Under the Radar?You may be big enough to have to play by some rules, but too small for others. How do you know just what's applicable?

As any business owner with employees knows, there's a welterof state and federal laws providing employees with certain rightsand protecting them from various forms of discrimination. But notevery law in your jurisdiction applies to every employer. Many lawsexplicitly state that they only apply to businesses that have acertain number of employees or more.

Consider a recent case. Design Group One, a tiny architecturalfirm in Chester, Connecticut, fired a pregnant woman. The employersaid the reason was poor performance, but the former employeeclaimed it was because of all her doctor appointments. She suedunder the state's Fair Employment Practices Act, whichprohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, includingpregnancy.