Employers have a clear responsibility to protect their staff and to give them a safe and hygienic place to work, as well as ensure that they take the right measures to care for their general wellbeing. To find out more about the steps that you need to take as an employer, or what your employer should be doing for you, here is a list of all the responsibilities that employers have in terms of their team’s welfare.
Injuries at Work
Employers must have a stringent health and safety policy in place to protect their staff. This includes a comprehensive training program, particularly focused on the use of dangerous equipment, and a strict health and safety policy that is informed by regular inspections of the workplace. There are also certain protocols that they must follow if you sustain an injury at work. For instance, if you have been injured at work, they must record this injury in an accident book and give you the amount of compensation that you deserve. To find out more about the compensation that you should be able to receive, Aston Knight Solicitors have produced a work injury compensation guide that answers all of the most frequently asked questions about your rights in the event that you sustain an accident in the workplace.
Redundancies
If you are going to be made redundant, there are a couple of terms that your employer must follow to ensure that your redundancy is completely fair. In the USA, employers are able to reduce their staff numbers without any reason, at any time. However, many agreeable employees will consider giving their employees a certain amount of severance pay, which can help to support them in the near future while they are looking for another job. If you are uncertain about whether you are able to receive severance pay, this will be determined by your contract, and this might be a key factor that you should focus on when choosing to apply for a job.
Discrimination
It is unacceptable by law for employers to discriminate against their employees in the workplace due to their race, religion, age, disability, or gender. Your employee should have a policy in place to prevent this, and this should be part of an ongoing training scheme. If you are looking to report an instance of discrimination, you should file a Charge of Discrimination with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, before opening a lawsuit against your employer. An interview with the EECO will follow this, and you have 60 days to file this charge. Responsibilities to outlaw discrimination in the workplace also apply to job applications too, and employers must ensure that they do not discriminate when they are hiring staff or performing background checks.
Working Contract
In the USA, most employment is presumed to be “at will,” which means that a working contract is not necessary between you and your employer. However, a written offer of employment will be needed, which covers many of the terms and conditions of the offer in question. However, your employer may feel a responsibility to provide you with a working contract, which can be fixed or open term, and can include provisions for a trial or notice period. These terms can protect both employers and employees when they are entering and leaving certain roles.
Wages and Holiday Pay
The minimum wage in the USA is $10.80 per hour for 2020, and this usually rises every year, in line with inflation. Employers have a responsibility to give their employees the amount stated, or more, unless you are working in a tipped position, whereby the rate is now $7.55 an hour. However, although there is a minimum wage, there is no legal outline on whether employees should pay holiday pay to their workers. However, most employers do pay holiday pay, and Americans take, on average, 10 holiday days per year.
Knowing the responsibilities that employers have to protect their staff and to uphold their rights in the workplace is important not only for employers, but also for employees. While employers should know how these responsibilities affect their procedures and policies, this will enable their employees to know when their employer performs a misstep and if they are not getting the rights that they deserve. This comprehensive guide covers many of the most important aspects of employment responsibilities in the USA and beyond, allowing you to have more confidence about your employment rights when you next enter the workplace.
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