No matter the industry, it’s a good idea for every business to stay in contact with an employment lawyer. Aside from helping your company survive a lawsuit, employment lawyers can help you avoid legal challenges, review documents, stay up to date on legal changes, and more.
What Does an Employment Lawyer Do?
Employment lawyers help with any legal matters that impact employers, from routine document reviews to litigation. Most employers benefit from hiring an employment lawyer early on to help with everything from zoning compliance to copyrights and business incorporation. Working closely with a lawyer at the start of your business can help you save later on by building a solid legal foundation.
One of the primary advantages of working with an employment lawyer is receiving routine legal advice and assistance that will help keep you out of future trouble. For example, an employment lawyer can:
- Review employment agreements, offer letters, severance agreements, confidentiality agreements, non-compete agreements, and related documents
- Help you navigate employee leave requests
- Help you respond to employee accommodation requests
Employment law is best approached from a regular, preventative standpoint. If you wait until someone sues your business, you are likely to find that you could have saved a lot of time, money, and effort by working with an employment lawyer from the beginning.
Employment lawyers help you stay up-to-date about legal changes. Many lawyers will conduct regular seminars or send out quarterly news about legal changes that may impact you.
An employment lawyer can also conduct wage and hour audits, review payment practices to identify compliance issues, review your employee handbook, conduct personnel investigations, and defend your company from employment law claims.
Working with an Employment Defense Attorney
Employment defense attorneys are lawyers who specialize in defending employers when there is an employment law claim. You may need this type of attorney if a current or former employee or job candidate files a claim against your business.
Common employment law claims include wage and hour claims, civil rights, discrimination, sexual harassment, disability accommodations, leave benefits, confidential business information, and non-compete covenants.
These legal situations require experienced and knowledgeable representation to avoid costly mistakes. Make sure to only work with employment defense attorneys with lots of experience in similar cases to yours.
When Should I Hire an Employment Lawyer?
You do not need to talk to a lawyer every time you make an employment decision. However, there are many situations that require expert help. We recommend talking to a lawyer in the following situations:
- You wish to fire an employee who is pregnant, has a disability, may believe they have an implied employment contract that limits your right to fire, or has retirement money due to vest shortly.
- An employee or former employee filed a discrimination or harassment complaint.
- You are concerned about a worker’s potential for violence or sabotage.
- An employee has hired a lawyer to represent them in dealing with you.
You may also want to hire an employment lawyer to conduct compliance audits and identify issues before they are subject to government audits. It’s also a good idea to stay in contact with a lawyer who can keep you up to date on important legal changes.
Find an Employment Lawyer in Washington State
Anderson Hunter Law Firm provides practical solutions to employment law issues in Washington State. Our employment law services include providing routine employment law advice, keeping employers up to date on legal changes, conducting wage and handbook audits, conducting personnel investigations, and litigating on behalf of employers.
Contact us today to get in touch with an experienced employment law attorney.