Although churches and other religious organizations are not thought of as businesses, they still need to think about employment legal matters. Employment laws come into play when hiring employees, classifying employees, compensating employees, terminating employees, engaging private contractors, establishing payroll, and even recruiting volunteers. There is one absolute certainty in employment law – every employee of every organization will one day be a former employee, whether it is by retirement, resignation, termination, disability, or death. Employment laws are important to consider because awareness and understanding of these laws can protect your organization from legal pitfalls down the road.
Why a Church Should be Aware of Employment Laws
Employment liability is one of the major legal issues that churches face today, and unfortunately there are an ever-growing number of church employment lawsuits. Employment laws can be complicated, and it may be difficult to understand how they are applied to a religious organization. This is why it is important to consult with a skilled church lawyer who focuses on the legal needs of churches, ministries, and other religious organizations.
There are many misconceptions regarding how employment laws are applied to religious organizations. Some may feel that they have a small number of employees, so the laws will not apply to their organization, or that the few individuals they employ are good friends, so there will never be a lawsuit. Without ensuring your church is properly protected, however, your organization will be vulnerable if an accident occurs, or if a lawsuit is ever filed for any reason. It is never a good idea to assume a legal issue will never come up, so planning ahead to protect your organization is always the best course of action.
Why Should You Call an Attorney?
There are specific state and federal employment laws, and it is best to know how they impact your particular organization. A church attorney will be familiar with these laws and how they specifically apply to your church, ministry, or other religious organization. The Church Law Group of Anthony | Kennedy, PLLC, focuses specifically on legal issues affecting nonprofit organizations, including churches, ministries, and other religious organizations, and can thus give you valuable advice and help you avoid potential employment related issues in the future. Prevention is far less costly than dealing with expensive, time-consuming lawsuits down the road. Do not hesitate to make sure things are done right. Planning correctly and putting protocols in place from the beginning, can help your organization avoid mistakes that can become a major headache later on. Call our office today and speak with one of our church lawyers to learn more about how we can help you and your organization.
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