Employee lawsuits for unjustified termination, harassment, workplace injury, and other concerns may be time-consuming, expensive, and inconvenient to your organization, as well as having a bad influence on your team’s performance.
It would be best if you avoided employee lawsuits at all costs. By taking precautions, implementing standard recruiting and management rules, and properly training employees, you may reduce your risk of employee lawsuits.
Here are strategies that can help you minimize lawsuits from employees.
Provide Accurate Job Descriptions
A thorough job description gives workers a list of tasks, a management structure, a list of best and approved behaviors, and other information that helps them understand what is expected of them each day. A well-written, thorough job description guarantees that both the employee and the organization are on the same page before hiring a candidate.
Hire the Right People
It is possible to prevent punishing or firing bad workers by hiring the proper personnel. Getting the appropriate personnel starts with the correct recruiting sources and the right documentation.
Use a legally valid, customized application form and appropriate paperwork for completing comprehensive background checks and a detailed job description. Then employ legal and competent interviewing and selection methods.
Provide Staff with Safety Training
The body that regulates the health and safety of workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), offers a variety of on-site and online safety training programs for employees.
Companies should train employees on safe work procedures. Encourage managers to participate in employee safety seminars to stay updated on the newest safety techniques. Your team will be safer if it is well-trained. It might reduce the possibility of an employee filing a lawsuit due to an on-the-job accident.
Give Employees Objective Feedback
A company should use objective measures to evaluate almost any work performed. Determine what is required of employees from an objective standpoint and express it to them. Employers that utilize subjective criteria have a harder time justifying their choices to punish or fire an employee. Giving objective feedback to an employee may have the desired outcome of assisting the person in better doing their work and avoiding the need for additional reprimand or termination.
Follow Laid Laws, Rules, and Regulations
Take some time to learn about all of the requirements you’ll need to follow before hiring your first employee, and obtain legal advice to help you start on the right foot.
Hiring practices, workplace safety norms, rules, anti-discrimination acts, workers’ compensation for property management (if you own a property management company), and so on are all governed by laws.
Address Employee Dissatisfaction
Employees frequently bring accusations, lawsuits, or other claims against their employers first. Employees must communicate their grievances without fear of reprisal if their employer has a well-publicized, explicit mechanism in place. Charges from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), salary and hourly grievances, union activity, and other lawsuits will be more common among employers who fail to implement such internal systems.
Fairly Pay Your Employees
Almost every employer is subject to state and federal wage and hour requirements. Employee lawsuits alleging violations of these statutes are on the rise. The employer has the burden of proof, and litigation expenses in these circumstances can be enormous. As a result, the best method to prevent the cost and disruption of such claims is to ensure that all employees are paid following the law.
Train Decision-Makers
Managers and other decision-makers can be considered agents of the employer, and the company may be held accountable for any violations of relevant laws or employee rights they commit.
Violations can arise as a result of acts and inactivity and a failure to recognize a situation that could result in legal action. As a result, managers and other decision-makers must be adequately taught. Because rules change frequently, training must be regular, continuing, and effective.
Insurance
Determine your company’s risk exposure and consider purchasing a business liability insurance policy covering all of your bases. A possible insurer will do a risk analysis to determine the exact coverage you need to protect yourself against a lawsuit brought by an employee.
The Bottom Line
Every business must strive to maintain proper management and employee relationships. Therefore, following these tips will prevent conflicts between the two parties. With well-documented, legal business processes, you can reduce the possibility of a lawsuit and adequately defend your company.
Amy Sloane is an alum of Oregon State University where she studied marketing and business. She spends her free time writing and is a knitting enthusiast. Amy loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her dog, Molly. Follow her on Twitter to read her latest blogs! @AmySloane2
