Federal Labor and Employment Links

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program produces employment and wage estimates for over 800 occupations. These are estimates of the number of people employed in certain occupations, and estimates of the wages paid to them.

www.bls.gov/oes/home.htm

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U.S. Department of Labor

Helping Employers and Employees Comply with Department of Labor Laws & Regulations

The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to providing its customers and America's employers, workers, job seekers and retirees with clear and easy-to-access information on how to comply with federal employment laws. Such information and guidance are often referred to as "compliance assistance," which is a cornerstone of the Department's mission.

http://www.dol.gov/compliance/

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Occupational Outlook Handbook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. Revised every two years, the Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm

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Compliance Assistance
Laws of the Wage and Hour Division

The Department of Labor is committed to providing its customers America's employers, workers, job seekers and retirees with clear and easy-to-access information on how to comply with federal employment laws. Such information and guidance is known as "compliance assistance." Browse the following list of laws administered by the Wage and Hour Division for law-specific compliance assistance information:

http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/ca_main.htm

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Employment Law Guide: Laws, Regulations, and Technical Assistance Services

This Guide describes the statutes and regulations administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) that affect businesses and workers. The Guide is designed mainly for those needing "hands-on" information to develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies for businesses in general industry.

You can download this Employment Law Guide free of charge from the following government web site:

http://www.dol.gov/asp/programs/guide.htm

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Labor Department Offers New Spanish-Language Compliance Assistance Resources

WASHINGTON & The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of two Spanish-language compliance assistance resources designed to help members of the Hispanic community understand and comply with federal employment laws and regulations.

www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/opa/OPA20050900.htm

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The Forms Catalog provides citizens and businesses with a common access point to federal agency forms.

http://www.forms.gov/bgfPortal/citizen.portal

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Consumers' Guide to Legal Help

http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/home.cfm

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Alien Employee Visa Classification Wizard

This system will assist you in determining the types of visa classifications that are appropriate for a particular alien seeking to be employed in the US. The system will ask you questions about the specific type of employment, the sponsoring company and individual. It will then display a list of visa classifications that could be used.

http://www.exsyssoftware.com/CORVID/corvidsr?KBNAME=../sba_demo/classify.cvR

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International Trade

Many small businesses today find it essential to trade overseas. Know the various elements of trading on a global level. This page includes: laws and regulations, trade finance, exporting, and associations and agencies.

http://www.business.gov/topics/international_trade/

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State and regional governments offer resources, business compliance
and other information for forming, starting, and running your business.

http://www.business.gov/regions/states/

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Protect Your Ideas ( Copyright, patent, and trademark information)

Innovations and new product ideas are valuable assets of a business. These assets need to be protected so that your rights are not infringed upon by others.

http://www.business.gov/phases/launching/protect_ideas/index.html

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Writing A Business Plan

A written guide to starting and running your business successfully is essential. This plan will encourage loans, promote growth, and provide a map for you to follow. The following link includes much
information and samples of actual business plans.

http://www.business.gov/phases/launching/write_business_plan/index.html

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Buy A Business

Once the decision is made to start a business, often the next decision is either to buy an existing business or start a new venture from scratch. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options.

http://www.business.gov/phases/launching/buy_business/index.html

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Buy A Franchise

Business franchising offers many opportunities. This form of ownership has helped many entrepreneurs get started in business and succeed.

http://www.business.gov/phases/launching/buy_franchise/index.html

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Federal vs. State Family and Medical Leave Laws

http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/fmla/index.htm

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Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law

http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/rest.htm

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