What questions should you ask in an interview, and what questions should you avoid, to avoid getting in legal trouble? Let’s look at some of the common mistakes employers make when it comes to questions and how those questions can result in lawsuits.

Before you jump headfirst into recruiting remote employees, you must commit to putting a recruitment and hiring playbook in place. It needs to provide a road map for your recruiting practices. If you don’t develop a playbook, chances are high that someone on your team - probably someone with great intentions - will do something, ask something, or post something that puts your company at risk.

The FLSA is complicated. The terms “exempt” and “non-exempt” sound foreign. Sophisticated employers make mistakes. Even the Department of Labor, the agency responsible for enforcing the FLSA, has been accused of FLSA violations against its own employees. But being aware of common mistakes can be one of the best ways for business owners to limit liability.

The personnel file is one of the most critical parts of an employment case. When a current or former employee sues or is considering legal action, you’ll probably get a written request from the employee (or his attorney) for his personnel file. In some states, you must provide it even if your employee never files a lawsuit. In all states, you can expect that you’ll have to turn it over once a lawsuit begins.