Employment

The employment relationship is becoming one of the most regulated, and by extension, one of the most risky facets of doing business today. Increases in funding for federal regulatory agencies like the EEOC, the U.S. Department of Labor (e.g., OFCCP, OSHA), and the Department of Justice means more scrutiny of employers in the form of audits, investigations, compliance reviews, regulatory fines, and civil prosecutions. This more recent regulatory crackdown contributes to an already gloomy forecast for employers: employment litigation has increased fourfold in the past two decades, resulting in an average of seven lawsuits per 1,000 employees.

In this current climate, employers need more than cost-effective handling of employment claims, something Hall & Evans has offered both public and private employers of all sizes for over 90 years. To cope with these burgeoning risks, employers need experienced specialists to partner with them on developing a comprehensive workplace risk management program that:

• Emphasizes the importance of effective prevention techniques through on-going training and coaching of our HR partners in the trenches;
• Coaches HR partners to objectively recognize the level of risk posed by each specific employment dispute and implement a response protocol that maximizes use of internal resources, thereby reducing fees;
• Reduces the risk to internal management of EEOC charges, Department of Labor investigations, and attorney demand letters by ensuring the availability of a coach to spot additional issues/risks, help prepare the EEOC response, and intervene (if necessary) when the regulatory investigation escalates;
• Concentrates on risk evaluation and favorable, cost-effective resolutions that maximize value, not attorneys’ fees; and finally,
• Litigates “lean” and strategically when necessary.

These important aspects of workplace risk mitigation represent the core values of Hall & Evans’ Employment Practices Liability Group, and guide its approach to helping employers grapple with the risks of having a workforce. We help employers by providing Internal Audit Services, Coaching, Training, Administrative Defense, Litigation Defense, and Systemic and Class Action Litigation Defense.

In addition to handling issues arising from discrimination statutes, Hall & Evans’ lawyers are experienced in handling issues arising from contracts, including interpretation, negotiation and litigation relating to covenants not to compete.