Labor & Employment
Shutts & Bowen’s Labor & Employment Practice Group represents private and public sector employers in a variety of labor and employment matters. The firm has defended management in federal and state court lawsuits involving employment discrimination, sexual harassment, minimum wage and overtime compensation, employment contracts, and disability issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The firm also represents clients in investigations and audits by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, the U.S. Department of Labor and other administrative agencies, and in connection with union elections and unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board. We also represent employers involved in arbitration, mediation, or other alternate dispute resolution forums.
In addition to our litigation practice, we advise clients on a variety of federal, state and local labor and employment laws. We provide legal input into decisions regarding hiring, terminations, discipline, reorganizations, reductions-in-force and other personnel matters. This advice involves such matters as reviewing personnel policies for issues concerning equal employment opportunity, family and medical leave, drug testing, accommodation of disabilities, progressive discipline, compensation and benefits. We advise clients on union avoidance, including assisting clients in responding to union organizing drives. Our goal is to help our clients solve legal problems without needless expenditure of time and money.
Our private sector clients include employers in various fields such as retail department stores, hotels, restaurants, entertainment, health care, construction, banks, manufacturing, cruise lines, airlines, schools, amusement parks, personnel leasing and high technology industries. Our representation of cities, counties, and other public employers throughout Florida involves issues similar to those in the private sector. We also handle public employment issues under the United States Constitution and Florida law, including qualified immunity for public officials.
The Group advises employers and litigates in the following areas:
- Employment Discrimination
- Sexual Harassment
- Wage and Hour Audits
- Personnel Policies
- Labor Union Avoidance
- Family and Medical Leave
- NLRB Elections
- Reductions-in-Force/WARN Act
- NLRB Unfair Labor Practice Charges
- Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA)
- Collective Bargaining
- Privacy Issues
- Child Labor Laws
- Unemployment Compensation
- Drug Testing
- ERISA/COBRA and Employee Benefits
- Employment Agreements
- Employment Torts
- Severance Agreements
- AIDS in the Workplace
