Employment Law

Whether you have one employee or 1,000 employees, employment law is no longer an area any business can afford to ignore. The ground rules change yearly, and staying current is an operational challenge. Our firm specializes in ensuring that businesses are in compliance with all areas of employment law and in preventing employment-related problems before they arise.

We cannot emphasize how important it is to ensure that you, your company and your employees are in compliance with state and federal employment laws. Even highly experienced managers can stumble in their creation or execution of personnel policies, and it can be devastatingly costly to the company. A simple sexual harassment claim may cost a company thousands of dollars to investigate and, if the allegations are true, resolve.

At the Law Office of Paul F. Mahler, we work with clients to ensure that:

• Pre-employment matters, including: applications, background investigations and interview processes, are handled properly and professionally.
• Employment policies are fair and legal, and Employee Handbooks are accurate and up to date.
• Terminations are handled carefully and competently.
• Claims of harassment or discrimination are thoroughly investigated and resolved, ideally without litigation.
• Requests for accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act are handled properly.
• Injury and illness prevention programs are drafted and in place.
• Clients subject to family leave laws are familiar with and in compliance with their various requirements.
• Wage and hour laws are properly applied at all personnel levels.
• Risks associated with the use of independent contractors are minimized.
• They conduct management training and programs focused on employment law topics.  For example, Mr. Mahler recently created and conducted a sexual harassment training course for supervisors, which all supervisorial personnel working for employers with 50 or more employees are required to complete every two years under California statute.  Because this training is now a “best practice,” Mr. Mahler recommends this training for all employees and supervisors, regardless of company size.

Sound personnel management is one of the cornerstones to a successful business. At the Law Office of Paul F. Mahler, we enjoy working closely with our clients to strengthen employment practices, with the goal of preventing employment problems from occurring or escalating.

In addition to statutory compliance matters, Mr. Mahler works with clients on compensation structures and executive and bonus compensation. This includes establishing and documenting executive employment agreements, bonus plans, stock option plans and phantom stock plans.

For more information, please contact our office today.