“Get the Facts” – EEOC Publishes New Fact Sheet for Start-Ups and Small Businesses

[caption id="attachment_1461" align="alignright" width="113"] Nancy L. Gunzenhauser[/caption]

On March 3, 2016, the EEOC issued a one-page fact sheet aimed at assisting start-ups and small businesses understand their responsibilities under the various federal employment laws. The fact sheet, which is available in over 30 languages, reminds employers that:

• employment decisions cannot be made on the basis of protected categories
• employers should establish policies that do not disparately impact employees on the basis of protected categories
• men and women must be provided equal pay
• employers should prevent harassment, but if a complaint is raised, employers should promptly address claims of harassment or discrimination
• employers should provide reasonable accommodations for medical and religious purposes
• employers must display required posters
• employment records must be kept, including applications and personnel files

The EEOC’s fact sheet provides some helpful points for small businesses, who may not always be considering employment issues. Small employers must have at least 15 employees for the federal anti-discrimination laws to apply. Even without 15 employees, several laws (including New York City’s Human Rights Law) can still apply to these start-ups. Make sure to reference EBG’s TMT Start-Up Employment Law Reference as your business grows! As your new and emerging business continues to grow, make sure to consider how various employment laws may be implicated.