Government Resources

IRS – Independent Contract vs. Employee
Useful information about differences of contract positions and full-time employees; including further references and adequate filling forms..

US DOL Employment Law Guide

Data Breach Laws: A Wake-up Call for HR
A significant new category of employment-related privacy legislation has burst upon the scene: data breach notification laws. Employers need to take data breach legislation as seriously as they take such data laws as FCRA and HIPAA.

ADA Handbook for Small Businesses
The EEOC’s online manual about disabilities.

Answers to Common Legal Questions
A list of links to legal information from the federal government, the Workforce archive, and the law firm of Epstein, Becker, and Green (EBG).

Employers’ Biggest Legal Mistakes
Ten things that can explode into costly lawsuits, unionization and an unhappy workforce.

Identifying and Preventing Employment Class Actions
An attorney discusses what warning signs you should watch for and what steps to take now to avoid a lawsuit.

Sample At-Will Employment Statement
Some language to spell out the all-important message that an employee’s job isn’t permanent.

Sample Nondisclosure Agreement
An example of a nondisclosure agreement that could be used with vendors, contractors, consultants, and others.

Substance Abuse Workplace Kit
Information from the U.S. Labor Department to help small businesses.

Termination Checklist
Two valuable samples of forms used when terminating an employee.

Useful Information on Navigating the FMLA Maze
A collection of articles about the Family and Medical Leave Act

OSHA Recordkeeping Rules
Questions, answers, forms, fact sheets, and phone numbers for more information.

Labor Department Phone Numbers
Here are the phone numbers to the Wage and Hour Division offices near you.

Substance Abuse Information Database
Find information about drug and alcohol testing, educating employees, training and more from this U.S. Department of Labor database.

Legal Links for the HR Generalist
Find links to helpful government sites, publication numbers for important laws, and other handy information.

Federal Background Screening and Drug Testing Laws

• The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) – 15 U.S.C. 1681 and The Consumer Credit Reporting Reform Act of 1996
• Federal Trade Commission Staff Opinion Letters
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.
• EEOC Guidance on Pre-Employment Inquiries under the ADA – Pre-employment Disability-Related
  Questions and Medical Examinations
• Department of Transportation Requirements – Regulatory Guidance for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
• Department of Transportation Drug Testing – DOT Urine Specimen Collection Guidelines for the U.S. DOT Workplace

Additional Legal Information

• The U.S. Government’s Most Wanted Lists
• Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act

State Background Screening and Drug Testing Laws

• Employer Reference Immunity Laws and Bills
• State Drug Testing Laws
• State Departments of Labor

Top 20 Requested DOL Resources

All sorts of people use the Department of Labor (DOL) Web site. Here is a list of pages that workers, students, employers, and our other customers are going to most frequently.

• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Consumer Price Index (Statistics)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment and Unemployment Data
• State Minimum Wage Laws
• Compliance Assistance: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Find It By Topic: Wages
• Wages by Area and Occupation (Statistics)
• Compliance Assistance: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• OSHA’s Recordkeeping Page
• DOL Job Opportunities
• DOL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• FairPay/Overtime Security
• Compliance Assistance: Employment Laws and Regulations
• Statistics on Professional and Related Occupations
• Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses
• State Labor Offices
• State Labor Laws
• Current Population Survey (Statistics)
• Employment Situation (Statistics
• DOL Forms Library

Forms & Resources

The following links lead to government Websites aimed at helping employers understand and comply with federal and state regulations..

Wage and hour regulations

• Elaws — employment laws assistance for small businesses
• Minimum wage (Fair Labor Standards Act)
• Teen labor
• Family and medical leave
• Find local offices of U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
• State departments of labor
• State teen labor laws (as compiled by U.S. Dep’t of Labor)
• State payday requirements (as compiled by U.S. Dep’t of Labor)
• State requirements on meal periods (as compiled by U.S. Dep’t of Labor)

Discrimination

• Equal Employment OpportunityCommission
• EEOC investigations — what employers should know
• Americans with Disabilities Act and employees — EEOC on how the law
  protects employees and job applicants with disabilities
• Americans with Disabilities Act and Customers — U.S. Dep’t of Justice on how law protects customers with disabilities

Immigration

• Download I-9 forms
• Immigration info for employers — from Dep’t of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Frequently asked questions about employment eligibility — from Dep’t of Homeland Security
• Social Security numbers and foreign workers — Social Security Administration
• Social Security number verification — Social Security Administration

Tax

• IRS forms and publications for restaurants and bars
• IRS information for restaurants
• Employment tax forms
• State government sites with tax information for employers
• Social Security Administration — W-2 forms
• Nutrition claims on menus
• State alcoholic-beverage agencies
• State

More Resources

• ADA Document Center ADA Document Center
• ADA Technical Assistance Program
  ADA Technical Assistance Program
• American with Disabilities Act Checklist for new lodging facilities
  A very thorough checklist to ensure compliance for new lodging facilities
• Americans with Disabilities Act
  Information on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• DOL – Small Business Compliance Assistance
  Web page designed to assist small business owners understand the rules and regulations the Department
  of Labor administers.
• DOL Employment and Training Administration
  Information from the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.
• DOL Employment Laws Assistance –
  Workers/Small Bus
  Information from the Department of Labor regarding Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Business.
• DOL Office of Federal Contract Compliance
  Information from the Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance.
• DOL Veterans Employment and Training Services
  Information from the Department of Labor regarding Veterans Employment and Training Services.
• DOL Wage and Hour Division
  Information from the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
• Drug-Free Workplace Advisor
  This website helps companies build their own workplace drug-related policies and programs
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  (EEOC)
  Information regarding the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
• US Department of Labor
  Information from the US Department of Labor.
• Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services
  Information from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services.
• Federal Trade Commission
  Fair Credit Reporting Act information
• FedWorld
  General U.S. government website
• Immigration and Naturalization Service
  Information regarding Immigration and Naturalization Service
• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
  Information regarding the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
• Occupational and Safety Health Administration
  (OSHA)
  Information regarding the Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA).
• Social Security Administration
  Verification of social security numbers
• U.S. Small Business Administration
  Webpage of federal agency created to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns.

IRS Forms & Publications


• Form 8027, Employer’s Annual Information Return of Tip Income and Allocated Tips Form
• Instructions 8027, Instructions, Employer’s Annual Information Return of Tip Income and Allocated Tips
• Form 8846, Credit for Employer Social Security and Medicare Taxes Paid on Certain Employee Tips
• Form 4137, Social Security and Medicare Tax on
  Unreported Tip Income
• Publication 531, Reporting Tip Income
• Publication 1244, Employee’s Daily Record of Tips and Report to Employer
• Publication 1244PR, Employee’s Daily Record of Tips and Report to Employer – Spanish Version
• Publication 1872, Tips on Tips – A Guide to Tip Income Reporting for Employees in the Food and Beverage Industry
• Publication 1875, Employer/Tip Income Reporting