Employment Advice

The dynamic and increasingly complex nature of employment law underscores the need to obtain sound legal advice about actual or potential employment law issues. This is especially true for smaller organizations that lack an in-house lawyer and cannot afford a full-time HR person. Even a large organization may not have the expertise to resolve, or even identify, challenging employment law issues. By providing practical, up-to-date employment law advice, we help you focus on running your business rather than worrying about employee claims and lawsuits.

Our labor and employment lawyers advise employers on a full range of employment matters, including

• Helping employers comply with federal and state laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act
• Developing strategies for dealing with changing workplace dynamics in such areas as harassment, violence, privacy, telecommuting and records management
• Reviewing proposed personnel actions in such areas as discipline, termination, hiring and promotions
• Designing and implementing reward and recognition programs, open-door policies and effective performance enhancement mechanisms
• Negotiating, reviewing and drafting employment agreements, such as confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, separation agreements and technology licenses
• Advising employers how to conduct layoffs that minimize the risk of subsequent litigation by former employees
• Drafting and, when appropriate, revising policies on such key topics as discrimination, harassment, accommodation, drug and alcohol use and testing, telecommuting and other employment-related issues

AdviceOnline

Clients are understandably concerned about the cost of legal services. It is for that reason Garvey Schubert Barer created AdviceOnline for our Washington State clients. It provides reliable, practical advice to help organizations solve common HR problems and reduce risk. It also provides a wealth of tips, specific guidance, legally compliant forms and sample agreements with commentary. Unlike the Internet or published materials, AdviceOnline is frequently updated to reflect new laws and new issues.

Additionally, AdviceOnline has been tailored to meet the specific needs of both small and large employers, with different content available for larger employers. The cost of AdviceOnline varies depending on whether or not you are a Garvey Schubert Barer client. For clients with up to 49 employees, the discounted annual subscription cost is $750. For clients with 50 or more employees, the discounted annual subscription cost is $1,250. This cost includes 24/7 access to AdviceOnline for up to four users. Additional users may be added for $100 each. For more information on what is included with a subscription, download the AdviceOnline brochure.

If you are not yet a Garvey Schubert Barer client, then you will not qualify for the discounted price. The regular subscription price is $1,250 for employers with up to 49 employees and $2,500 for employers with 50 or more employees. Whether or not you are a client, AdviceOnline provides a cost-effective way to obtain common and trustworthy information to help you address common HR challenges.

• Download the AdviceOnline brochure.
• View the table of contents and a content sample.
• To subscribe or for more information, please contact Elaine Jackson at 206.816.1426 or ehjackson@gsblaw.com.
• AdviceOnline login for current subscribers.

While the complete version of AdviceOnline is available by subscription as noted above, Garvey Schubert Barer is pleased to offer a complimentary basic version of AdviceOnline. All of our clients may take advantage of this unique benefit. The complimentary version of AdviceOnline contains practical tools, useful tips, and basic information in the areas of staffing and hiring, employee relations, discrimination and harassment, etc., designed to assist businesses of all sizes to minimize risk and improve business practices.

For your convenience, we have made the registration process for the complimentary version easy: simply go to https://extranet.gsblaw.com; click on the "Register" button; agree to the Terms of Use; and the process is completed. AdviceOnline's basic version will then be available to you 24/7 from any location with a computer connection.