Hickory Employment Law Attorneys

Our Hickory employment attorneys can handle a wide variety of cases. Some of the most common ones we represent include:

• Wage and hour claims: Did you have a problem with your paycheck? Were you shorted hours or denied overtime pay repeatedly? If your employer forces you to work off the clock, you have rights. Perhaps your employer has classified your job wrong, causing you to miss out on valuable pay and overtime. Wage and hour claims can cover employees who are misclassified as independent contractors. It’s not uncommon for employers to claim someone is an independent contractor to keep from paying their benefits and taxes. Employment laws protect employees from this misclassification.
• Discrimination claims: Discrimination is a common problem in many workplaces. Employees might receive different or unfair treatment because of their gender, race, age, nationality, disability, religion, or ethnicity. Employers cannot engage in practices that discriminate against protected groups when it comes to raises, promotions, hiring, firing, and workplace benefits.
• Sexual harassment: Sexual harassment affects both men and women in the workplace. As the victim, you should not be responsible for stopping the harassment. Your employer should take immediate action. When that doesn’t happen, however, you might have grounds to file a sexual harassment lawsuit. If someone at your work demanded sexual favors for a promotion or pay raise, this is sexual harassment. If you are routinely subjected to unwanted sexual comments, offensive text messages, and dirty jokes, you could also have a claim for sexual harassment.
• Severance negotiations: If you are getting laid off or fired, your soon-to-be former employer might offer you a severance package. You should not accept the terms of the agreement right away. Instead, review the paperwork with a skilled employment attorney who can guide you through the process and discuss possible concerns.
• Wrongful termination: Were you fired from your job illegally? If your employer violated any laws in firing you, you could have a valid wrongful termination claim. Examples of wrongful termination involve firing you because of your religion, race, disability, or any other protected class under federal anti-discrimination laws. If you participated in a whistleblower action or made a workers’ compensation claim and were let go, this might also be a wrongful termination.
• Noncompete agreements: Some companies want employees to sign restrictive noncompete clauses when they get hired or let go. Some new employees sign them without reviewing what they mean. These agreements can limit your ability to get a better job with more pay down the line. Some noncompete agreements are too restrictive and wouldn’t stand up in court. That is why you should always review these contracts with an experienced employment lawyer. Don’t assume you’re bound by one because you signed it. Courts are quick to throw out noncompete clauses that are too restrictive.
• Employment materials: Employment lawyers can take employer cases that involve creating new employee handbooks and human resources department policies and procedure manuals. They might also draft legal documents such as new employee contracts. Some attorneys who draft these materials provide legal advice about an employer’s compliance with employment laws such as the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act, and more.