Non-compliance can be costly to your business, but that’s obvious since it’s breaking the law. How your business can be non-compliant can sometimes be unknown to you. Some business practices you thought were fine actually weren’t, but there’s so many to keep track of that you just don’t know anymore. However, it’s important that you know what you should and shouldn’t do on the job, otherwise things can get messy. So, just as a refresher course, here are a few of the consequences you can run into by being non-compliant.

1. Wages

This one seems pretty easy to follow, but not paying your workers on time or the correct amount is in violation of state regulations. Workers must be paid fairly for every hour they clocked in and paid more for any overtime they may have accrued. If you fail to pay them the amount they are due, you are breaking regulation, which means you need to pay them and the state. There will be plenty of audits and fees coming your way if you fail in any of these regards, so make sure you are paying everyone what they are owed and doing it in a timely manner.

2. Hiring

This is a bit more difficult to manage because it encompasses many different people. Basically, you need to watch out for lawsuits during the hiring process based on what questions you ask and make sure you aren’t hiring anyone under 18 for a job clearly meant for someone older and with more experience. There are minimum age laws in place that state the age someone can be hired and the minimum wage they can be offered. Regulations are king here, so if you are breaking the rules, there are a lot of fines in your future. As for normal hiring, you need to make sure that whoever is doing the hiring process is levelheaded, careful, and has everything planned. For example, if they were to ask the age of a candidate and the interviewee states they are in their upper 50’s, that person can sue the company if they aren’t chosen for the job for age discrimination. Make sure the questions are vetted, safe, and as impersonal as possible.

3. Workplace Safety

You need to provide a safe environment for your employees and compensate them if they are injured on the job. There are safety standards in place and if you fail to meet them, you can be sued and fined for thousands if not millions of dollars. If you don’t have workers compensation in place in case of accidents, there could be fines or even stop work orders, which requires that your business stop work immediately until you are able to sort things out. That’s way too much money to hazard losing, just because you weren’t prepared for an accident to happen. Make the right choice here, you won’t regret it in the long run and your employees will appreciate it.

4. Licensing

Many businesses need a certain type and set of licenses to keep operating. If you don’t have the right credentials, you get shut down. It seems harsh, but you need to show that you know what you’re doing and that the state recognizes your business as legitimate. Without those papers, you’re just another random shady business, flying under the radar by the seat of your pants. Stay safe and make sure everything is in order before you start things up.