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Employment Law

Human Resources is a very complex and sensitive aspect of a business environment. Proper administration and compliance is vital to success.

At Drinkwater Law Offices we focus on preventative measures for our employer clients to assist them in avoiding legal problems or to position them as well as possible in case they are sued. In this area, we assist clients in drafting and implementing employment policies and procedures and we provide advice to employers on terminations, discipline, response to harassment and discrimination complaints and compliance with the complex web of laws that affect employers. We offer a wide range of employment law services such as:

Compliance with State and Federal Laws (e.g. ADA, FMLA, FLSA)
Many federal and state laws impose obligations upon employers. These laws affect all employment decisions including advertising for applicants, testing and interviewing, promoting and terminating employees. We assist our clients in understanding these complex legal obligations. We also advise our clients on how to properly document the employment relationship so as to best avoid employment claims and litigation. Specific services include:

• Reviewing proposed personnel actions including hiring, performance appraisals, discipline, promotions, terminations, and layoffs for potential claims
• Reviewing personnel practices and drafting employment applications
• Providing effective training programs for managers and employees

Employee Handbooks
We feel that communication is the key to avoiding conflict among employers and employees; thus, it is more important than ever that an employer's policies be carefully drafted and communicated to employees. Drinkwater Law Offices assists employers in drafting comprehensive employee handbooks and manuals that clearly set forth the rights and obligations of the employer and the employee. We focus on critical workplace issues such as sexual harassment, employment discrimination, workplace violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and the misuse of computer and electronic systems.

Hiring and Employment Agreements
We advise our employer clients on how to improve the employee selection process, including:

• properly drafting job descriptions, job advertisements and applications
• how to safely conduct job interviews
• how to conduct lawful background investigations
• how to prepare and maintain proper documentation

Terminations and Severance Agreements
Many employers decide to keep problem employees rather than face a potential lawsuit for wrongful termination. We assist our clients in identifying risk factors for each termination and strategizing how to meet the business's needs without subjecting them to the risk of being sued. In many cases, we are able to find a win-win situation for both the employee and the employer.

Training
We provide on-site seminars and workshops for supervisors and human resource personnel in areas such as conducting illegal harassment investigations, handling disciplinary actions and minimizing the risks of employment-related litigation.

HR Audits
We assist clients in conducting employment audits to verify compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations.