At Sapir Schragin, we help you negotiate the best agreement possible.
Our goal is to maximize your opportunities.
Whether beginning or ending an employment relationship, you should not negotiate alone. You should hire a lawyer to guide you through the process. We can provide peace of mind when you are faced with seemingly onerous contract provisions.
We understand the intent behind contract language. Items that may seem unimportant to you may be very significant to your future, and conversely, seemingly significant phrases may not add up to much. We review every document with an eye to protecting your rights and interests.
Details matter in employment agreements.
It’s exciting to be hired. Often you forget to read the fine print. At Sapir Schragin, we review and negotiate contracts to ensure that you get the terms most favorable to you regarding compensation, incentives, equity, severance benefits, restrictive covenants, duties and responsibilities and termination protections.
Details matter in severance and separation agreements.
You’ve been terminated and presented with an agreement that may contain waivers releasing your former employer from liability for any claims you may have against the company. It may contain promises you must make (i.e., confidentiality, non-disparagement, non-competes and non-solicitations) in order to obtain severance compensation.
Many employees believe that they must sign these agreements as presented, but that is not so. You are not required to sign any separation or severance agreement without first consulting an attorney. If you are presented with such a severance or separation agreement, consult with us before talking to them. Let us determine your rights and suggest the best possible course of action.
Call us if you have a question about your agreement.
When you need personal time off from work or medically-based workplace accommodations, we can help.
When your medical needs conflict with work priorities you need us.
Addressing disabilities and medical issues in the workplace is one of the most complex areas of employment law. Balancing workers’ rights and needs with the rights of employers to continue to run their business can be difficult. Decisions are further complicated by the myriad of intersecting federal, state and local laws governing disabilities, medical issues, and leaves of absence.
We represent people just like you.
We represent people who have had their careers and their futures placed in jeopardy because their employers denied them their legal rights. We help employees denied the full extent of their family or sick leave rights, or who have experienced retaliation for asserting them.
A disability should not be a barrier to work.
We help employees get the workplace accommodations they need to help them do their jobs despite their disabilities. When companies refuse to engage in the interactive process or to provide accommodations we will step in and get you the relief you need.
Let us help you assess your needs, navigate the legal complexities that complicate these decisions, and achieve a positive outcome.
Call us if your personal needs and work responsibilities conflict.
You deserve a harassment-free work environment.
Any kind of harassment is illegal.
Conduct which contributes to a hostile work environment is a violation of your right to feel safe on the job. It is illegal to harass a person because of their protected, personal characteristics. It is also illegal to create a sexually unwelcome work environment, or any work environment that condones offensive remarks or conduct. We have built our reputation protecting employees like you from unlawful sexual and other harassment.
We believe everyone is entitled to a comfortable work environment.
If you are uncomfortable because of harassment at work, it is important to report it to your supervisor or human resources department. If your employee handbook has a policy for reporting harassment, it should be followed. Know that it is illegal for companies to retaliate against employees who complain about harassment, or who report harassment to government agencies. We can guide you through your company’s process.
Call us if you have been harassed.
We can help you get paid properly.
You should be paid for overtime work.
Wage and hour law is ever-changing and complicated. Many employees don’t fully understand what laws protect them and when they are not being properly paid. Many employees are too scared to speak up for fear of retaliation and losing their jobs. That is where we come in. We will be your voice and advocate to get you the wages you have earned.
If you can answer “YES” to any of these situations, you need us.
- Are you being paid less than the minimum wage?
- Does your company pay you for less hours than you actually worked?
- Are you working more than 40 hours in a week and not being paid at time and a half for all hours over 40 in a work week?
- Is your employer not providing the required meal and rest periods?
- Are you working more than 10 hours in a given day, but you are not being paid an extra hour of pay?
- Do your bosses require you to share your tips with them?
- Do you receive less than your agreed upon commissions?
- Do you have a manager title but are not doing manager work?
- Is your employer making deductions from your paycheck without your permission?
- Are you an hourly employee but receive your paychecks every two weeks or more?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, then contact us and we can help.
Call us if you have a question about your wages.
We protect employees facing retaliation.
There are protections against complaining about discrimination and harassment.
The anti-discrimination laws make it illegal to retaliate against employees who complain about discrimination or harassment by firing, demoting, harassing, or otherwise subjecting them to conduct which would discourage an employee from such conversations.
We defend truth-tellers.
Companies regularly strike back at individuals who tell the truth about them. Whistleblowers are often retaliated against, fired, demoted or given an undesirable job. We defend whistleblowers who go public with information their companies want to keep private.
These are not easy cases. The best defense for whistleblowers, therefore, is an employment lawyer who knows these laws, their benefits and their limitations, and is able to step in and protect the person from retaliation.
Call us if you have a question about whistleblower protections.