Every business owner dreads the day they get a lawsuit. You’ve probably heard or read of stories of companies that went out of business because of an expensive lawsuit. Prevention is always better than cure and you need to make sure that you’re doing everything according to the books. There are some common reasons why businesses get sued and we’re going to highlight some of them.
Discrimination With the Hiring Process
There are some questions that could hand you in trouble during the interview process and should be avoided at all costs. That is why companies put disclaimers when posting the work. It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an individual based on race, ethnicity or disability.
Emotional Discipline
It can be a big mistake to emotionally discipline an employee at all costs. You should not try to embarrass the employees just to prove a point. There are better ways to discipline employees and you should make sure that you’re following due process whenever you’re handling sensitive matters that involve the employees.
Not Following HR Best Practices
It is crucial that you’re following the right practices when it comes to handling human resource matters. You or a person you know might have experienced harassment in the workplace at some point. Personal issues among employees can go sour. If the manager involved doesn’t handle the matter well, you could be dealing with a serious legal issue. The HR department needs to be aware of the best practices so that your business doesn’t find itself in trouble with the law.
Underestimate the Cost of a Lawsuit
It is easy to assume that the lawsuit will go away or the person won’t take legal action. You want to avoid a legal dilemma if there is an opportunity to do so. Every threat will need to be taken seriously. You can never know what someone might be thinking with your company and it is crucial that you’re not taking chances. Litigation is a stressful process and anyone that has gone through it will want to avoid it as much as possible. You might have to devote a significant portion of your time fighting the lawsuit which could hurt the business in one way or another. The rule of thumb is to avoid litigation at all costs. Every accusation should be investigated and taken seriously before matters get out of hand.
Lack of Empathy With Staff
To any business, employees could be the biggest risk. There will be toxicity if you can’t relate well with the employees. You will need to be compliant with all the labor laws at both the state and the federal level. A happy employee is unlikely to file a lawsuit unless under very rare circumstances. That is why it is imperative that you’re creating an environment that is conducive to work. You need to be empathetic to the pleas of the employees in the organization. Make sure that the employees are getting the right insurance to avoid litigation in case of an injury in the workplace.
Failing to Consider the Impact of Their Action
Every action that is taken by the business will have a consequence. You might think you’re beating the system but taking shortcuts will soon come back to haunt you. Businesses don’t operate in a vacuum. You need to make sure that you’re following due process so that there are no laws being broken in the day-to-day operations of the business.
Asking the Wrong People For Legal Advice
Any business that is growing will need to have an attorney that they can always reach out to for advice. There are so many instances where a business will require legal services. Asking the wrong people for advice could land you in trouble if you’re not careful. Don’t go on the internet looking for answers to very serious legal problems. Instead, you should be reaching out to an experienced law firm where you’re able to get professional legal counsel for your business. You can see this here if you want to work with such a law firm.
Failure to Seek Help Early
There are some business owners that will only start looking for help when the problem has gone out of control. It might be too late as you could be facing serious allegations because of the lawsuit. You don’t want to be arrogant when facing a lawsuit. Even if there is no basis for the litigation, it is still important to get in touch with an attorney.
