Labor & Employment

It is not by chance that the Labor & Employment Group at Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett, P.C. is the largest in the region. We have years of experience in the resolution of labor and employment issues, and our attorneys are full-time practitioners in the field.

We represent privately owned businesses, municipalities, school districts, and a variety of nonprofit organizations and public sector clients with as few as five and as many as 30,000 employees, in both union and non-union environments. Our client list includes many of the largest employers in the communities we serve and many of the area's primary nonprofit and governmental institutions, as well as a number of growing entrepreneurial enterprises.

Working cooperatively with other groups in our firm is a hallmark of our service to our clients. Our group works closely with the firm's Business & Tax, Governmental Practice, and Workers' Compensation Groups to provide the comprehensive legal resources to meet all of your organization's needs.

Labor Law

Our labor practice includes the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements for private and public sector employers as well as guidance in the interpretation and administration of those agreements.

We are also directly involved in:

Grievance processing
Labor arbitration
Bargaining unit issues
Union avoidance
Union-related litigation in federal and state courts

Employment Law

In the area of employment law, we advise clients on a daily basis to enable them to comply with state and federal laws. Our work includes:

Representation in:

Claims of discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, and disability brought before the EEOC, PHRC, and the courts
Defense of employment suits
Unemployment compensation claims
Claims filed with OSHA
Minimum wage and overtime issues

Preparation of:

Employee handbooks and personnel procedures
Supervisory manuals
Severance agreements
Waivers and releases
Independent contractor agreements
Executive employment agreements
Affirmative action plans
Non-compete and confidentiality agreements

Consultation on:

Investigations into employee misconduct
Investigations of sexual harassment complaints
Implementation of drug and alcohol testing
Use of performance appraisals and evaluation of employees
Proper interviewing procedures
Hiring, disciplining, and terminating employees

Training

With the workplace becoming increasingly more complex, we also help clients effectively manage critical workplace issues through education and awareness. We train management teams in such areas as:

Union avoidance
Sexual harassment prevention
Discipline and discharge procedures
Employee handbook implementation
Work performance evaluation

Practice Areas