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