You might face several setbacks as a business owner, including being sued by your employee. This can lead to negative publicity and cause you to lose customer relationships. To maintain your business's reputation, you should prepare to combat every legal challenge. This is where an employer defense attorney comes in. They'll help you navigate employment laws and ensure all your legal options are considered. Here are three key things you can expect from these attorneys.
Advice on Employment Decisions
Whether you are hiring or firing an employee, an employer defense attorney will advise you on the best course of action. They'll look at the nature of the case at hand and its circumstances and make an appropriate recommendation. They'll also tell you if it's worth taking legal action against an employee. For example, if an employee isn't performing, they may advise you to fire them because this is a form of discipline that can be used to improve customer service and protect your business.
Representation against Lawsuits
Receiving a lawsuit notice from your employee is not a pleasant experience. In fact, it can be challenging to know what to do if you're not versed with employment laws. Contacting an attorney can help you prepare adequately for such a situation. They'll immediately take action, ensuring all paperwork is filled correctly, witnesses are ready, and evidence is gathered. This is important because it will determine if the case is won or not. It will also protect you from any potential legal fees, and help to avoid any embarrassing situations. If something goes wrong such as a mistake made in the paperwork, an attorney can quickly and efficiently correct it.
Laying off Employees
Laying off employees can be a hard decision to make but is also important for business reasons. It can have many negative consequences on the employees and the company. Before making such a decision, you should ensure you're following all the layoff rules. These include giving your employees enough notice, providing severance pay, and helping them find new work.
An employer defense attorney understands these rules and can help you follow them. They'll help you handle every situation uniquely according to the law and answer all the questions you have about laying off your employees. This will help you make the right decision that will promote your company's growth.
As an employer, you have a lot of responsibilities. You should be aware of your legal rights and obligations and laws governing business operations. Hiring an employer defense attorney will protect your company and employees against legal issues.