Treating Employees Fairly and Respectfully: A Vital Business Practice
Minimizing Risk With Difficult EmployeesIn the world of employment relationships, there's an adage worth remembering: "Just because it's legal doesn't mean it won't get you sued." Over the years, we've fielded countless calls from individuals with stories of employment gone awry. Whether a violation of the rules occurred or not, the common thread among these callers is feeling they weren't treated honestly or fairly by their employers. In this section, we delve into why fair and respectful treatment of employees is paramount, even when navigating challenging situations.
Prioritize Fair TreatmentLegal principles are essential, but the significance of interpersonal relationships cannot be overstated. Whether you're faced with the need to terminate an employee, dealing with an employee's illness or disability, addressing workplace complaints, or handling wage and hour issues, it's crucial to consider not only the legal aspects but also how you deliver decisions and news. Fair and compassionate communication can save you both money and aggravation in the long run.
The Cost of DiscontentAn employee who feels wronged and motivated to seek legal recourse can lead to significant financial costs for your business if they succeed in their claims. Even baseless lawsuits are expensive, distracting, and not where most business owners want to allocate their valuable time and resources.
Case in PointFor instance, consider a scenario where an employee had her cell phone confiscated and personal data examined after she disclosed an underlying health condition. Years l ater, after we helped her get a substantial settlement for her claims of disability discrimination and overtime, she disclosed that she probably never would have even called us in the first place if that situation had been handled differently.
We have also spoken with hundreds of employees who felt their termination was unfair, even though it was probably legal, but were motivated to reach out to an employment lawyer because the termination itself was handled poorly. In many cases, even if there is no claim based on the termination, these employees discover other legal claims, including wage and hour violations, that they have right to pursue. ConclusionIn conclusion, treating employees fairly and respectfully, even in challenging situations, is not only a moral imperative but a sound business practice. It can prevent costly legal battles, maintain a positive work environment, and save valuable resources. Remember that the way you communicate and handle difficult decisions can make all the difference in fostering positive employee relations and minimizing legal risks.
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Meet Our Employment Lawyers
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 before starting the firm that became slnlaw in 2009. 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 thousands of clients on both the employee and employer side with severance and non compete review and negotiation, wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation disputes, and advice about employment law generally.
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 wage and hour disputes, employment discrimination and retaliation claims, review and negotiation of severance and non compete agreements, and advice to both employees and employers about navigating complex employment situations.
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 clients with review and negotiation of severance and non compete agreements, wage and hour disputes, employment and discrimination claims, and advice to small business owners about employment law and other business matters.
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 clients on the employee and employer side with all varieties of employment law issues, including employment discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour issues, litigation in MCAD and state and federal courts, and advising employers about employment policies and practices.
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 with wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation disputes, review and negotiation of severance agreements, and litigation in MCAD and state and federal courts on employment related issues.
How We Can Help
Our expert guidance can assist you in navigating complex employee relations with fairness and compassion, reducing the risk of costly legal challenges. 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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