Employment Law

Employment Law

Running a business already takes a lot of time and effort, so what happens when you are sued by one of your employees? This can be a stressful time for many employers and the law can be difficult to navigate. Fortunately, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have options. My firm helps business owners with affordable employer defense legal

work.

Many laws exist to protect workers and laborers, with the unfortunate side effect that employers are sometimes underrepresented. If an employee or other individual makes an accusation against your company or management, you have the right to defend your business with the help of an employer attorney.

What is At-Will Employment?

At-will employment is the most common arrangement for waged employees in Missouri, as it is in most other states. It does not apply to those on salaries or who are employed on employment contracts. At-will employment allows both employers and employees to terminate employment at any time without having to give notice or reason for termination.

Employees who are employed under an employment contract or agreement can only be fired under the conditions of the contract. Employment contracts also determine things like wages, hours of work, duties, work benefits, if any and what notice should be given before termination.

Missouri law restricts at-will termination in certain circumstances. Employers cannot fire an employee because they have claimed workers’ compensation, for example. In fact there are a number of reasons why at-will employment cannot be terminated legally. If an employee is fired for any of these reasons, they have grounds for filing a complaint with the state or federal anti-discrimination agency or state labor department.

A common reason given by employees who have been fired is that they have been discriminated against. Missouri law prevents employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of a number of ‘protected categories.’ Discrimination is illegal on the basis of:

• color;
• race;
• ethnicity;
• gender;
• disability;
• age;
• religious affiliation.