Employment Audits & Training

Medical professionals long have recommended annual physical examinations for their patients, allowing for the early detection of serious or even life-threatening health conditions. If found and treated early enough, these conditions can be cured, or in some cases, even prevented. 

In the employment environment, the periodic review of an employer’s policies and procedures likewise can detect potential problems that, if not corrected, could result in costly litigation and serious liability for the company. Changes in employment law through legislation, regulatory actions and court decisions is one constant in a continually evolving and rapidly changing employment arena. Now more than ever, employers must be on high alert when dealing with such changes, or they run the risk of suffering from substantial liability and costly litigation. 

Some changes are momentous, such as the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision requiring states (and, therefore, employers) to recognize same-sex marriages. However, other changes are more subtle and might escape an employer’s attention, such as: the recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) affecting the confidentiality of employer investigations of workplace incidents and employer rules regarding the confidentiality of employer information; the recently announced position of the United States Department of Labor (DOL) on employee versus independent contractor status; or the new Wage and Hour proposals which will determine who is and who is not an exempt employee for minimum wage and overtime purposes. 

Failure by employers to be aware of these changes in the law can result in government investigations and findings of significant wage awards and penalties. Even day-to-day matters that employers might think have been taken care will need periodic review. For instance, job descriptions are enormously important when dealing with charges of discrimination. It is not uncommon for a job description that was once accurate to become inaccurate in just a matter of months. Although it may seem like a simple task, failure to periodically review and update a job description can have serious consequences.

Reger Rizzo & Darnall’s Employment Practices Group provides our employer clients with the ability to avoid costly employment-related claims by conducting annual or periodic reviews. We also work with employers to train and retrain managers and supervisors on how to correctly manage employment problems. 

We work closely with each client to customize an employment audit and/or training program, and we are able to do so for a reasonable, fixed fee. We urge employers to contact one of Reger Rizzo & Darnall’s Employment attorneys today for a free consultation to discuss your employment review and training needs.