If You Own a Business, Find a Good Employment Lawyer Near You
Employment laws exist at the federal and state level. There are 20 federal labor laws regulating employer and employee relationships, but each state has employment laws of its own. That’s why it makes sense to hire a qualified employment lawyer near you to protect your business.
These labor and employment laws are intended to protect employees from all types of workplace issues. Those issues can relate to wrongful termination, sexual orientation, sexual harassment, unfair labor practices, unsafe work environments, compensation issues, and more.
It’s virtually impossible for a business, especially a small business owner, to stay on top of all the employment laws. That’s why it pays to have a good employment lawyer near you for sound legal support.
Our law firm represents businesses and nonprofit organizations in Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, Philadelphia, and Chester Counties. Our attorneys can help you wade through both federal and Pennsylvania employment laws to avoid potential legal issues and lawsuits.
Our goal is to provide employers with a productive and positive workplace environment. That requires attention to large scale drafting of policies and procedures as well as handling potential labor law problems.
Key Federal Employment Laws
Every business owner needs to be familiar with these particular federal employment laws:
- Fair Labor Standards Act: This act establishes minimum wage and overtime standards. You’re subject to this law if your annual revenue is more than $500,000. It also applies if you are engaged in interstate commerce.
- National Labor Relations Acts: The NLRA governs unions and the right for workers to join one. Employers are prohibited from unfairly influencing workers from joining or forming a union.
- Immigration Reform and Control Act: This act is applicable to all employers regardless of size. It prohibits employers from discrimination based on citizenship or nationality. It also requires employers to verify workers are legally authorized to work in the United States.
- Occupational Health and Safety Act: Employers are required to workplaces safe and free of hazards likely to cause harm.
- Equal Pay Act: The EPA protects against wage discrimination based on sex.
- Fair Credit Reporting Act: This act limits how employers can use credit reports and background checks for applicants and employees. It applies to all private employers.
There are 14 more federal laws that can impact your business. Get a summary of the major laws by visiting the Department of Labor website. State laws can be even more restrictive. In those instances, you’ll need to adhere to state mandates.
It’s also important to note that the size of your business determines which federal employment laws apply. Some laws apply to businesses of any size, even just one employee. Variations in the applied laws correspond to companies based on employee thresholds of 15, 20, 50, or more than 100 employees.
For more details regarding how federal laws are applied by company size view this article. Our employment lawyers are experienced in state and federal employment laws to provide appropriate insights for your business.
Our Law Firm Offers More
When you work with High Swartz, your business will have access to more than just our employment lawyers. Our legal services extend to other areas that can benefit your business. Our practice areas extend to business law, workers’ compensation, litigation, IP law, and more.
Make sure you protect your business. Talk with one of our employment lawyers in our Doylestown and Norristown law offices. Our law firm has been helping businesses of all sizes for more than 100 years.
Why You Need a Good Employment Lawyer
Our employment attorneys focus on workplace issues. Those issues could relate to:
- company policies
- employment discrimination
- restrictive covenants
- wages
- wrongful termination
- other workplace concerns
Apart from mitigating potential legal issues, our focus is on providing employers with a productive and positive workplace environment. Our law firm takes a proactive approach to establishing company policies and procedures that can avoid legal concerns from the start.
You can depend on our employment lawyers to deliver support for a wide array of legal services:
- Drafting and developing employee handbooks, manuals, and personnel policies
- Drafting, negotiating and reviewing employment contracts
- Drafting, negotiating and reviewing severance agreements
- Drafting, negotiating and reviewing covenants not to compete, non-solicitation agreements and confidentiality agreements
- Training on job interview practices
- Advising on privacy issues, such as drug and alcohol testing
- Advising on compliance with employment discrimination laws
- Advising on laws relating to race, gender, and age discrimination
- Advising on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Providing legal insights and policies on Affirmative Action Plans
- Advising on wage and hour law compliance
- Advising on employee discipline issues
- Advising on the decision to discharge employees and the process for discharging employees
- Drafting of discipline, discharge, and dismissal policies
