Equal Employment Opportunity

• Hiring managers are not permitted to discriminate against potential hires based on their race, gender, religion, national origin or age. Employers are also not allowed to discriminate against prospective employees because they have a physical or mental handicap. For example, employers cannot hire only middle-aged men into technology roles if qualified women have also applied for the jobs. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, organizations must make reasonable accommodations, such as installing wheelchair ramps, for handicapped employees to allow them to perform their jobs.
  
  

Compensation

• Compensation agreements, including whether an employee is eligible to receive overtime pay, are written into compensation agreement letters. Employees and compensation managers sign the letters, thereby making them official documents. A salary review by a human resources manager and an employee's business manager is generally required prior to increasing or decreasing an employee's salary.
  
  

Time Off

• Employees are required to work a certain number of days or weeks at an organization before they are allowed to take paid time off. Short-term disability policies adhere to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guidelines. Some organizations allow employees to take additional time off above what is required by FMLA. For example, an organization might permit its employees to take up to 26 weeks of paid leave after they give birth to a child or become ill. FMLA mandates that qualified employees are to receive 12 weeks of unpaid leave after the birth of a child, to care for a sick family member or to receive medical care.
  
  

Personnel Records

• Personnel records are to be stored in a confidential location. Employees have the right to review their employee records upon request. Some organizations allow only managers to review an employee's record if the manager signs a notice that includes the reason for checking it. Managers must also record the date that they checked the record out and the date they returned it. Personal information, such as the name of an employee's spouse, is not included in personnel records.
  
  

Employee vs. Independent Contractor

• Independent contractors are permitted to use company equipment and supplies, such as computers, telephones and message pads. They are not paid directly by the company, nor do they receive company benefits like paid time off, disability leave and pensions. To avoid treating an independent contractor like an employee, many organizations limit an independent contractor's length of service to one year or 18 months. After a break in service of six months or longer, independent contractors are generally permitted to return to the organization to work again. Independent contractors are responsible for filing and paying their own federal taxes, including Medicare and Social Security.