Record keeping laws can be complicated and can even conflict with one another, but failure to comply can expose the company to government investigations, lawsuits, and monetary penalties.

In order to avoid problems, companies need to follow a few best practices to execute employment agreements that will help both employers and employees achieve their goals, and that will stand up to court challenges.

Considering some alarming recent practices, employers need to understand current U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) actions and trends and what areas may leave them particularly vulnerable to scrutiny.

Many contracting companies consider background checks a requirement as their employees spend a significant amount of time in customers’ homes, but conducting those blanket background checks could land employers in legal hot water.