» Employer's Toolbox

Employers often view restrictive covenants like insurance—a protective measure you hope never to need, but that helps you sleep at night. Their real value, though, is measured not when they are signed, but when they are tested in practice. That tes… Read More

What risk does an employer face from failing to pay employees correctly under the federal minimum wage and overtime laws of the Fair Labor Standards Act? Companies who are interested in the answer might ask one of the 176,957 employees who received b… Read More

When should business owners consult an attorney? Ideally, before a problem becomes expensive. The Tammany Hall political machine was notorious for its slogan of “Vote early and vote often.” For business owners, I would change that to “consult e… Read More

Even smart employers make mistakes. And in the world of employment law, there is one mistake that employers make more than any other. “I’m tired of paying my employee overtime. I’m putting him on salary. Then I won’t have to pay him overtime.… Read More

Can a company discipline, or even terminate, an employee who misbehaves outside of work? Here’s the scenario: a warehouse operations supervisor at a Maryland distribution company disciplines an employee for repeated safety violations and insubordin… Read More

“This employment is at-will, which means either party can terminate it at any time, for any reason, or for no reason at all.” This is a standard clause that we routinely draft in employment agreements, and iterate in handbooks, in big, bold lette… Read More

Restrictive covenants are important tools for protecting client relationships, confidential information, and competitive positioning. But in recent years they have faced increased scrutiny—particularly non-competes—exposing businesses to unnecess… Read More

If you are anything like many employers, your reaction upon hearing the term “reasonable accommodation” will mirror the stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and finally acceptance. Denial: “You want me to change our… Read More