How to Conduct an Effective HR Compliance Audit

From advertising an available position and conducting the initial interview to discipline and separation from employment, employers must comply with a long list of obligations pertaining to their employees. Because the laws governing employers’ responsibilities towards their employees throughout the employee lifecycle are constantly changing, attorneys must be up to date so they can assist their clients with compliance. Indeed, an employment practice that has been perfectly lawful for decades may quickly become a minefield of liability for the unsuspecting employer - think of credit checks, questions about an applicant’s current salary, and rules that provide three or fewer sick days per year. Even if employers have a handle on the laws pertaining to their employees in one office, laws often differ significantly from state to state, city to city, and even between counties and municipalities.

In order to ensure compliance, employers may wish to “take a step back” and perform an Human Resources Audit. This program, taught by Susan Gross Sholinsky, a Member of Epstein, Becker & Green’s Employment, Labor & Workplace Management Practice, will help attorneys understand how to walk their clients through this process.

The presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of how to conduct an HR Audit from the beginning of the employment relationship to the end. From reviewing interview scripts and employee handbooks, adhering to record-keeping requirements before and after termination, and the proper form of separation agreement, the course will help lawyers assist their HR and in-house counsel clients ensure compliance with the varying laws (and track changes thereto), throughout the employee lifecycle.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review a general HR Audit Checklist to help ensure compliance from the beginning to the end of the employee lifecycle
2. Consider emerging legal trends, including paid family leave, salary history inquiry bans, and the Ban-the-Box movement
3. Discuss examples of specific rules and regulations in states and localities with particularly stringent legal requirements