Staying Updated on Employment Regulations: Tips and Tricks

A vital part of being a Human Resources professional is to stay up-to-date on both federal and state employment regulations. Laws and policies regarding employment are changing all the time, varying from state to state. There’s a lot of information that needs to be processed and understood. The task is even more complicated for HR firms managing international accounts. Here are some easy tips and tricks on staying updated on employment regulations–
Hiring an Employment Law Attorney
The main way in which top HR agencies stay informed about employment regulations is with the assistance of their employment law attorney. Hiring the services of an attorney will keep the agency members constantly updated about any state or federal legislative changes. For instance, the Affordable Care Act was recently subject to various changes. An attorney will be able to breakdown all the details of these changes to the employees of the agency.
Becoming a Member of the Society for Human Resource Management
Established in 1948, SHRM is the biggest and the most renowned association for Human Resources professionals around the world. Becoming a paid member of their website gives users access to weekly newsletters and tools needed to stay well-informed about major changes in employment regulations. They are the best platform for receiving legislative updates. They also offer a wide range of free content, but HR professionals are advised to become paid members to get access to the best articles written by top HR professionals from around the world.
Sign Up for Email Updates from the Local Department of Labor
Each state has a Department of Labor that deals with service laws and regulations. All departments of Labor constantly send out articles and notices regarding any changes or additions to the existing set of employment laws.
Sign Up For BLR-HR
BLR is an informational website dedicated to informing companies about compliance laws. Helping over 30,000 companies around the world, this website is the ultimate source of information about employment laws and regulations in the private sector. The website is full of information regarding various employment topics, sorted by countries and states. Subscription is expensive but definitely worth the money. All HR firms, especially the ones managing employees across several states and countries, must subscribe to their premium site. If you’re hesitant about paying the annual subscription fee, use their free trial option to evaluate whether their content meets your requirements.
Some other free websites for detailed information about Employment Law are -
 Wolters Kluwer Guide (wolterskluwer.com)
 Cornell Legal Information Institute (www.law.cornell.edu/wex/category/employment_law)
 Nolo Employment Law Center (www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/hr-employment-law)
It's nearly impossible to keep abreast of all the changes in employment laws. Plus, HR professionals also have to assess how these changes will impact their workers. The assistance of these informational resources will definitely help. However, the best source of information will always be a qualified and well-informed attorney who can guide the HR team through complicated legal lingo. Permanently appointing an Employment Law Attorney could be the best thing that an HR agency can do for its employees.
Summary
All human resource professionals need to be well-versed with state and federal employment legislations. They can become a member of SHRM or sign up for receiving regular updates from the Department of Labor. The best thing to do is to hire a qualified Employment Law Attorney who can provide proper guidance.