Employment

Private and public sector employers today face increasing and complex legislation and regulatory requirements that govern the employment relationship. Lawsuits by employees are steadily rising, as are enforcement actions and audits by government agencies responsible for enforcing employment laws, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the US Department of Labor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

We value close relationships with our clients and know the best defense to a legal claim and its related costs is to avoid the claim in the first place.

We provide our clients with advice and strategies for avoiding liability that make sense in the context of their business, and counsel that is not only legally sound, but also operationally practical.

We provide advice and counsel related to:

• Management training
• Harassment and discrimination concerns
• Drafting executive and other employment contracts
• Reductions in force
• Executive Compensation
• Severance Plans and pre-litigation settlements and releases
• Classifying employees and contractors
• FLSA compliance
• FMLA compliance
• Accommodations under the ADA
• Handbooks and policies
• Noncompetition and other restrictive covenants
• Affirmative Action and OFCCP Audits

Our attorneys work closely with our clients to establish practical and useful employment policies, advise clients on the day to day implementation of policy and employment laws, and regularly assist clients through difficult situations involving disciplinary action, termination, employee counseling, employee violence, privacy, disability and religious accommodation, internal complaints of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and other complex issues. If a claim cannot be avoided through careful planning, our attorneys help position employers to have a strong, well documented defense in preparation for litigation.  We defend our clients in state and federal courts all across the country against all types of employment related claims, and have a strong track record of early case disposition.

We have experience across the range of employment laws and routinely advise a diverse group of employers ranging from sole proprietors to multi-state corporations across a wide range of industries. These industries include banking and financial services, construction, food and beverage, transportation, health care, local governments, and many others.

We publish a bi-weekly Employer Alert. The Alert is free and is published via email. Sign up for this and other Poyner Spruill publications here.