Steps to Take When Hiring Your First Employee
Irvine business attorneys can help you to take smart steps to ensure that your business operates smoothly and that you reduce the risk of violating regulations or being sued for wrongdoing. Consulting with an attorney when you make big changes to your business can be important so you don’t run afoul of regulations or accidentally set yourself up for a lawsuit. 
One big change that could make your company vulnerable is hiring an employee for the first time. There are a lot of key things that you need to do in order to ensure that hiring a worker is a benefit to your company rather than a detriment that leads to legal trouble. Brown & Charbonneau, LLP can help you to make sure you have done what you need to in order to make sure that hiring an employee goes smoothly without making you vulnerable to adverse regulatory action or a lawsuit. Give us a call today to find out more about the assistance we can provide.
Steps to Take When Hiring Your First Employee
When hiring an employee, some of the key things that your business needs to do include:
- Develop anti-discrimination policies: You want to ensure your business does not get into trouble for violating laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability status, or other protected status. Having policies in place can help to prevent discriminatory treatment at work that could result in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or a lawsuit.
- Develop a process for reporting harassment: Your company does not want to become responsible for workplace harassment that occurs. You need to have processes in place so if an employee experiences harassment, the employee can report the wrongdoing and your business can take action.
- Obtain workers’ compensation insurance: When you employ others, you will generally be required to have workers’ compensation insurance coverage. This is an important workplace benefit to ensure that employees who get hurt on-the-job are able to obtain essential benefits.
- Get an employer ID: You will need an employer identification number (EIN) with the IRS so you can ensure that your business remains in full compliance with all of your tax obligations.
- Withhold the proper tax from your employee’s paycheck: You should have your newly hired employee fill out a W4 form so you can calculate the appropriate amount of money to withhold from his or her paycheck. You will need to comply with withholding requirements and submit the required money you withheld to the IRS throughout the year to avoid getting into tax trouble.
- Comply with workplace safety rules: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has many workplace safety rules that aim to ensure that employees do not get hurt at work. You will need to be in full compliance with any safety regulations that are applicable to your company. This can help to ensure that your workers are safe and it will also allow you to avoid citations that could result if OSHA discovers that you have failed to comply with the rules.
- Comply with wage and hour laws: You need to ensure that you fully comply with rules for paying workers, including overtime rules and minimum wage requirements.
Depending upon the specifics of your company and the role that your employees will play, there may also be other steps you should take as well. You should get personalized advice from Irvine business attorneys to find out more about what you need to do to comply with the laws associated with bringing a worker on board.
Getting Help from Irvine Business Attorneys
Irvine business attorneys at Brown & Charbonneau, LLP will help with all of the steps you need to take when you hire your first employees. From creating employment policies to complying with tax laws and anti-discrimination laws, we can offer the advice you need to make smart choices to protect your business. To find out more about how our firm can help you, give us a call at (866)237-8129 or contact us online today.