Employment law is complicated, but businesses that fail to understand it can pay a steep cost. Violating state or federal employment laws can result in legal damages, attorney’s fees, and reputational harm. Our New York business lawyers help companies draft documents that help them meet the demands of employment law. Rosenbaum & Taylor is ready to develop customized business solutions for your organization.
Employment Matters That May Impact Your Company
State and federal law, as well as contract law, govern the relationship between employer and employee. Your business should be aware of such employment law issues as:
- Employment discrimination
- Pregnancy discrimination
- The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Sexual harassment and assault on the job
- Hostile work environment
- Wrongful termination
- Wage and hour disputes
- Whistleblower actions
- Illegal retaliation
Documents We Can Draft for Your Business
To minimize the likelihood that your company runs afoul of employment laws, we can draft an array of documents, including the following.
Employment Policies and Procedures Manual
Adopting internal policies and procedures helps management and employees know their respective rights and obligations. This, in turn, reduces the probability of employment disputes.
These policies and procedures may address such matters as:
- Sexual harassment
- Discrimination
- Employment termination
- Performance reviews and improvement
- Disciplinary procedures
- Wage, hour, salary, and benefits
- Vacation and sick leave
- FMLA policies
- Drug and alcohol policies
Employment Contracts
Certain employment matters are left to the discretion of private businesses. Examples include paid vacation leave and employee stock options. Well-written and enforceable contracts explain the nature of these issues. They can protect your business if an employee fails to abide by performance requirements or otherwise violates company policies.
Independent Contractor Agreements
Businesses that use independent contractors must ensure that no employment relationship is inadvertently created. This is because actual employees have rights that impose legal obligations upon employers. Agreements can set forth the exact nature of the relationship between your business and its contractors.
Job Duties and Expectations
It’s important that your employees understand what is expected of them. Job duties and expectations can be included in an employment contract or set forth as a standalone document. By clearly specifying your employees’ responsibilities, your business can fairly discipline those who fall short.
Disciplinary Documents
Employee discipline is an area that often triggers a substantial number of employment law disputes. Adopting defined standards and methods for dealing with insubordinate employees may avoid such problems. These documents concern internal employee complaints, performance reviews, termination, and more.
Restrictive Covenants
In the employment law context, restrictive covenants limit an employee’s activities if he or she leaves employment. Examples include noncompete agreements, non-solicitation agreements, and nondisclosure agreements.
Intellectual Property Agreements
If your employees create intellectual property that you use, license, and sell, it needs to be clear who owns it. An intellectual property agreement can cover inventions, works of authorship, digital media, and much more.
Covering Your Business In All Employment Law Matters
New York businesses know they have a trusted legal ally in Rosenbaum & Taylor. Our goal is to create non-litigation solutions to employment issues that arise in the course of doing business. We draft documents and advise businesses on how best to use them with their employees. This way, they can rest assured that unnecessary liability risks are kept to a minimum.
To learn more about the above and other employment law documents, give us a call today.
