Are you searching for an experienced and proven wage and hour defense attorney for a San Diego employer? What are the best strategies to reduce or eliminate the consequences of wage and hour violation allegations?
Unpaid Overtime and Minimum Wage Violations
Unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations and other wage and hour and employee related litigation and PAGA lawsuits continue to be a challenge for San Diego employers. Recent years have witnessed a measurable and substantial increase in the number of employment related disputes and plaintiff’s lawsuits and resulting payments by employers to settle these cases. How can your company reduce the likelihood of an unpaid overtime or wage and hour lawsuit or complaint to a federal or state labor agency?
The business litigation and corporate general counsel attorneys at the Watkins Firm help San Diego employers to level the playing field and ultimately gain the advantage in these disputes. There are specific policies which must be incorporated into all employment agreements and related documents with the intent of reducing unpaid overtime disputes in 2021.
The first focus is upon your employee handbook and policies and procedures documents. The employee handbook should be strategically limited yet comprehensive enough to provide a framework for establishing best practices for all employees. A signed receipt of the employee handbook is a powerful tool for your Watkins Firm wage and hour defense attorney for a San Diego employer. Policies and procedures must be developed, published and consistently monitored and enforced and all of these actions must be effectively documented. The failure to develop strategies for wage and hour issues and reducing unpaid overtime disputes in 2018 will result in investigations by federal agencies, the California Labor Commissioner and the Employment Development Department (EDD).
Wage and Hour Defense Attorney for a San Diego Employer Facing the California Labor Board
The employer defense attorneys at the Watkins Firm help you to develop and implement effective countermeasures. We represent San Diego employers in hearings and conferences before Deputy Labor Commissioners and other federal and state agencies. There is nothing “informal” about these hearings, although the correspondence and contacts from labor agencies may lead you to believe otherwise.
The first thing which happens in an “informal” hearing or conference is a grilling regarding California employment laws and the policies, procedures, practices and documentation in place at your company. Without the representation of your Watkins Firm attorney the hearing officer will quickly “establish” that you are not an expert in labor law and the meeting becomes an informal “settlement conference.” This is when you will be given notice of an award resulting in a substantial check to be written by your business.
Your employer defense attorney from the Watkins Firm works with you at every step of the process. We work to ensure your employee handbook and policies and procedures are up-to-date and kept that way. We want to know the minute you get a hint of any employee-related dispute or lawsuit. There is a “secret clock” running once plaintiff’s attorneys get involved.
The good news is your Watkins Firm attorney can help to guide you through the steps necessary to substantially reduce your legal and financial exposure or mitigate the circumstances altogether. Ask about recent developments in arbitration and the value of a carefully crafted arbitration agreement.
Prevent Wage and Hour Disputes and Lawsuits in San Diego and Southern California
Your Watkins Firm employer defense attorney will help you to develop and implement proven strategies to prevent wage and hour disputes and lawsuits and to minimize the impact of any dispute that might arise. We invite you to review our recent Podcast Episode 28 – Common Employer Disputes and Defenses as well as the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.
