Employers have basic obligations such as non-discriminatory employment policies, providing a minimum wage, workplace safety, and workers’ compensation insurance in many jurisdictions. These obligations vary by location and employers must behave fairly and responsibly towards employees.
In many places, there are basic employer obligations that employers must adhere to. While laws can vary from country to country and even region to region, employers are expected to behave fairly and responsibly when dealing with employees. Among the basic obligations of an employer in many places are things like hiring without discrimination, safe work environments and minimum wages. In some places, employers are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance as well.
One of the most basic employer obligations in many jurisdictions is adherence to non-discriminatory employment policies. In many places, it is illegal to discriminate against job applicants based on age, gender, race or national origin. Likewise, it is typically illegal to discriminate against potential employees because of disadvantage. If a potential employee is qualified to do a job, an employer is violating the law if they refuse to hire them because of a disability, skin color, sex or age. Age discrimination laws generally apply to people aged 40 and over.
In many places, the employer’s basic obligations include providing a minimum wage. This means that employers in a jurisdiction that has minimum wage laws must pay their employees at least the minimum wage established in the jurisdiction. Often, a local area has a minimum wage that differs from the minimum set by the national government. In this case, the employer is often required to pay the highest minimum wage. There are some exceptions to these laws, however, and some jurisdictions do not require employers to pay a minimum wage to professional workers; student workers; people under 20 years old; workers receiving tips; and some agricultural and seasonal workers.
Many jurisdictions also have laws that include workplace safety in an employer’s list of obligations. In places that have such laws, employers are legally required to provide a reasonably healthy and safe workplace. The standards that apply, however, can depend on the type of work an employee is doing, and sometimes jobs have inherent risks. For example, the risk of burns may be inherent in welding company employees, but a company that hires welders is generally required to create and adhere to safety practices that protect its employees from injury.
Workers’ compensation insurance is also a basic employer obligation in many jurisdictions. When necessary, employers maintain this insurance to cover claims for employee injuries that occur on the job. For example, if a person is injured by slipping on a wet floor at his workplace, he can file a workers compensation claim with his employer’s insurance company. If a company is very small or financially capable of acting as its own insurer, however, workers’ compensation may not be required.
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