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WEISS ANCOLEIRMA+1 AT lllE CRosatwvs of BusmEss, QV%tf[1NA1cT & TIIr LMY For clients whose employees are not represented by a union and who desire to remain union -free, we provide guidance and counseling to management to ensure positive employee relations to preserve the non-union status. Counseling and Preventative Services We are also counselors providing valuable guidance to our clients to prevent claims from arising. We regularly: • Draft employee handbooks, manuals, policies and procedures governing a wide array of workplace issues; • Conduct training seminars to ensure employees understand policies and procedures and can protect their employers from employment claims; • Advise on hiring, discipline and termination, harassment and discrimination complaints, employee compensation and benefit issues and compliance with Federal, State and local laws; • Conduct internal investigations concerning claims of discrimination, harassment and/or policy violations in a professional, discreet manner; • Advise our clients on employee drug testing and have been highly engaged in working with clients on how to address the legalization of medical marijuana in Florida; and • Assist employers with complicated issues when employees request leaves of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and other accommodations as a result of their own or immediate family members health issues. Wage and Hour Law Wage and Hour Law compliance can be vexing to even the most sophisticated clients. We have drilled down on this complex area and have had considerable success in ensuring client compliance and defending these matters. We have years of experience advising our clients regarding compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). We also regularly defend our clients in single plaintiff and class action litigation arising from alleged FLSA violations. While we vigorously defend our clients in these cases, we take a pragmatic approach that focuses on our client's bottom line. Non -Compete Agreements and Trade Secrets The interconnectedness of the global economy is especially acute in the area of employee restrictive covenants and confidentiality/trade secret agreements. Our Group is at the forefront of the substantive requirements of such provisions and how to both draft them and ultimately defend them in courts of law. We have drafted hundreds of non -compete and confidentiality agreements that comply with Federal, State and local law and that will ultimately be upheld should they be challenged. We also assist our clients in developing strategies to prevent employees from misappropriating trade secrets and other valuable, proprietary information. Where disputes arise, we regularly represent our clients in litigation to enforce or defeat these agreements, including the "trial within a trial" setting of injunction hearings. Unemployment Compensation We counsel employers on unemployment compensation with an eye toward providing cost-effective, quality representation. We provide human resources personnel with advice concerning everything from garden-variety issues to obscure matters unique to their organizations, and then advise them on how to contest claims for benefits. We also represent clients in appeal hearings or simply provide behind the scenes advice to management in preparation for hearings. Because these hearings often are a precursor to employment litigation on other grounds, we ensure all critical substantive and procedural defenses and evidentiary issues are preserved. Accessibility and Accommodations (ADA) The combination of nettlesome regulations and laws, coupled with opportunistic plaintiff's counsel, have made compliance with accessibility laws and regulations increasingly difficult. Consequently, painstaking planning and collaboration with experienced counsel is vital. Our attorneys regularly counsel clients on all aspects of disability -related employment and accessibility requirements under Federal, state and local law. This includes the integration and application of the ADA. Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) We have participated in the full range of audits conducted by agencies of both Federal and State governments, including the U.S. Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We represent management interests when citations are issued in proceedings before OSHA, including information conferences, formal evidentiary hearings and judicial appeals.