The NFIB Legal Center’s Beth Milito shares how to ensure your business is in compliance with some of the most confusing regulations.
From local ordinances to state laws to federal requirements, it can be difficult to stay on top of the regulations to comply with. Beth Milito, the NFIB Legal Center’s Senior Executive Counsel, says she gets the most calls from members about employment regulations, taxes, environmental laws, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Although most people expect government agency websites to be too overwhelming, too confusing, or just generally unhelpful, Milito notes that in many instances, government websites provide excellent resources.
If you’re struggling with your business’ regulatory compliance, here’s where Milito advises looking for help.
The U.S. Department of Labor
In general, Milito says, the agency website’s compliance assistance section is robust, but three areas in particular are helpful for small business owners needing assistance with employment regulations like wage and hour laws, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, and the latest with an ever-changing minimum wage landscape: wage and hour fact sheets, the OSHA employer-focused section, and a nationwide minimum wage map.
The Internal Revenue Service
The IRS has a vast database of fact sheets dating back to 1997, but several from 2019 may be especially helpful to small business owners right now. These include tax treatment for family members working in the family business, tax credits for providing paid family and medical leave, facts about the Qualified Business Income Deduction, and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changes that impact businesses.
The Environmental Protection Agency
On the EPA website, business owners can search by industry and by topic to zero in on the specific information needed for their company. Additionally, the EPA has compiled a list of compliance assistance centers that help small business owners specifically with environmental regulations.
SCORE
SCORE is a national network of volunteer, expert business mentors. While the organization is not focused solely on regulations, it does offer a regular live webinar series about a variety of topics, including tax planning, legal issues, and government regulations. Plus, SCORE offers recorded webinars, guides, checklists, and other resources for business owners.
The Job Accommodation Network
JAN offers a wealth of resources for small business employers about ADA compliance, including a Workplace Accommodation Toolkit, free consulting services and guidance for private businesses, a helpline (800-526-7234), and more.
The NFIB Legal Center
The NFIB Legal Center has two major resources available to small business owners: the Legal Guide Series and the Legal Center helpline.
The Legal Guide Series is a collection of free, up-to-date guides to key small business issues, such as working with independent contractors, wage and hour laws, managing unionization efforts, document retention, taxes, OSHA inspections, and more. All were written by outside counsel with small business owners in mind.
If the guides didn’t address your issue, you can also call the Legal Center helpline at 1-800-552-NFIB to reach either Milito or NFIB Senior Staff Attorney Luke Wake. While the NFIB Legal Center can’t provide legal advice, Milito and Wake are available to offer general information, referrals, and resources.
In addition to the federal options listed, Milito also recommends checking state-level labor, tax, and environmental agency websites for state and local requirements.
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