This document provides an overview of key areas of business law for managers, including common law, contracts, intellectual property, employment law, torts, and business ethics. It discusses laws governing discrimination, harassment, leave, wages, and more. The document stresses the importance of adhering to company policies, consulting HR and lawyers when needed, and maintaining separation between personal and corporate assets to avoid personal liability.

1. Business Law For Managers
Robert Kling
Business Student at Penn State Mont Alto

2. Highlights- Learn the Basics thru Lynda
 Business Intellectual property law basics
 How it connects to your job
 Define Business Ethics
 When to consult a lawyer
 Proper protocol for tough situations
 The Corporate Veil

3. Areas of Business Law
 Common Law, Federal Law
 Uniform Commercial Code, UCC
 Governs the sale of goods in the United States
 Contracts and Formations
 Consumer fraud protection
 Credit Protection
 Some employment affairs
 Operates at a local level and has been adopted by most states
 Employment Law

4. Areas of Business Law (continued)
 Intellectual Property
 Names
 Logos
 Slogans
 Creative works
 Inventions
 Anti-trust
 Tax Law
 Bankruptcy
 Immigration

5. Employment Law 101
 Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA
 Age Discrimination in Employment Act
 Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA
 Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA
 Right to privacy in the workplace (most states)
 Additional laws vary from state to state

6. Torts and the court system
 Civil wrong
 Civil liability for a company relating to an employee, lawsuits
 Injury
 Slip and Fall
 Medical and legal malpractice
 Motor vehicle accidents
 Product liability

7. Your role as a manager
 Adhere to your companies code of ethics, report all violations
 Harassment
 Discrimination
 Legal
 Ethical
 Follow your companies grievance procedure
 Comply with employment regulations
 Create a healthy and safe work environment
 Document, document, document
 When meeting with an employee about an issue make sure someone else is present
 Report all incidence of concern to management

8. When to bring in a legal professional
 Termination of and employee that:
 Has access to trade secrets/sensitive information
 Is a member of a protected class and claims discrimination
 Excessive absences, even if it wasn’t under FMLA
 Employment contract
Note: Always make sure that you have Human Resources involved, they know the
current rules you have to abide by.

9. The Ins and Outs of Liability
 Wrongful termination claim, even in states that have employment at will
 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC
 Discrimination, sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, pregnancy, disability
 Contractual breach
 Damages could include, compensation, injunctive relief, punitive damages, attorney fees, and
even reinstatement
 Harassment
 Hostile work environment
 Sexual advances/contact/requests
 Religion

10. The Ins and Outs of Liability (continued)
 FLMA
 12 weeks of unpaid vacation for certain employees under certain conditions:
 Working for at least 12 months
 Worked at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months
 Company employs more than 50 people within a 75 mile radius
 Pregnancy complications
 FSLA
 Establishes, minimum wage rates, overtime rates, child labor standards
 Some exemptions
 Stay in contact with HR, they will know the latest rules and regulations

11. Business Ethics
 “Business ethics is the set of moral and ethical behavior standards each employee
must follow, outlined by a company regarding their business activity…”
 Know how to spot ethics issues when they arise
 Evaluate, e.g. racial slurs and sexually suggested remarks may be obvious, you need to be
able to spot more subtle problems
 Clarify, check with others, especially HR, to make sure this is a violation
 Determine, make the choice that you think is best
 Take action based on that decision
 Be an ethics hawk, maintain your own high standards
 Know your companies code of ethics, follow the code, set the standards, and keep
records

12. The Corporate Veil
 What is the Corporate Veil
 “When a corporation or limited liability company, also known as an LLC, is filed under the law
of the state and/or country, that company is considered to be its own legal entity. This means
that it is separate from the owners, members, and shareholders who created it.”
 Wrongdoing, piercing the corporate veil, managers of the corporation may be held
personally liable for the financial obligations of the company
 No comingling of funds
 Maintain corporate formalities
 Maintain integrity
 Don’t use company assets for personal use
 Don’t purchase smaller companies in hopes of diverting your debts and liabilities to keep the
larger parent corporation safe

13. The Corporate Veil (continued)
 The Corporate Veil and your role as manager
 Uphold the standards of the corporation related to by laws, the code of ethics and
statuary laws that govern your position with the company and the people that you
manage
 Ensure employees are not engaged in fraudulent activities
 Maintain records of corporate meetings

14. Conclusion
 This presentation is only meant to provide you with the highlights for this course.
Although you cannot become an expert in Business Law in a 1 hour video, this
course will point you in the right direction and possibly whet your appetite to learn
more.