You might think your business only needs a lawyer to help you write contracts, or in extreme cases resolve fraud or partnership disputes. While lawyers are certainly important in these domains, they are also crucial in another area – employment law.
But what is employment law? The basic answer is that employment law covers the rules relating how businesses relate to their employees, such as labor laws. Is employment law relevant to your business? Certainly, according to business insurance company Hicox, in 2016 the average risk of lawsuit to business was 10.5%. Specifically, California has a 46% higher chance of litigation above the national average.
We’ve put together this article to help you understand in more detail exactly why employment law is important for you.
Setting up for Success
One of the most important ways an experienced employment lawyer can help you is by making sure you are complying with all the rules and regulations that have been established regarding the relationship between employer and employee.
In California, it can be difficult to keep up with the complicated rules, especially for a small to medium-sized company without a large HR department. Relevant topics in employment law include:
- guidance on writing Employee Handbooks,
- correctly classifying different types of employees,
- social media policies,
- hiring and termination,
- and creating a safe and nondiscriminatory office environment.
When Things Go Wrong
The other time an employment lawyer is hugely important is if there is a dispute between you and your employees. Sources of disagreement might be things like disputes about
- sexual harassment,
- racial discrimination,
- suspected theft of company property,
- wrongful termination,
- or an unsafe work environment.
In these types of situations it’s important to work with someone who knows the ins and outs of the legal process so that you can get the problem resolved as quickly and as fairly as possible, with or without legal action. Letting these kinds of disputes linger can make work environments less healthy, lead to further issues, and even decrease productivity, so it’s a good idea to get them handled sooner rather than later.
Workplace Investigations
Sometimes when conflict arises, it can be helpful to get an objective third party to come in and take stock of the situation from a clearer and fairer perspective. That’s exactly what workplace investigations are for when employment disputes occur.
Getting an experienced workplace investigator is important, as someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing might ultimately make the situation worse. You’ll want to make sure that the investigator doesn’t open you up to more liability because of a sloppily conducted investigation.
Another reason working with a knowledgeable investigator is important is because, without a detailed knowledge of local, state, and federal employment laws, the investigator won’t know when those laws have been broken.
Employment Law at Ruben P. Ruiz PC
At Ruben P. Ruiz PC, we are dedicated to finding the employment solutions your company needs. Our expertise covers a broad range of relevant topics, including employment law. For those seeking an unbiased third party to run workplace investigations, partner Lisa Chapman is a certified workplace investigator dedicated to resolving disputes in a fair and professional way.
Safeguarding your business is critical. Do you have a plan in place for when conflict arises in the workplace? Reach out to us today by filling out the form below. Ruben Ruiz Law PC is here to help.