When Should I Hire an Employment Agreement Lawyer in Ohio?

When Is the Right Time to Hire an Employment Agreement Lawyer?

An employment agreement is a binding contract that spells out the terms and conditions under which an employee will work for an employer. The agreement can be verbal or — which is better for everyone involved — written and signed.

Either way, a good contract plainly states:

• The wage or salary the employee will receive, as well as how that will be paid;
• The benefits the employee will receive;
• When the job starts;
• Where the job will be performed;
• The basic duties the jobholder will perform;
• The conditions under which either the employee or employer can terminate the employment agreement;
• The provisions for amending the agreement; and
• The terms specific to the position for which the employee is being hired, such as a noncompete clause, a noncompete clause, or ownership and control of intellectual property created on the job

We went through those basics because they point directly to the top three reasons you will benefit from receiving advice and representation from a Cleveland employment agreement lawyer.

If Your Employer Has Violated the Terms of Your Current Agreement

A contract places legal duties on each of the parties who enter into it. The primary reason employers and employees want to have a signed employment agreement is that it clearly defines everyone’s duties and makes enforcing contractual obligations easier.

As Cleveland employment agreement attorneys, we primarily take cases from employees who do not get paid what their employer promised, were denied benefits that they earned by fulfilling provisions of their contracts or were denied fair and equal treatment under their contracts.

An example of the latter would be a female employee who received a lower salary and fewer benefits than her male colleagues doing the same job. In such a case, more than one female employee is often placed at a disadvantage.

When You Are Given the Opportunity to Negotiate the Terms of Your Employment Contract

You should never sign a contract without asking a lawyer to review it. Heeding this advice is especially critical when a contract dictates much of your life, such as an at-will employment contract.

Executives and unions have opportunities to negotiate many terms of their employment agreements. Partnering with an experienced Cleveland employment agreement attorney while doing so allows employees to understand what the employer is offering, to craft counter offers and to recognize when accepting a contract provision as final makes sense.

When You Are an Employer Writing or Updating Standard Employment Agreements

Employers can save themselves many legal headaches by writing employee agreements that contain no discriminatory or illegal clauses. Especially important considerations employers must make include:

• Ensuring equal pay for equal work;
• Avoiding exclusionary language related to sex, gender, age, religion, pregnancy or military service; and
• Avoiding provisions that close off employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

If you need help from an employment agreement lawyer in Ohio, consider reaching out to The Friedman Firm. You can schedule a free and confidential consultation by calling (614) 610-9755 or by completing this online contact form.