Navigating Employment Disputes: Wrongful Termination and Wage & Hour Challenges
Employment DisputesNavigating employment disputes is a critical aspect of managing a small business. These disputes can arise from various circumstances, but two significant areas of concern are wrongful termination and wage and hour disputes.
Wrongful TerminationWrongful termination refers to the unlawful firing of an employee. Such claims typically involve scenarios where an employee believes they were terminated in violation of employment laws or their employment contract. Common grounds for wrongful termination claims include discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract, or violation of public policy.
Wrongful termination claims can have serious legal and financial consequences for employers. Depending on the nature of the claim, businesses may face litigation, monetary damages, penalties, and damage to their reputation. It's essential to address these claims promptly and appropriately to mitigate potential risks. To prevent wrongful termination claims, small businesses should:
Wage and Hour DisputesWage and hour laws govern the payment of wages, overtime, and working hours for employees. These laws aim to protect workers' rights and ensure fair compensation. In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets federal standards for minimum wage, overtime, and other wage-related matters.
Wage and hour disputes often revolve around issues such as:
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Meet Our Business Attorneys
Emily Smith-Lee is the owner and founder of slnlaw. She is a 1996 graduate of Boston College Law School. She was previously a partner at the Boston office of a large international firm, where she worked for thirteen years with a focus on business litigation. In 2009, she started the firm that since became slnlaw, and has grown it from a solo practice to a five-attorney firm with multiple practice areas. She has been recognized as Massachusetts Superlawyer each year since 2013, and in 2018 earned recognition as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Lawyers of the Year. She has written a book on employment law: Rules of the Road, What You Need to Know About Employment Laws in Massachusetts, and helped hundreds of small business owners with contracts, business transactions, employment law advice, business incorporation, and risk management. She has also litigated business disputes in state and federal courts.
Rebecca Rogers: Rebecca is a 2006 graduate of Boston College Law School, and has worked with slnlaw since 2013. She previously worked as an intellectual property litigation attorney for Fish & Richardson in Boston, Massachusetts, and clerked for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Rebecca has helped clients with business contracts, employment contracts, and employment law advice.
Jenna Ordway: Jenna is a 2013 graduate of Quinnipiac Law School, and also earned an LLM in Taxation from Boston University in 2015. She has been affiliated with slnlaw since 2011, first as a law clerk and then as an attorney. Jenna has been recognized since 2019 as a "Rising Star" by Massachusetts Superlawyers. Jenna has helped many small business owners with simple and complex business incorporation, contract review, advice and analysis regarding business disputes, employment law advice, and advice about business succession considerations as part of estate planning.
Elijah Bresley: Eli is a 2014 graduate of Seton Hall Law school, and has worked with slnlaw since 2020. He previously worked for a boutique employment law firm outside of Boston, and then for the Labor and Employment department of a large Boston firm. He also spent a year clerking for the judges of the Superior Court in Hartford, Connecticut. Eli has helped our small business clients with employment law advice and defense of employment-related lawsuits in MCAD and state and federal courts.
Sharleen Tinnin: Sharleen is a 2010 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law, and has been with slnlaw since 2023. Prior to joining slnlaw, she worked with King, Tilden, McEttrick & Brink, P.C. on complex civil litigation matters. She previously worked for the United States Department of Justice, and received an "Excellence in Justice" award in 2017. Sharleen has helped clients litigate business disputes in state and federal courts, and advised business owners about succession considerations as part of their estate planning.
How We Can Help
Our expert guidance ensures compliance with employment laws, minimizing the risk of disputes and offering solutions to resolve any employment-related challenges effectively. You can use the button below to schedule a call back from a member of our team, or give us a call at 781-784-2322.
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