Hiring & Managing Staff: Lesson 7
Employer Obligations
Dan Gilmore, Founder and Attorney at Law at Squires Strategies also an Employment Lawyer and Consultant, will be covering the obligations that employers in Tennessee do and don’t have.
Topics:
- Benefits
- Meal and Rest Periods
- Obligations and Lack of Obligations
Test Your Knowledge
To receive credit for taking this course through TSBDC, watch the video and take the quiz that will appear below to demonstrate your knowledge.
Video Lesson Topics
- 0:21
- Benefits
With the exception of social security, unemployment, and worker’s comp (5 or more employees), small business employers in Tennessee are not generally required to offer benefits.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obama Care, requires small businesses with 50 or more full-time employees to provide a certain amount of health coverage.
Benefits provided by Tennessee employers is more about what can you provide, what can you afford to provide, and what incentives can you provide to attract and retain the employees you want.
- 2:24
- Meal and Rest Periods
Federal Law does not require providing a meal or rest period to employees. A meal period is usually 30 minutes of unpaid time where a break is taken to eat a meal. A rest period is typically less than 20 minute break but under Federal Law is compensated.
If you choose to provide unpaid meal times as an employer, your employees can not work during that period and are free of any work duties. In Tennessee if you have 5 or more employees, employees that are scheduled a 6 hour shift must have at least a 30 minute meal period break. Some exceptions do apply to the unpaid meal period such as security officers that can not leave posts and servers who wish to waive their right to a break in writing.
- 4:47
- Obligations and Lack of Obligations
Employment Applications in Tennessee are not required by state or federal law. Applications are encouraged along with managing them properly and keeping record of them.
Performance Reviews are not required by federal or state law on any type of regular bases. Performance reviews are effective tools and if used should be a manageable one that is effective, realistic, and provides both positive and constructive feedback for employees.
Topics & Lessons
Each Below Topic Contains a Video Lesson and Helpful Downloadable Information
Employment Law
Employees or Contractors?
Hiring & Onboarding
Diversity & Inclusion
Remote Workers
Employee Retention Strategies
Employer Obligations
Workplace Safety
Building and Training the Right Team
When the Employment Relationship Ends
Want to learn more about how this topic relates to your business?
Schedule a meeting with one of our consultants! All counseling sessions offered by the TSBDC are no-cost and provided by our staff of professional business consultants.
