When people hear the phrase “regulatory compliance,” they often assume it refers to safety and getting the appropriate permissions and licenses. While it certainly does, it does not end there. Regulatory compliance covers several other areas, one of the most important being employees.
Here are some things contractors need to bear in mind regarding their employees, aside from keeping them safe:
Diversity
Most construction workplaces are heavily male-dominated. It can be a challenging industry for women to break into, and they must battle those who feel they are not tough enough for the job. Some minorities can find it difficult to get work, too, even though certain minorities may get a lot of work on a particular construction site.
Employers must take steps to encourage the participation of women and minorities at all levels of their workforce. This includes ensuring the hiring and promotion process is discrimination-free and tackling any discrimination or harassment that occurs to those employed.
Data protection
Employers must abide by data protection laws to protect the information they hold on their employees (as well as that they hold on clients and suppliers). Adherence begins with understanding, so they should ensure those with access to the data receive training in their obligations and best practices concerning it.
Modern slavery
Employers often bring in teams of subcontractors or rely on foremen to find staff. Modern slavery is a problem in the construction industry, and just because an employer does not engage in it themselves does not absolve them of the responsibility to remain watchful over what occurs on their sites.
Getting help to learn more about the regulatory requirements you must comply with reduces the chance you need help to defend yourself from allegations of breaching them.