Your company needs to know specific state employment laws. Failing to recognize and abide by particular state employment laws can expose your company to costly litigation. Keep the following in mind when considering the differences among these and other state employment laws. State Unemployment Compensation Laws Differ. Unemployment compensation is regulated by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) and jointly administered by federal and state authorities. Under FUTA, the individual states are free to set their own limits on weekly benefit amounts, unemployment tax rates, taxable wage bases, and unemployment eligibility and disqualification requirements. Employment at Will Varies from State to State. Employment at will means that employers may generally terminate an employment relationship at any time and for any reason. Keep in mind that particular state law may place limitations on an otherwise employment-at-will relationship. States Define “Employment”. The legal definition of “employment” is fairly broad. It includes most part-time and temporary employees. Independent contractors may be excluded, but only if the employer has little control over their work. Federal requirements leave some room for states to establish different criteria for defining employment and for determining the kinds of services that are excluded. State employment laws in Plain-English - at your fingertips Find out about more state employment laws at HR.BLR.com, the human resource specialists. HR.BLR.com delivers practical, plain-English analysis of all employment laws by state. No matter what the HR topic - from termination to employment law - you’ll find hands-on help you can count on. As the laws in different states on Human Resources get more complex, keeping current can spell the difference between success and disaster. The HR.BLR.com editorial staff monitors a host of private and government sources to keep you up-to-date on all the important human resource developments. The HR Library has more helpful state employment law resources like these: Overtime Laws in Your State Major Employment Laws in Plain-English Employment Forms