No matter what the size of your company, you need to be aware of the employment and labor issues that could affect your business. Curtis Legal Group offers a depth of experience in managing the legal challenges facing employers. Our Employment & Labor Group will provide you with cost-effective advice and representation that always seeks to minimize potential interference with your operations.

Our Employment & Labor Law Group has significant experience representing companies in many aspects of employment and labor law, including:

Employer Defense. We represent numerous clients in hearings before governmental bodies, administrative agencies, mediators, arbitrators, and in court.

We can represent you in matters before the following agencies:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)
• U.S. and California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) / Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB)
• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
• California Labor Commissioner and the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE)
• U.S. Department of Labor
• Unemployment Insurance Board, and
• Workers Compensation Board.

We can also represent you in all State and Federal Courts in California defending you against allegations of:

• wrongful termination
• discrimination/harassment
• breach of contract
• related employment torts
• wage and hour and meal and other break regulations, and
• theft of trade secrets.

We also represent Government Agencies, working with all facets of public employee labor law, including PERB proceedings. We also have expertise on the special needs of school boards.

Employment Handbooks, Policies, and Documents

We have written employee handbooks covering all aspects of an employee's tenure with a company. We can prepare of employment policies, including "at will" policies, drug testing procedures, and policies relating to violence prevention, use of company computers, and any other aspect of life in the workplace.

We prepare employment agreements and separation agreements, and work with you to develop policies and procedures safeguarding trade secret information.

Compliance and Prevention Issues

The attorneys at Curtis Legal Group are versed in rules and regulations that your company must comply with--federal, state and local.

We are positioned to give you a comprehensive legal review if you are contemplating terminating an employee or taking other disciplinary actions.

We will help you with compliance with wage and hour laws and the related overtime, meal, and break rules. We can also help you make the important distinction between employee vs. independent contractor and exempt vs. non-exempt.

We will help you with questions about compliance with Federal and State disability laws.

We will advise you about compliance with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) leave law, and pregnancy leave requirements.

We can help you with preparation of affirmative action plans.

We can assist you in your investigations of discrimination, harassment and retaliation complaints, to make sure that you are ready for any potential litigation. This includes being ready for electronic discovery.

We can help you comply with the immigration laws.

Most importantly, we can work with you in a preventative fashion, helping you to implement effective hiring mechanisms to avoid or minimize future problems.

Labor- Management Relations

Nothing is more important to running a business than having smooth, effective relations with your labor force. Our attorneys work with you to cover all of the issues that can arise, including:

• Assisting in the negotiation of and drafting of collective bargaining agreements;
• Handling you defense in labor arbitrations, and your defense against Unfair Labor Practice Charges before the NLRB and the ALRB.