Employment Contracts

Indemnify a Noncompete? Not So Fast

04/01/2002

Q. We want to hire an individual who signed a noncompete with his current employer. He asked us to indemnify him in the event his employer sues him. What are the legal risks associated with agreeing to indemnify him? —V.M., Virginia

Ease strict noncompete pacts or risk wrongful discharge claim

03/01/2002

As part of a merger, Aetna U.S. Healthcare required employees to sign an agreement barring them from working for a competitor in the same state for two years or any competitor …

High court: EEOC can circumvent arbitration pacts

02/01/2002

In another highly anticipated decision, the Supreme Court ruled last month that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) can file lawsuits on behalf of workers who had previously given up …

Rework your severance plan: More prospective employees seeking this safety net

02/01/2002

Even if your company has avoided layoffs, it’s still time to rethink whether your severance plan is achieving …

Don’t bury your rights in fine print

01/01/2002

When a Dunkin’ Donuts customer stormed away after an exchange with sales clerk Richard Ferguson, a supervisor followed and talked with him out of Ferguson’s earshot. A few days later, Ferguson …

Filing suit to protect trade secrets won’t kill your arbitration rights

12/01/2001

MicroStrategy put the head of its HR department, Betty Lauricia, on paid leave soon after she filed a discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Lauricia had an arbitration …

To keep arbitration clause legal, ensure workers’ cost is reasonable

11/01/2001

When SFX bought a New York radio station, it required all workers to sign a binding arbitration clause. Station employee Tracy Christopher later accused the company of gender and pregnancy …

You Can Change Workers’ Hours on Short Notice

11/01/2001

Q. Can we change employees’ work hours on short notice by altering their schedules? Also, we have a part-time employee who’s been employed for a few months working 32 hours a week. She’s preparing to return to work after recovering from a car accident. Can we reduce her work hours? —J.L., Maryland

Close ties with arbitrator can unbind decision

10/01/2001

Prudential fired Alex Montez four months into his job as a senior vice president after it found he had misrepresented something on his job application. But one issue prevented a clean …

Sweeten Deal to Retain Worker After Training