Workplace

The recent headlines about sexual assault complaints at LSU in Baton Rouge, sexual harassment complaints at LSU Medical School at Shreveport, sexual harassment complaints in the Louisiana Attorney General’s office, and accusations of sexual harassment by the Broussard Police Chief, should serve as a reminder to business owners that they need to review and update workplace policies to ensure that they are protecting their employees, their company and themselves from behavior that can damage the company’s reputation and productivity.

State unemployment benefits were intended to help people who lost their job due to no fault of their own. During the COVID pandemic, the federal government has provided enhanced unemployment benefits to people whose jobs were affected by coronavirus. These enhanced benefits added $300 to existing state benefits through September 6, 2021 and are also available to self-employed workers who typically are not eligible for state unemployment benefits.

Failure to comply with employment laws and to keep up with changes in the HR arena can result in serious and costly mistakes for employers.  Understanding what you can, can’t and shouldn’t do regarding employee issues can be a time-consuming and frustrating task for small business owners. An HR compliance review by a trained professional can uncover existing problems, provide solutions and help avoid lawsuits.