• Georgia labor laws protect workersconstruction worker image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) manages all issues related to employment in Georgia. GDOL standards and policies are aligned with United States Department of Labor standards and Federal and Local laws. Labor laws protect workers in the state and provide employers with a clear picture of their rights and responsibilities in relation to employment.
  
  

Child Labor Laws

• The Georgia Department of Labor's Child Labor division administers and regulates all child labor in Georgia. All children under the age of 16 must obtain work permits before beginning work. Children under the age of 12 may not work except in family businesses or in casual employment such as babysitting. Children under the age of 16 may work up to four hours on any school day or up to eight hours on a non-school day, provided that they do not work more than 18 hours in a given school week or 40 hours in a non-school week. They may work between the hours of 7 a.m and 7 p.m. Evening hours are extended to 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. Children 16 years and older may work full time.
  
  

Equal Opportunity Laws

• The state of Georgia forbids employers from refusing employment to any person based on age, race, color, sex, religion or sexual preference. Georgia forbids employers from discriminating against physically disabled candidates unless the disability makes it impossible for the candidate to complete the job. In addition, Georgia employers must provide reasonable accommodation to employees with physical disabilities, including, but not limited to, permission to bring service animals to work, wheelchair-accessible restrooms, handicapped parking and accessible entrances. Georgia is no longer an affirmative action state.
  
  

Work Eligibility

• As of July 1, 2007, the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act provided that all public employers, as well as their contractors and subcontractors, must verify work eligibility of all new employees through the federal electronic verification system. All employers must complete a Federal I-9 form for each employee.
  
  

HIPAA

• State law requires that businesses that employ more than 20 people provide terminated employees the option to continue health care insurance at the employee's expense. This is in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
  
  

At-Will Employment

• Georgia is an at-will state. This means that either the employee or the employer can terminate the relationship at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. Employers may withhold benefit pay, such as pay for accrued vacation or sick time, if an employee leaves without giving notice.