California has some of the most peculiar, complex, and employee-friendly laws in the nation. Even honest, well-intentioned employers in California make mistakes. And those mistakes can be devastatingly expensive because, in addition to paying whatever amount is necessary to correct the mistake, employers in California then get hit with an avalanche of penalties, interest, and attorneys’ fees.
On-Demand Guidance on HR & Employment Law Issues
Workplace Legal can help you avoid those costly mistakes. We provide day-to-day advice and counseling to clients on HR and employment law issues as they arise, on topics ranging from:
- Creating and implementing a compliant, effective HR infrastructure
- Employee hiring and onboarding
- Creating compliant payroll policies and procedures
- Whether a worker can properly qualify as an “independent contractor”
- Whether a new hire must be classified as “exempt” or “non-exempt” from overtime
- Creating bonus systems that properly incentivize, measure, and reward desired performance
- Advising on pregnancy, disability, paid sick leave, family leave, and other leaves of absence and return-to-work situations
- Counseling on employee performance issues, including creating effective, defensible performance improvement plans (“PIPs”)
- Advising on employee disability issues, including guiding clients through the “interactive process” and analyzing “reasonable accommodation” options
- Designing and implementing lawful employee background checks, reference checks, and drug testing policies
- Creating employee performance evaluation systems
- Advising on difficult or sensitive terminations, including drafting separation/severance agreements
- Counseling on reorganizations, layoffs, and reductions-in-force (RIFs)
- Conducting HR audits to ensure compliance across all HR and employment systems, policies, and procedures
If you need guidance on any HR or employment law issue, contact us. Chances are we’ve guided a client – and probably many clients — through the same issue before.
Drafting Critical HR Policies & Employment Agreements
In addition, as part of our advice and counseling practice, Workplace Legal drafts critical employment policies and agreements, including:
- Employee handbooks and personnel policy manuals
- Harassment, discrimination & retaliation policies
- Offer letter templates that comply with California’s “Wage Theft Prevention Act”
- Executive employment agreements
- Independent contractor agreements
- Employee arbitration agreements
- Confidentiality/non-disclosure agreements
- Trade secrets agreements
- Innovation assignment agreements
- Incentive compensation, bonus, and “phantom stock” plans
- Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements
- Employee performance review templates
- Employee separation/severance agreements
- Employee timecard certifications
- Company vehicle policies
Constantly Monitoring Legal and Regulatory Developments
With California leading in the country in adopting new, often cutting-edge employment and HR laws, we stay informed. Our lawyers are continually monitoring legislative and regulatory developments. Through frequent blog postings, targeted client updates and bulletins, and customized education and training programs, we keep our clients informed, too. At Workplace Legal, we help our clients stay one step ahead of relevant legal developments because that leaves clients time to prepare, think, and respond more intelligently to whatever legal change comes.
24/7 Access to Your Workplace Legal Attorney
At Workplace Legal, we make a commitment to clients to be reachable day in and day out, on evenings and on weekends, because we know that HR problems can arise at any time. When you contact a Workplace Legal attorney, you will get a response promptly – usually within an hour or two, and always by the end of the day.
This promise to respond to clients quickly is something we take very, very seriously. We keep that promise. Our goal is to be accessible and to always give you clear, concise guidance that considers your business objectives and your real-world situation. We help you accurately assess and minimize your risk so you can make a smart decision and get back to work.
Contact us before you make any important HR or employment decisions and before you address any important employee question or request. Let us guide you through it so you stay compliant with every step and don’t make an innocent – and expensive – mistake.
