San Diego's Premier Law Firm

Knowing Employee Rights Can Protect Your Business From Fines or Lawsuits

Keeping Our Clients
Well Informed

There are almost 17 million people employed in the state of California. Understanding the complexities of both federal and state laws can be overwhelming for employees and businesses alike, a substantial portion of whom either do not know or do not understand the complicated landscape of existing local, state, and federal laws and regulations. These employment laws are essential to your livelihood – whether as an employer or an employee.

At Pokala Law APC, we protect our business clients by keeping them well-informed of the laws that govern their workplaces. Failure to comply with the laws that govern the workplace can expose businesses to liability, and the penalties can be severe. As attorneys for both Plaintiffs and Defendants, we have substantial experience identifying potential issues in the workplace before they arise, so that they can be resolved more efficiently, helping our clients avoid expensive litigation. This lets our clients remain focused on growing and maintaining their businesses.

 

At Pokala Law APC, we specialize in providing the following services to our business clients:

Corporate Compliance / Employee Audit

Every business that has employees has to follow federal, state, and local laws. Whether it is minimum wage, sick leave, paid time off (PTO), unpaid commissions, misclassification of independent contractors, or waiting time penalties, we are here to help your business stay in compliance with the laws that govern your business’s operations, to minimize the risk of costly litigation whenever possible.

Employee Handbook
Drafting and Review

Every business should have an employee handbook that is provided to each of your employees when they are hired, which should be routinely updated as laws change. Our capable team is well-versed in drafting employee handbooks for new and existing businesses, as well as reviewing and updating existing employee handbooks as needed

Employment
Agreements

Every business should have a standard employment agreement that provides the guidelines for the relationship between employee and employer. Whether the employment is full-time or part-time, an agreed upon hourly rate or salary, must be in writing. It should also clearly state whether the employee is exempt or non-exempt.

Commission
Agreements

If an employee receives a portion of their pay in the form of commissions, it is a requirement under California Labor Code §2751 that the compensation based on a commission structure must be set forth in a written agreement. In addition, the employer must give a signed copy of the agreement to the employee and shall obtain a signed receipt for the contract from each employee.

Sexual Harassment
Training

It is always prudent to educate your employees and management and provide them with sexual harassment training, with an emphasis placed on the procedures that follow the filing of an internal sexual harassment complaint, how one is filed, who the complaint is filed with, who reviews the complaint, and what happens after the review takes place.

Employment Complaint Investigations

When an employee makes a complaint, whether informally or formally, receiving direction from our firm from the onset of the investigation makes sure that the process adheres to the company policies and best positions the Company to minimize its liability.

Termination and Discharge

When an employee must be terminated, whether for cause or not, the state of California remains an at-will employment state. As we like to tell our clients, this means a business can terminate employment for good cause, and for no cause, but it can’t terminate for bad cause. For example: a business cannot terminate an employee based on a protected class, such as an employee’s race, gender, or sexual orientation.

Litigation

In the event that preventative measures and informal resolution of workplace issues have failed, and a dispute rises to the level of an active lawsuit, our clients trust us to represent them in court. We provide competent and comprehensive representation to defend your business through the litigation process, up to and including trial, to assist you in achieving a successful resolution.

Contact Us Today

Are you ready to protect your business with top-quality legal services at affordable rates? Get in touch today, and learn how we can help your small business succeed!