What are my legal obligations as an employer in Georgia when it comes to hiring and firing employees?

As an employer in Georgia, you have legal obligations when it comes to hiring and firing employees. Below are the legal requirements that you need to follow:

Hiring employees:

1. The employers in Georgia are required to comply with federal and state anti-discrimination laws while hiring employees. The employers cannot discriminate based on an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
2. The employers must verify a new employee's eligibility to work in the United States by using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) within three days of the employee's start date.
3. Georgia employers must provide new hires with a written notice of their pay rate, their pay date, a description of any deductions the employer plans to make from their paycheck, and their employer's name and contact information.
4. Georgia is an at-will employment state. This means that unless there is a contract, statute or public policy exception to the contrary, either the employer or the employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason or no reason at all.

Firing employees:

1. Like hiring, employers in Georgia need to comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws while firing employees.
2. An employer cannot terminate an employee for a discriminatory reason like their race, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability.
3. Georgia employers are also required to provide terminated employees with their final paycheck in full within a reasonable time. If an employee is fired, employers must turn over the final paycheck on the next scheduled payday. If an employee quits, the employer must issue the final paycheck on the next payday or within 30 days of the resignation, whichever is sooner.

Limitations and exceptions:

1. Private employers in Georgia are not required to have a written employment contract with employees. However, if you do have an employment contract, you must follow the terms of that contract.
2. Georgia employers may not discriminate against employees who report violations of state or federal laws or who participate in proceedings related to such violations.
3. If there are any concerns about how to proceed with an employee's termination, it may be worthwhile to consult with a licensed attorney.

While these guidelines are a good starting point, it’s important that you consult with a licensed attorney to ensure that you are fully compliant with all applicable laws and regulations.