EEOC Launches Small Business Resource Center

One of the most challenging aspects of owning a small business is knowing and following legal requirements regarding hiring and managing employees.

Fortunately, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched a Small Business Resource Center designed to assist small business owners in their compliance with laws enforced by the agency.

As you may be aware, several federal laws prohibit employment-based discrimination and apply to small employers. For example, laws impacting employers employing 15 or more employees include:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA).
• The Title VII laws addressing employment-based discrimination relating to race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), and national origin.
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), applicable to employers employing 20 or more employees, prohibits discriminatory practices against individuals aged 40 and over.

This new dedicated EEOC Resource Center contains a general overview of small business obligations including the posting and record-keeping requirements to assist in staying compliant with the myriad of nondiscriminatory laws.

The website also has available FAQs, tips, fact sheets and videos, as well as no-cost outreach programs. This is a good resource to keep in mind when you need to make sure how you are treating employees is legal.

What other resources has your agency found that help maintain legal compliance? Let me know in the Comments section below.