Whether starting a veterinary practice or purchasing an existing one, training your team on equal employment laws and practices is crucial. Taking an active approach to training your staff about anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies can help promote a positive and safe culture for everyone in your company. Actively training your staff can also help you minimize employment lawsuits.
Explain Your Veterinary Practice’s Policies Regarding Equal Employment
Annual training can help you ensure that your employees understand your veterinary practice’s discrimination policies. When training your employees, you should clearly state that discrimination based on color, race, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), disability, national origin, age (40 or older), and genetic information is illegal and won’t be tolerated. When training employees, you may need to provide more examples.
It’s also important to inform your employees of your veterinary practice policies regarding harassment, discrimination, and making reasonable accommodations. Distributing a copy of the employee handbook or telling the employees where they can find this information is essential. All employees should know how to report discrimination and harassment or ask for accommodations. If you do not have a dedicated human resources team, you should let staff know which employees are responsible for handling these types of reports.
It’s also important that employees know they won’t be punished or retaliated against for reporting discrimination, participating in a lawsuit or investigation related to discrimination, or trying to oppose discrimination in the workplace. When employees report violations of the practice’s equal opportunity policies, their information should remain confidential during the investigation to the greatest extent possible. Employees should also clearly understand the consequences of violating your veterinary practices’ non-discrimination policies.
Create an Employee Handbook
Every veterinary practice should have an employee handbook as the foundation for enforcing federal and state employment laws. This comprehensive handbook provides your veterinary practice with the necessary structure and guidance, ensuring that you are well-equipped to handle any employment-related issues that may arise.
The manager may handle human resources and the veterinary practice’s day-to-day operations. Creating a detailed employee handbook could save time when incidents arise. Establishing expectations and rules will help you address disputes or concerns more quickly. When handbooks are followed, veterinary practices enjoy greater protection from employment lawsuits because they can clearly show how they have followed state and federal laws as directed by the handbook.
Require Staff Training on Equal Employment Laws and Practices
After you have completed the employee handbook, you should call us for a staff meeting and train your staff on what the handbook means. Working with a veterinary attorney can help you stay aware of any important changes in state and federal employment laws. Because changes happen regularly, you should plan on hosting staff training on equal employment laws and practices at least once a year. Your attorney can help you update your handbook and note any changes to how equal employment issues will be addressed in the annual training.
Contact a Veterinary Practice Attorney Today
If you have questions about training your veterinary team on equal employment opportunities, speaking to an attorney can be helpful. Contact Mahan Law – Veterinary Attorney to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.