Labor
Small Businesses Labor Issues and Law
Small business owners know that their employees are their most valuable resource, and they work hard to train and retain employees by creating a comfortable workplace and rewarding them for a job well done.
However, government rules and regulations created by labor laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act have made labor issues more complicated than ever. It's important to remember that small businesses must operate differently from large businesses; they do not have human-resources departments to track the changing standards and mandates that affect their workforce and workplace. Labor issues such as wage and benefit mandates and ergonomics regulations make it much more difficult for small employers to shape the employment packages that work best for their firms.
NFIB urges Congress to simplify the employment process for small business, eliminate burdensome mandates and prevent the expansion of cumbersome regulations that punish the small businesses that create the majority of America's jobs.
NFIB opposes efforts to make it easier for unions to organize small businesses, by mandating card-check agreements instead of private-ballot elections.
NFIB believes government mandates take away small employers' and employees' freedom to negotiate the benefits package that best meets their mutual needs.
NFIB believes small and minority-owned businesses are discouraged from bidding on public projects by the complex and archaic rules set forth by the Davis-Bacon Act.
NFIB supports updating FLSA to give workers flexibility and to permit employers to reward workers financially for improving productivity and profitability.
NFIB opposes efforts to increase the federal minimum wage.
NFIB supports the federal government pursuing a voluntary program to prevent injuries instead of mandatory ergonomic regulations.
Small business supports the goals of the ADA but all too often finds itself on the wrong end of abusive lawsuits. NFIB believes the complexity of the law makes it difficult for small employers to understand how to make the appropriate accommodations.
NFIB supports eliminating the Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) "surtax," lowering the FUTA tax and returning the unemployment insurance system to the states.