Your employees should be the driving force behind your successful business. They represent you when serving customers and clients, and their team efforts and innovative ideas help shape your vision for the future. You pay them and want to keep them happy, but you are entitled to expect in return loyalty, confidentiality, and the employee working with competence, care, and skill to meet the requirements of the position.
Sometimes, misunderstandings lead to strained management-labor relations. You may have to terminate underperforming workers or settle a situation where some employees are creating a toxic work environment. Your employees may collectively present demands they want you to consider, or they may consider forming a union. The skilled attorneys at the Jacobs Law Group can assist you if you have any issues with your workforce. Call our office to schedule a consultation about labor and employment law in Philadelphia.
Civil litigation is an unavoidable reality in many situations. When facing employment litigation, you want fast and focused legal assistance. Our employment litigation practice provides pre-litigation counsel as well as defense and prosecution of labor and employment matters, in federal and state courts, and administrative agencies. Areas of representation include, but are not limited to:
Jacobs Law Group is well-known for its representation of companies both large and small in business and transactional issues. The Labor and Employment Department regularly advises and represents companies, both large and small, executives and individual employees with regard to:
Every business should adopt protocols that can help reduce misunderstandings between management and employees. An employee handbook should be required reading, and employees should receive training to recognize unethical or unlawful activity, such as harassment and discrimination.
A process should be in place for employees to report to either a Compliance Officer or other executive, even anonymously, when wrongful behavior is observed. Offering key hires employment agreements is another way to make sure workers understand what is expected of them and what they can expect. An employment attorney at our Philadelphia office could draft or revise documents that foster good relations between management and labor.
Pennsylvania is an at-will state, which means employers can terminate employees with or without giving a reason (unless they are subject to employment agreements, which supersede at-will status). However, termination remains one of the most problematic areas of employment, as employees also cannot be terminated for unlawful reasons. Employers should include grounds for termination and reprimand procedures in the employee handbook.
Terminating an employee in a protected class can lead to hearings before a regulatory board and lawsuits, even if they were not terminated because of race, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, or disability. For example, if the terminated employee is the only worker older than 55, they may claim that age played a factor. Our local attorneys have significant experience in employment matters and can guide businesses in proper documentation prior to termination.
Sexual harassment at work falls under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Businesses are liable for harassment by managers and other employees. The act occurs when a person is targeted because of their protected status or other reasons sexual in nature. The harassment can include threats, inappropriate jokes or displayed material, uninvited touching or kissing, requests for sexual favors, and favoritism.
Wherever people gather and spend significant time together, problems will arise. The workplace is no exception. You can prevent some issues by providing a thorough employee handbook, employee training, ethics protocols, employment contracts when appropriate, and procedures for reporting and resolving workplace issues.
You may find your employees want to unionize or have demands, leading to negotiations with union representatives. Regulatory boards may require that you appear to answer to a discrimination charge. Regardless of what issue you face related to labor and employment law in Philadelphia, the Jacobs Law Group is experienced in handling these matters. We find solutions tailored to your business. Call our office today to discuss your concerns.
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