As soon as you hire your first employee, you'll need to know about laws governing employers' relationships with their workers.

As an employer, you will have to follow a host of state and federal laws that regulate your relationship with your employees. Among the things you'll be expected to know and understand:

• Proper hiring practices, including how to conduct interviews and investigate job applicants without invading their privacy.
• Wage and hour laws, including those governing the minimum wage, overtime and compensatory time.
• How to avoid harassment and discrimination based on a variety of characteristics, including gender, age, race, pregnancy, sexual orientation, disability and national origin.
• The minimum requirements for sick, vacation, parental and other types of employee leave.
• How to write an employee handbook, conduct performance reviews and discipline employees.
• How to fire an employee without trampling on his or her legal rights.
• How to protect your business and respect employees' rights when they leave.
• What the law allows if you want to run a background check, do a workplace search or monitor employee conduct.