Landslide Limosines

Landslide Limousines

Employment Law Compliance Plan

University of Phoenix

Bradley Stonefield is looking to start a limousine service in Austin, Texas by the name of Landslide Limousines, which will provide first-class transportation to clients and customers. The first step in providing Human Resources advice and support to Stonefield is to research employment laws to determine how Landslide Limousines will stay in compliance, as well as any non-compliant issues that might come about.

In the state of Texas, many of the employment laws follow Federal Law. For instance, Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, which is the wage that Texas has chosen to adopt. Assuming the Stonefield will be paying his drivers an hourly wage, one law he must be aware of is the Texas Minimum Wage Act. This law states that all non-exempt employees are entitled to at least $7.25/hour and are not prohibited from bargaining for a higher wage. It is possible that was specified restrictions, an employer may be able to apply tips to the hourly minimum wage. However, written verification of any employees pay must be documented (likely in the form of a paystub) to provide proof of correct wages in accordance with the Texas Minimum Wage Act. In the event that Landslide Limousines is incompliant with this law, employees will have up to two years to file legal charges against the employer or report the employer to the Texas Workforce Commission which will lead to the employer paying liquidated damages and fees (Texas Minimum Wage Law, 2011).

I also suggest that the owner of Landslide Limousines become familiar with the EEOC website (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) as it is filled with a multitude of employment laws. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is an example of such. Title VII states that it is illegal to discriminate against any individual based on race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. The law also requires employers accommodate applicant and employee religious practices, unless doing so would enforce undue hardship on a company. Moreover, Title VII also makes retaliation illegal, meaning that no retaliatory actions may be taken on an employee who complains about discrimination or files a formal report on such matters (Title VII, n.d.).

According to U.S. Census data, the average age of taxi and limousine drivers in the United States is 46 years and is slowly rising as the years go on (“The Changing Face,” 2004). Therefore, another law that applies to Landslide Limousines is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). This law specifically protects people over the age of 40 from workplace discrimination. This discrimination includes denying employment, differing compensation, differential treatment, or dismissal based solely on age. Like Title VII, the ADEA also prohibits any retaliation against a person because he or she complained or reported discrimination, or participated in any employment discrimination lawsuits. Failure to comply with the ADEA can result in the repayment of unpaid wages or overtime, liquidated damages, and lawsuits (The ADEA, n.d.).