Business owners and HR professionals often ask me if they can consult with their general business attorney for employment law matters. The answer is maybe, depending on the experience of the business lawyer. However, many times, the answer will be no. Here is why.Demand letters sent by an employee to the employer on employment law issues typically include an analysis…

Do your managers know what they can/cannot say when an employee needs to pump? The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect in 2024 and applies to employers with at least 15 employees. It protects both employees AND those applying for a job with regard to pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions. If your managers *might* say these things to…

 
The Importance of Having a Lawyer Review Your Contract Before you Sign 
When you are asked to sign a contract, why don’t you have a lawyer review it first?Contracts contain language that can have substantial repercussions. However, it seems it has become common for people (and sometimes businesses) to sign legal documents without truly knowing the obligations…

Importance of Complying with Employment Laws
CEOS/ Presidents/ Business Owners – Businesses are exposed to substantial risk if they don’t comply with the employment laws. Consider these metrics:1. Increase in employee lawsuits – Don’t think the business will get sued? The thousands of clients I’ve represented in litigation suggests otherwise. The reason? It’s easy for employees to file an EEOC Charge…

Hiring employees is a highly regulated by federal and state laws. The employment laws provide protections to individuals who are not yet employed by the company- in other words, individuals who are applying for a job and participating in an interview may be afforded similar protections as current employees for a particular business. Best practices dictate that employers should not…

How to prepare for employment law mediations and resolution of workplace disputesMediation is a time to bring opposing parties together to attempt to resolve a dispute now, rather than have the dispute drag through the court system and cost time, money, stress and angst for 2+ years. In order to get the most out of the mediation process, the parties…

Question: I need to make sure my business is operating correctly. Should I hire an HR Consultant or Employment Lawyer and what is the difference?This question comes up a lot. Employment lawyers can help make sure the company is doing the following properly:1. Determining how to pay employees (salary, hourly, overtime, tips, commissions, etc.)2. Classifying its workers as employees or…