- representation in all types of employment disputes;
- counsel in the development of employment policies and procedures; and
- assistance with training, investigation and claim resolution.
Employment claims may include wrongful discharge, breach of contract, negligent hiring or supervision, defamation, ERISA claims, harassment and discrimination. Our employment law practice includes handbook preparation or guidance, wrongful termination and employment litigation, privacy/confidentiality issues, employment audits, leave and absence issues, workplace health and safety issues, employee discipline, wage and hour issues, hiring issues, employment agreements, separation agreements, non-compete agreements, and re-employment compensation issues. These services are offered in both Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
Our attorneys represent clients in state and federal courts, as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC), the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, and other state and local administrative agencies. In addition, we routinely represent clients in various alternatives to litigation, including mediations, arbitrations and other alternative dispute resolution methods. Our strong litigation foundation also gives us a valuable perspective to work with managers and human resource professionals on prevention issues: compliance with state and federal law and the furnishing of analysis and recommendations regarding the many complex issues that they face in today’s workforce. Our Employment Practices Section assists employers in providing employment counseling, policy development, training and investigation. View a list of
employment training topics. We are your advocates in the courtroom and in your conference room.
As part of our practice, we make an effort to learn about the business needs of our clients. We are continuously exploring the trends and challenges facing our clients so that we can anticipate issues and provide timely advice. For instance, listen to the
podcast of an interview with Stacey DeKalb about the need to set up good systems for the hiring process.
We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the services of our Employment Practices attorneys. Any questions may be directed to:
In Minnesota:
Stacey DeKalb at 612-336-9310 or
stacey@lommen.com
In Wisconsin:
Diane Odeen at 715-381-7112 or
diane@lommen.com
or any of the attorneys in this practice area pictured below.
Additional Information:
Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration Online Tools - The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has published two online tools to assist group health plans, plan sponsors, plan administrators and health insurance issuers in complying with the group health plan requirements (Part 7) of ERISA.
New Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification - The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued an updated Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
Do Companies Sue Competitors to Learn the Competitors' Trade Secrets? In the new millennium, employee mobility is the norm. Gone are the halcyon days when employees worked for one company for their entire career. One consequence of greater employee mobility is the proliferation of trade secret claims. When an employee leaves one company to work for a competitor, it is not unusual for the former employer to sue the new employer for misappropriation of trade secrets. Read the
Corporate Counsel article by Keith Broady and Tim Matson.
NLRB Implementation of Final Rule Requiring Employers to Post NLRA Rights Poster Postponed until April 20, 2012 - Unionized and non-unionized employers subject to NLRB jurisdiction now have until April 30, 2012 to post the NLRA rights poster described in the October 20, 2011 article below.
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act complete a massive overhaul of the U.S. Health Care System affecting nearly all taxpayers, many employers and many elements of the health care industry. The 2,400 page legislation gradually takes effect over the next eight years. For more information,
read a summary of the key provisions in the new health reform legislation and review a
time line of the tax changes.
Why employers must address networking sites - Last year, the city of Bozeman, Montana, implemented a policy that prospective employees must supply the usernames and passwords for any web sites they belonged to, including Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo, Google and YouTube, so that they could make informed decisions about recruiting, hiring and firing.
Read the rest of this article which appeared in the April-May 2010
Upsize Minnesota Magazine.
If it Dissuades a Reasonable Person From Complaining, It's Retaliation