San Diego employers have witnessed a sharp rise in the number of employee related cases such as unpaid overtime and employee misclassification. The experienced employer defense attorneys at the Watkins Firm help our clients to understand how effectively crafted employment contracts prevent employee lawsuits and disputes. The offer letter, employment contract, employee handbook and policies and procedures manual all work in concert to clearly communicate the terms of employment, overtime, disciplinary action and ultimately termination. We advise our clients and their management staff in the consistent application and documentation of these guidelines to reduce or eliminate the risk of employee related disputes.
How can a carefully constructed offer letter and effective employment contracts prevent employee lawsuits and disputes before they ever happen? By establishing a solid set of legal ground rules and covenants of employment. For example, the offer letter and the employment contract itself should clearly state that overtime may only be worked with advance written authorization from an employee’s direct supervisor. This is supported through onb0arding and training, as well as documentation in the employee handbook and company policies and procedures manual. Changes to time cards or time reporting should include a statement at the bottom of the employee’s own reporting that states the employee certifies the hours reported to be accurate and fully encompassing the actual hours worked by the employee that pay period and signed under penalty of perjury.
San Diego employment contracts prevent employee lawsuits and disputes by clearly defining disciplinary and termination procedures. The Watkins Firm believes every position within your company can include specific performance metrics that should be established in the employment contract itself. These metrics are then associated with disciplinary procedures and ultimately establish grounds for termination. Employers provide the best defense against lawsuits when they take prudent action in advance of hiring, through the course of the hire itself, and ultimately through training and onboarding strategies. Our employment contracts clearly establish boundaries that eliminate unpaid overtime claims as well as discrimination or retaliation assertions.
Learn more about the services we provide to protect San Diego employers. We invite you to review the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.
