How an Employment Attorney Can Assist You With Employment Contracts

Jun 07, 2017
By Peter Friedmann
Employment Contract Lawyers

An employment contract may exist between you and your employer. Understanding each provision of the contract, negotiating to improve certain aspects, and holding both the employer and employee to their contractual obligations benefits the company and the individual. An experienced Columbus employment contracts lawyer can play an important role at each stage.

 

What Do Employment Contracts Cover?

 

Employment contracts can cover:

 

  • Paying and accepting wages or a salary;
  • Awarding and using benefits ranging from insurance to time off and perks;
  • Completing tasks while meeting standards for performance and quality;
  • Working for a period of time that can end on an agreed-upon termination date or be indefinite; and
  • Keeping or sharing trade secrets; and
  • Retaining or giving away rights to intellectual property created while employed.

 

Some employment contracts may also specify the processes the employer and employee must follow to dissolve the contract, the legal venue and procedures for resolving contract disputes, and whether the employee can take a job with a competitor after leaving his or her current employer.

 

How Attorneys Can Work With Employers

 

The more details an employment contract includes, the better it meets the needs of both the employer and the employee. Certain provisions are likely to favor one party over the other, but having as many terms of the agreement spelled out in writing as possible will help the employer and employee know and exercise their rights.

 

A central Ohio company should consult with a Columbus employment attorney when it creates and updates its general employment contract. Seeking legal advice will ensure that the business complies with all important requirements for paying minimum wages, correctly classifying workers as eligible or ineligible for overtime, and ensuring no discrimination in hiring and supervision. Firing an employee for cause can be another time when speaking with a lawyer makes sense because wrongful termination lawsuits can be expensive and time-consuming.

 

How Attorneys Can Work With Employees

 

An employment contracts lawyer can help employees in many ways. When an executive or highly skilled individual is given the opportunity to negotiate some or all of the terms of his or her employment, an attorney can offer advice and speak for the client during meeting with the employer. At a minimum, anyone offered an official employment agreement should have a lawyer read over the document for red flags.

 

More generally, an employee or group of employees who believe their company is violating their rights under an existing employment contract can partner with an employment lawyer to compel the employer to live up to the agreement. Since the contract may stipulate that disputes over pay, hours, and working conditions must be resolved through arbitration, hiring an attorney who has experience with alternative dispute resolution processes would be important.

 

The employment lawyers in Columbus, Ohio, offices of the Friedmann Firm offer free consultations. To request an appointment, call us at 614.610.9755 or fill out this online contact form.