
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
Representation of Employers
Employers face an ever-growing list of federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations concerning employment activities. In addition to providing representation to employers in litigated matters, we will advise you on how to avoid costly employment-related litigation. We work closely with human-resources personnel to review employment policies and evaluate the need for updating and revising existing policies. We can also represent you through all aspects of labor management relations, including labor agreement negotiation and labor arbitration. We will help you negotiate the employment law labyrinth, including the following areas:
- Discrimination, retaliation, and harassment
- Wage and hour issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act
- Family and medical leave
- Disability issues
- Employment restrictive covenants, including non-compete, non-solicitation, non-disclosure, and no-hire agreements
- Employee benefit issues
- Charges of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and State agencies
- Employment contracts, employee handbooks, manuals, application forms and employment policies and procedures
Representation of Employees
Employees who have lost their jobs, or who are subjected to unlawful acts of discrimination, retaliation or harassment in the course of employment need immediate legal assistance in order to protect their rights. Losing a job or having to tolerate illegal working conditions is highly stressful. We will work with employees who are experiencing these problems to stop unlawful workplace conduct before it causes additional economic or emotional harm. For those who have already lost a job, we will pursue all remedies to compensate the employee for the losses they have sustained. We have successfully represented employees in the following areas of employment law:
- Discrimination, retaliation and harassment
- Wage and hour issues
- Disability issues
- Employee benefit issues
- Family and Medical Leave
- Employment contracts
- Contracts not to compete or engage in competitive activity
Back to all Practice Areas
EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS
John M. Lawhorn
Attorney
Mary Elizabeth Maddox
Attorney
Richard T. Scrugham, Jr.
Attorney
Jamey M. Minnihan
Attorney
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WAGE GARNISHMENTS FOR TENNESSEE EMPLOYERS JUST BECAME MORE COMPLICATED
In April 2016 Governor Haslam signed a bill that became effective September 1, 2016, which will likely increase the number of wage garnishments with which many Tennessee employers will have to contend. This is particularly true for employers that make regular use of independent contractor workers. A wage garnishment is a debt collection process set […]
TENNESSEE EMPLOYERS WITH 50 OR MORE EMPLOYEES MUST USE E-VERIFY SYSTEM BY JANUARY 1, 2017
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In a February 2016 blog post, I discussed an anticipated major change in the criteria for determining who can be exempt from payment of overtime wages. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guarantees payment of overtime wages at a rate of 1.5 times the base hourly rate of pay for all hours worked in excess […]
Many States and Now the Federal Government Are Questioning Use of Overreaching Non-Compete Agreements
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EEOC Files Its First Lawsuits to Extend Title VII Coverage to LGBT Employees Who Claim Discrimination Due to Sexual Orientation
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Employment Law Considerations for Inclement Weather Days
Winter finally arrived in Tennessee following repeated record high temperatures throughout December and the first few days of January. Once cold weather and the first instances of winter precipitation arrive, employers will often ask me if there are any employment law considerations to inclement weather and inclement weather policies. While there indeed are some legal […]
The Basics of Pay for Employee Break Periods Under Tennessee and Federal Law
The laws addressing compensation for employee breaks are not that difficult to understand and properly apply. As one recent court decision reminded me, however, some employers unfortunately choose either not to learn those rules, or to simply ignore them until the United States Department of Labor becomes involved. Before discussing that decision, let’s review the […]