In my nearly 30 years representing employers in all areas of labor and employment law, employment claims against companies have increased significantly. Close to 100,000 new charges were filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in fiscal year 2012, alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Every year, the U.S. Congress and state legislatures enact employment laws placing new obligations and restrictions on businesses; these enactments, in turn, create new ways for companies to find themselves confronting charges of wrongdoing before administrative agencies and state and federal courts.

Here are 10 strategies that many large employers have found helpful in reducing their exposure to employment claims:

1. Integrate HR in Workforce Planning

In their book, Winning, Jack Welch, the celebrated former head of GE, and his wife Suzy Welch, a former editor of the Harvard Business Review, declared that companies should “[e]levate HR to a position of power and primacy in the organization . . .” They recognized the importance of integrating qualified human resources professionals in the decisions of senior management to help develop leaders and resolve internal differences. Skilled HR professionals can help handle disciplinary actions and terminations, as well as hire, train, and promote the best workers to achieve business objectives and avoid liability. In my experience, seasoned HR professionals often are the first and most important protection against employment claims activity.

2. Conduct Regular Background Checks

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