Auto Accident Law 101

What Does An Employer Attorney Do For Companies?

9 June 2020

Everett Cook

Employment is one of the most common forms of contracts that people and companies enter into. Many issues have to be addressed, and every business stands to benefit from retaining the services of an employer attorney. You'd be right to wonder, though, what such a lawyer can do for your company so let's take a look at four problems they can assist you with.

Setting Up Employment Contracts

Your relationship with each employee flows from the initial contract you both enter into. Foremost, a high-quality employment contract should be enforceable. For example, many employers make the mistake of inserting non-compete agreements into contracts without including sunset provisions. This can nullify much or all of the contract because it is considered unfair to prevent someone from practicing their trade in perpetuity.

Other terms that ought to be outlined in the contract include scheduled pay increases, performance reviews, sick and family leave time, and vacations. Employees should also agree to the provision of reasonable notice if they quit.

Termination Processes

Every employer should have a delineated set of processes for dealing with folks who leave employment due to retirement, firing, or career choices. All employees should be aware of the processes required for winding down their employment.

Firing, in particular, needs to be handled with care. It's important to have a review process in place that provides sufficient coaching if there are problems. This will allow each employee a fair opportunity to rectify issues before they become fireable offenses. Egregious conduct should be clearly outlined in all contracts to ensure that someone who steps far over the line can be terminated immediately.

Protected Classes

A number of legally protected classes exist. These range from temporary ones like pregnancy to long-term ones like disabilities. Rules should be established in advance to prevent friction when someone from a protected class requires accommodations.

The Complaint Process

It's important to embrace the complaint process rather than shunning it. An employer attorney can help you set up processes to deal with a wide range of issues, including workplace discrimination, problems with pay, interdepartmental disputes, and whistleblowing.

Having a solid complaint process in place will allow your company to document issues as they emerge. This can be of massive benefit if an employee later decides to file a claim. Notably, you should also have a system in place to prevent retaliation if an employee chooses to pursue a complaint.

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