Employment/ Labor Law Key Concepts

Sound Advice

We work with businesses of all sizes – from the small business owner who is directly responsible for every aspect of his or her business, to the company large enough to have an entire department devoted to human resources management. We emphasize preventive planning and proactive steps to help you maximize your employee potential and avoid legal entanglements.

Wage and Hour Compliance

Failure to properly classify employees can result in complaints, audits, and retroactive liability for overtime, as well as penalties and attorney’s fees. We assist employers in identifying exempt and non-exempt employees for compliance with overtime obligations for non-exempt employees.

Preventive Advice

Our clients frequently call upon our employment attorneys to give advice on day-to-day issues. Employment issues arise suddenly, and they often require immediate solutions. We know that often you cannot wait hours or days while a lawyer engages in expensive research. You need a sensible answer right now. Our clients find that often only a few minutes of preventive advice prior to disciplining or terminating an employee can save hours of misery and corrective action later.

Handbooks

Handbooks are useful tools to publicize your work rules and give employees a sense that work rules will be applied fairly and consistently. However, if not drafted properly, handbooks can create obligations you never intended. If you have not had your handbook reviewed by an attorney there are almost certainly a number of legal issues and implications that you may have overlooked, in the areas such as benefit claims, discrimination claims, discipline and wrongful termination claims, leave of absence and sexual harassment.

Training

We frequently conduct seminars and training for our clients on many employment issues. We can customize training programs to fit your individual needs.

Employment Policies

Federal and state laws require employers to adopt written policies for many employment matters, such as safety, discrimination, and various types of leaves of absences required by law. We frequently assist clients in viewing and drafting such policies.

Dispute Resolution

We also defend employers in the event that lawsuits are commenced. Our litigation team is experienced in all methods of dispute resolution mediation, arbitration, and litigation. We successfully represent business, government, and individuals in all types of employment litigation: breach of contract disputes, wrongful termination, injunctive relief for breach of covenants not to compete, and discrimination.

Agency Complaints

We assist employers in responding to discrimination and overtime complaints filed with state and federal agencies, as well as the audits that could result from such complaints. Prompt, persuasive responses can prevent such complaints from resulting in lawsuits or agency audits of your company.

Harassment

Every employer has an obligation to protect employees from sexual and other harassment, and the failure to do so may result in legal liability. We frequently help employers develop such policies and provide sexual harassment training to employees and management. We can help you develop procedures to investigate and respond to harassment complaints. In the event that an employee commences litigation, Rinke Noonan has an experienced litigation team that can assist you in achieving a fair and expeditious outcome.