is provide antiharassment training and encourage workers to report any such instance. 

Freedom from retaliation for filing a claim or complaint

Also known as “whistleblower” rights, employees have the right to stop, report or testify about employer actions that are illegal, unhealthy or violate specific public policies without fear of retribution. For example, if an employee takes action against their employer for being negligent about workplace safety or being discriminatory, the employer can’t retaliate against them.

Rights to privacy

Typically, employees have rights to privacy, meaning their personal belongings can’t be searched, nor can a background check or credit check be run without their written consent. On the other hand, employee rights usually don’t extend to email or internet use on a business’s computer or network.

These are just some of the things every business owner needs to be aware of, especially if they run a small business, since even a minor offence can have serious implications on the future of the whole company.