Employment Law Firm in Baldwin County, AL
Business owners face various legal issues and matters as they employ a staff to work in the best interests of the entity. Everything from employment contract disputes to unlawful discrimination to workplace harassment puts an employer in a difficult legal situation, often impacting the bottom line. If you are a business owner, having legal counsel focused on protecting your business is an important consideration. With so much on the table, picking the right firm is important. Stone Crosby, P.C. has experience assisting employers and business owners in employment disputes, working behind the scenes as confidential advisers in dealing with complicated employee relations issues, and even training the staff to avoid costly legal issues. Contact us to see what our firm can do for you. We are regularly called on regarding the following matters:
Employment Contracts and Severance Agreements
Our firm has experience in advising and assisting businesses and employers through the employment contract negotiation process. We regularly counsel employers on termination issues, including drafting employee severance agreements to ensure that an employee’s exit minimizes disruption to the business operations and that the severance terms comply with all relevant state and federal laws.
Non-Compete Agreements
An employer’s most valuable assets are its employees and its confidential and proprietary information. Stone Crosby, P.C. can help your business protect these assets through the strategic use of non-compete and confidentiality agreements, and other trade secret protection policies and procedures. We also help our clients assess and minimize litigation risks that may arise when hiring employees who may be subject to pre-existing confidentiality or non-compete restrictions.
Employee Handbooks | Policies and Procedures Audits
Through comprehensive reviews of labor and employment policies and practices, we help identify potential sources of liability and design policies and procedures to minimize legal risk while effectively managing operations. We work closely with our clients to understand their business and tailor policies, practices and procedures to address their particular workplace challenges. Our attorneys perform labor and employment policies and practices reviews for employers, large and small, in the public and private sectors, covering areas such as: wage and hour law; employee benefits; equal opportunity employment and harassment; leave rights; accommodation of disabilities; employee privacy; recordkeeping and retention; and labor/management relations.
Employer Counseling
Stone Crosby, P.C. provides day-to-day counseling on a wide range of employment law matters for our clients. Because we are familiar with our clients and their business goals, our advice is informed by each client’s unique situation and needs. We help employers prevent legal disputes by making legally-informed and sound judgments on employment actions in real-time. This includes decisions relating to employee accommodations for disability, employee leave issues, and addressing employee complaints. When employee noncompliance is suspected, we help employers investigate and, if necessary, remediate, discipline, and rebuild relationships with employees. When necessary, we counsel clients through termination and post-termination proceedings.
Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Claims
Our attorneys provide clients with a wide range of legal services related to the many federal, state, and local employment discrimination and harassment laws and regulations governing management, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Equal Pay Act (EPA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Whether dealing with discrimination and/or harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age, we help our clients implement strong nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies and processes, guide them with day-to-day compliance issues and concerns, and provide interactive training sessions to avoid risk and increase compliance. When disputes arise, we have the experience and knowledge required to defend employers in various legal settings, including state and federal administrative agencies and courts.
Public Access Issues and Disability Law
When businesses need practical and sound advice on how to handle disability-related customer complaints and/or need litigation defense on matters involving public access issues under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the attorneys of Stone Crosby, P.C. can assist you.
Employee Leave and Accommodations
To avoid costly legal disputes with employees, an employer should consider its obligations under federal and state law when responding to an employee’s request for a leave of absence or reasonable accommodation. At Stone Crosby, P.C., we regularly counsel clients to ensure they meet their obligations under the ADA, FMLA, and state workers’ compensation law. We also offer interactive training sessions for supervisors, helping supervisory employees gain the skills necessary to lawfully manage an employee with a disability or medical condition.
Workplace Safety
At Stone Crosby, P.C., our attorneys recognize that a safe workplace is a high priority for our clients. We provide a full range of workplace safety and health services consulting including providing significant and extensive guidance regarding workplace safety and employer protocols during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
When accidents occur, our experienced attorneys are ready to represent our clients in all aspects of workplace safety-related trial and appellate litigation before courts and federal and state administrative agencies. Additionally, we engage in preventive work with our clients to enhance their workplace safety and health performance by:
- Guiding and counseling our clients on compliance with federal OSHA and corresponding state standards and regulations;
- Advising and representing clients during OSHA inspections or injury/illness investigations; and
- Preparing or reviewing written safety programs, standard operating procedures, workplace safety rules, and employee handbooks for compliance with local, state and federal workplace safety statutes and regulations.
The threat of violence is an unfortunate reality in the modern workplace. We assist our clients by providing effective guidance and legal support to minimize and respond to such threats, including designing programs and policies to deal with workplace violence, obtaining restraining orders and enforceable trespass notices, and partnering with law enforcement personnel.
Impaired workers pose a threat to themselves, their co-workers, their employers and the general public. We advise clients on how to respond to and minimize such threats while complying with the various conflicting laws and regulations relating to substance abuse. We prepare and review workplace policies, including drug and alcohol testing policies that are compliant with applicable laws. Our attorneys also draft agreements for employees who enter treatment and rehabilitation programs, and advise employers who oppose claims for unemployment compensation following termination for drug and alcohol infractions.
Workplace Privacy and Security
Our attorneys recognize that privacy and data security issues are at the forefront of clients’ minds in almost every aspect of their business operations, particularly with respect to personnel matters. From developing a proactive plan to prevent data mishandling and security breaches, to partnering with you to address data and security breaches when they occur under applicable state laws, we guide clients through every aspect of this area of law.
Whistleblower and Retaliation
Stone Crosby, P.C. is ready and able to assist employers in navigating the federal and state laws that protect employees from retaliation, including for whistleblower activities. We assist clients with preventative measures, including policy reviews and audits; everyday questions about compliance; investigations when complaints are raised; and litigation when necessary to defend against claims of retaliation or other improper action. This comprehensive approach limits legal risk at all stages.
Wage & Hour Disputes
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act contains sometimes complicated and convoluted wage and hour requirements as to how and how much your employees must be paid. Stone Crosby, P.C. assists employers in navigating complex wage and hour requirements to develop practical solutions that ensure compliance and minimize potential exposure to claims. We advise and assist clients in all aspects of wage and hour law, including:
- Classifying employees as “exempt” or “non-exempt” for purposes of minimum wage and overtime requirements;
- Maintaining employee exemptions from minimum wage and overtime requirements;
- Identifying compensable working time;
- Establishing rates of pay that comply with minimum wage and overtime standards;
- Satisfying wage and hour recordkeeping obligations;
- Ensuring timely payout of wages, commissions, and final compensation; and
- Representing employers in all types of wage and hour litigation.
Training and Compliance
Our attorneys have years of experience in developing and presenting training programs on issues such as ethics, nondiscrimination, and harassment. When compliance issues do arise, we guide clients through internal investigations, help implement employee discipline and other corrective action, and defend the employer, if needed, against claims of legal or ethical noncompliance.
Employee Investigations
When claims of workplace misconduct arise, Stone Crosby attorneys assist clients with conducting professional and reliable internal investigations. We can determine the scope and nature of the investigation, develop and implement an investigation plan that takes workplace culture and needs into account, and prepare a comprehensive final report. Our attorneys have years of experience in interviewing employees and other investigative techniques that assist in helping the client uncover the relevant facts necessary to reach an accurate decision, resolve the underlying conflict, and hopefully mitigate the risk of liability.
Contact Stone Crosby, P.C.
Our firm’s breadth of experience prepares us to take on any legal matter regarding employment. Our firm’s employment attorneys have served Alabama business owners for decades. Our firm works to resolve disputes in the most efficient way possible. If need be, we are ready to fight for the business’s best interests. Backed by a powerful litigation department, our firm is ready to address any employment matter in court. Whether you need employee training, business advice, a robust litigation department, or a mediator, we are here to assist you. Contact Stone Crosby, P.C. to discuss your business goals and your employment-related needs.
