Our HR attorneys work with our employers to manage any labor issue. From hiring to termination, employers are at risk for any missteps that could lead to litigation or other labor or criminal charges. When employers do need to hire additional workers, they have decisions to make about whom and how they want to hire. We work with employers to draft and review appropriate applications and offer opinion letters. We work with employers to train managers and others who will be conducting interviews to ensure that all questions asked are lawful and elicit the information needed to place the right person in the right position. We also work with human resources and provide assistance. We help employers protect themselves by developing and reviewing employment applications and background check procedures and training people to use proper interview and hiring techniques. Many companies perform evaluations of their employees. Issues can often arise when employers provide incomplete or inaccurate reviews of an employee’s performance. Our employer law attorneys work with employers to train supervisors on how to conduct evaluations fairly, consistently, lawfully, and in a timely manner. Performance evaluations need to be documented, as do incidents of employee misbehavior and concerns. If an employee’s performance is lacking or demonstrates inappropriate behavior in the workplace, employers need to document the incident to prevent later denial of the event, create a record of the problem, use the documentation to record patterns of unacceptable behavior and minimize misunderstandings in the future. Our employer attorneys offer training to help employers determine how to document effectively gives them the tools they need to keep accurate records as a potential affirmative defense. Eventually, an employee may need to be terminated because of performance problems or other legitimate business justifications. Prior to the termination, there are steps employers should take to protect themselves from potential claims of wrongful termination. An employee’s performance evaluations and documentation should be reviewed, as well as any compliance issues the employee may have had with company policies. Employers may desire to offer verbal counseling, training, and verbal and written warnings where appropriate prior to the termination. We work with employers to guide them through the termination process. This includes drafting severance agreements and releases of claims and working with employers to ensure they are prepared for any questions or problems that may arise during the termination process as well as ensuring compliance with post-termination legal obligations.