Keep Your Human Resources Programs Legal and Compliant

Mar 6, 2018

Are you complying with all the proper state and federal labor laws?  If not, it could cost you everything.

Christian Higher Education is not immune from compliance.  And compliance is very important.  In our opinion Christian Higher Education may even be more susceptible to investigation then other organizations.

In large organizations, an entire human resources (HR) department navigates the complex minefield of federal and state labor laws. Some small organizations (under 100 employees) think of HR as an afterthought, or HR responsibilities like hiring, benefits, compliance, and payroll falls to a few people who aren’t properly trained. This can be a pricey mistake. Laws concerning overtime, unlawful termination, and equal rights are just a few areas that trip up organizations, big and small, all the time.

Labor laws fill volumes and are quite complex. Plus, labor laws vary from state to state! Even Walmart ran into trouble recently and incurred $4.83 million dollars in back wages, penalties, and fines for violating The Fair Labor Standards Act. The mistake? Managers were misclassified and not appropriately compensated for overtime work. Unlawful termination is another problem that has cost organizations like UPS, Carmike Cinemas, and Dial Corporation dearly. Yes, it’s tricky. Do you know the laws?

It gets worse—the government is ramping up efforts to check up on organizations and crack down. The Obama administration in 2017 allotted $25 million for the sole purpose of investigating those misclassified as “independent contractors,” hoping to reclaim alleged lost tax revenue and increase the IRS’s revenue. Be smart. Remember that stiff penalties and lawyer fees can decimate your organization. Are your workers properly classified?

Stay legal and remember these 3 key points:

• Child labor, non-resident labor, and equal rights legislation are the three areas where many organizations most often fail to comply.
• Both state and federal labor information is free and available online.
• Outsourcing with an HR professional firm can save your organization a lot of time and money.

Most organizations with fewer than 100 people benefit from outsourcing labor law compliance and other human resource tasks to HR professionals. The alternative is risky: employees are often uninformed about and under-trained in labor law compliance. Look out! Federal fines could be in store for you. In addition, HR often falls outside an employee’s main job focus, so getting it wrong or spending valuable time away from primary tasks can cripple productivity in a small organization. Get the right person trained or on your team to comply with labor laws.

Regrettably, staying legal has never been more difficult or important.

Make this year  your organization’s best year ever.  Make sure to get the Human Resources help you need right away.

Are you a Union employer? Do you need help with labor relations? We have helped for profit organizations navigate these relationships for years. Learn more how we can help you here.

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In His Name HR helps organizations build high performance Human Resources programs. Visit them at In HIS Name HR or e-mail them here.

Mark A. Griffin is the founder and chief consultant of In His Name HR LLC. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Mark A. Griffin | Christian Higher Ed HR

Encouragement At Work Series, Do All As If For The Lord

Mar 2, 2015

This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Ecclesiastes 5:18 (NIV)

Wow! Our work is a gift of God. Our wealth, our possessions, are all derived from work and the work God has chosen for us to bear is our lot. If we could only agree with God, it would make our lives that much easier. It has been fascinating to me to watch so many people fight their career predicaments instead of following God’s guidance, as though they are ultimately the one who is responsible to navigate through their careers!

Make a decision to ensure you’re in alignment with God. This means embrace your current situation, make the best of it and lead to excellence. Ensure that the people who work for you are properly placed, so that the right people are on the right seats of the bus. If you are not a fit for your current organization, have the courage to make a change today.

If you come to work every day thanking God for your opportunity, your employees know it.  Your employees will do amazing things to help you become successful when they know you are grateful for them and your organization. When you do this, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.

Help our community of readers

How do you remind yourself that work is a gift from God?

Have you worked with people who felt so grateful for their work that they reeked of happiness?

Have you been in the wrong assignment in your career?

How did you make it right?

Mark Griffin is founder and Chief Consultant at In His Name HR LLC. Mark writes extensively on career and human resources related topics.   Mark  has over 20 years of HR experience.  Want to bring Bible based practical HR programs to your workplace?  Contact Mark today to see how his firm may help you:   Contact 

Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration