Is Your Business Prepared For A Department Of Labor Audit?
The word “audit” evokes an image of government intrusion, bureaucratic red tape and fear about the future of your business. The U.S. Department of Labor and the New Jersey Department of Labor regularly conduct business audits, and the companies audited are either chosen at random or have been the subject of complaints (often by a current or former employee).
Even if your company is doing everything by the book, being audited is a difficult and stressful experience. It should go without saying that you never want to be surprised by what an auditor might discover. Therefore, if your business is about to be audited, you could greatly benefit from a preparatory investigation conducted by a well-regarded employment law firm. In New Jersey, the firm to call is Traub Law.
Preparing For An Audit And Responding To Concerns
Whether your business was randomly chosen or the subject of an employee complaint, you will want to ensure that you are ready for anything an auditor might find. That is where my firm comes in. I will conduct a thorough investigation of all your business records and practices so that I can address issues before they are discovered or be ready with a solution at the time they are discovered.
Here are just some of the procedures I will undertake in my thorough assessment:
- Reviewing payroll records and timesheets
- Reviewing company policies around employment, harassment, discrimination and employee conduct
- Providing certification records
- Interviewing employees (save for the employee(s) who filed a complaint)
- Checking employee status against criteria for proper classification
- Reviewing record-keeping practices and policies
- Reviewing safety policies and compliance with safety requirements
- Directly investigating any issues contained within an employee complaint that triggered the audit
By hiring my firm to conduct an independent investigation, you can uncover problems and potential problems before the auditor does. This gives you a chance to correct them, prepare to refute allegations or prepare to demonstrate how you will address a noted problem (if it cannot be corrected prior to the audit).
If you are proactive in this process, you can potentially prevent Department of Labor penalties/fines as well as negative press coverage. Moreover, I will identify and package only the information and documents necessary to complete the audit, minimizing your exposure and liability risk.
Need To Get Started Right Away? Contact My Firm Today.
Traub Law has offices in East Brunswick and Princeton, but I serve clients throughout the state of New Jersey. To discuss your pre-audit investigation needs with an attorney who has more than three decades of experience, call me at 609-318-9053 or reach me online.