State and federal laws protect older workers from discrimination on the basis of their age.

You must respect applicants' privacy rights when conducting background checks.

It is generally illegal to give employees straight comp time -- one hour off for every extra hour worked -- rather than overtime pay.

Keep only what you need in an employee's personnel file.

Disciplining employees is often one of the most unpleasant parts of your job, but it's also one of the most important. Here are some tips on creating and implementing a disciplinary policy.

You must abide by anti-discrimination laws during all phases of the hiring process, from placing a help-wanted ad to conducting a job interview to selecting your new employee.

If you aren't careful, what you tell applicants in a job interview can get you into trouble.

Find out why you should adopt a policy on employee use of email -- and what you should put in it.

Use an employee handbook to communicate workplace policies.

If your employee hurts someone, you might be legally responsible.

You need to know about laws governing employers' relationships with workers.

Sometimes you can discriminate against a group of people -- if the particular job you are filling requires a person with specific characteristics.

You may be required to give employees time off for illness, childbirth, or adoption.

Here's a description of the major federal laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace.

Employers have to be ready with that final paycheck soon after an employee quits or is fired.

Employment contracts can limit your ability to fire employees.

Reduce your legal risks by dealing with discrimination and harassment complaints quickly and carefully.

You must comply with child labor laws if you hire employees who are under the age of 18.

The Americans with Disabilities Act has very strict rules about what you can and cannot do during the hiring process.

Give meaningful feedback on employee performance -- without creating legal problems.

There are certain reasons that you can never use to fire an employee.

Find out if job applicants are qualified -- but don't ask questions that could get you into legal trouble.

Make sure the independent contractor you hire doesn't get reclassified as an employee.

Employers may not discriminate against applicants and employees with disabilities.

State and federal laws protect workers who take leave to serve in the military.

Should you keep track of what your employees do when they're not on the job?

Learn the rules on monitoring email, voicemail, telephone conversations, and Internet use.

You can't discriminate against people based on their national origin -- or on anything relating to their national origin.

Noncompete agreements protect employers from losing valuable trade secrets and employees. Here's how to make sure your agreement will hold up in court.

Learn the legal rules on pre-employment testing of job applicants.

Some employers must allow employees to take time off for pregnancy or a new child.

You can't retaliate against employees for complaining about harassment or discrimination.

Learn what sexual harassment is -- and how to prevent it.

You may not make job decisions based on an employee's race, ethnicity, or national origin.

Employers must accommodate their employees' religious beliefs -- within reason.

In most circumstances, employers are not legally required to pay severance to fired employees -- but you may want to consider it anyway.

Can you require your employees to submit to a medical exam, drug screen, psychological test, or lie detector test? Find out the rules here.

Most employers must pay their workers at least the federal minimum wage.

You can't afford to ignore or mishandle employment problems. A botched employment situation can cost you millions of dollars if it turns into a lawsuit. Protect yourself using these commonsense tips.

Ask independent contractors to fill out a questionnaire and provide documents to prove that they are really self-employed.

If you offer paid time off for vacation and illness, create a sensible policy.

In order to know what child labor laws apply to you, you'll need to know what qualifies as agricultural and hazardous agricultural jobs.

Learn what to tell prospective employers about a former employee.

Are your employees entitled to overtime pay? Learn the rules here.

You may have to pay employees for hours they spend on call or traveling.

Employees usually have the right to see at least some portion of their own personnel records.

Here are some tips on how to conduct a search without violating your workers' privacy rights.