San Diego Employment Contracts and Documentation Lawyers
Business owners come to understand the importance and value of well-structured employment contracts, policy manuals, HR documentation and employment agreements. Contracts form the foundation of any successful business, and some of the most important documents in the life of your business will be related to employees and HR related manuals. How do you establish clear terms for employment and termination? How do you protect your company and all of it’s proprietary information? How do you ensure that an employee won’t take customer lists or trade secrets and compete against you? How do you protect your business from employment disputes that disrupt business operations and result in expensive contingent liabilities?
The experienced business and contract attorneys at the Watkins Firm are prepared to assist business owners at any point within the life of a business. New startup businesses require advice on entity selection, operational agreements, business succession planning, and a variety of contracts relating to customers, vendors and the supply of goods and services.
As a business expands and additional employees are brought in, the company must develop a group of strategic employment contracts and documents that can include:
- Employee Handbook
- Policies and Procedures / HR Guidebook
- Independent Contractor Agreement
- Professional Services Agreement
- Non-Disclosure and Trade Secret Protections
Medical practices and healthcare facilities have their own contracts and documentation issues including:
- Physician Employment Contracts
- HIPPA Requirements
- Medical and Healthcare Professional Employment Agreements
- OSHA Regulation Compliance
Effective Employment Contracts Ensure Smooth and Profitable Business Operations
Why should you hire an experienced San Diego employment contract attorney? Quite simply, to protect your business from one of the strongest potential threats to business survival: Employee disputes and associated litigation. The second strongest risk follows closely behind: that your employees will take customer lists, trade secrets and proprietary company information and compete against you.
Effective employment agreements cannot be crafted from downloaded forms, or re-writing an agreement you pulled from your own previous employment. They must be carefully structured to meet California’s strict employment laws and regulations, and to provide the protections and remedies you require to sustain business growth and thrive. Many employment related disputes arise out of good intentions without the benefit of full legal advice and employment guidance. There are specific wage and hour laws that govern employee compensation, overtime, breaks, lunch breaks, vacation and sick leave, and even retirement and 401(k) plans.
For example, the State of California and the IRS have recently begun to reclassify many employees who were previously considered to be “independent contractors”. A terminated employee may complain to a State agency and now you have a full blown “wage and hour” investigation and potentially substantial fines, penalties and interests simply because you didn’t have the appropriate guidelines in place, and the procedures and documentation to support it.
Contact Experienced San Diego Employment Contract Attorneys
Effective employment contracts prevent the types of misunderstandings or mistakes that lead to expensive and time consuming employment disputes. They protect and secure company confidential information, and prevent key employees from taking what you’ve taught them to go and compete directly against you. They make daily operations smoother and more profitable. They protect your business from federal and state regulators and tax authorities that can reap havoc on your productivity and bottom line profits.
Call The Watkins Firm for a free consultation at 858-535-1511 or contact us to schedule an appointment to discuss your business employment issues and contract requirements. You’ve invested your personal time, money and sweat to build a growing company. We want to help you to protect what you’ve built, and take it to the next level.