Running a business can be one of the most fulfilling endeavors you will ever engage in, as well as one of the most intense challenges. You may find yourself working many, many hours of overtime without pay (hopefully just at first) and handling a rollercoaster of tasks that meet you at every turn daily. During these times you may become as close to your employees as you are your family—and at some point, you may realize that you even spend more time with them when work is especially busy. Because of that, strong bonds form, but deep conflicts can arise at other times too—sometimes even leading to lawsuits, unfortunately.
Although you may be fortunate enough to work with a great group of people who rarely have a gripe, inevitably some will become disgruntled throughout the years. In working with an experienced attorney like Shane Coons you may be able to fend off many serious matters through mediation or other forms of settlement. Because preventing issues ahead of time will save a lot of headaches (as well as time and money), be educated about why employees tend to sue:
- Harassment and discrimination – an employee may allege that they were sexually harassed, or discriminated against because of race, sexual orientation, age, religion, or other reasons. When they bring a complaint to you initially, that is your company’s chance to handle the concern—with professionalism and compassion—before it goes any further.
- Hours and wages – beware of the employee who feels seriously overworked and extremely underpaid. While you may have expected them to come to you for a raise or better conditions, many are not comfortable doing so and will let the resentments build.
- Poor management practices – a bad manager can not only run off your employees, but they may land your company in hot water, and the courtroom. Bullying, inconsistent application of company policies between workers, lack of documentation in files, handling performance reviews improperly, ignoring employee complaints, and more may be reason for lawsuits upon individuals quitting or being fired.
- A variety of issues related to unemployment – you may find yourself in unemployment hearings or worse if the employee was let go without a valid reason, quit with or without valid justification, performance reviews did not jibe with reasons given for firing, or there were varying misinterpretations or disagreement regarding purported misconduct.
If you find yourself in the middle of a dispute with an employee, consult with an experienced attorney like Shane Coons right away to protect your business. Call now at 949-333-0900 or email us at Shane.Coons@seclawoffices.com. We will be glad to meet with you to review your case and explain your legal options. Our office is here to help!