S.T. Legal Group is an accomplished Illinois employment law firm. Our team has the skill and experience to assist clients by negotiating, reviewing, and preparing a comprehensive employment agreements. Our law firm is equally helpful to both employers and employees and laser-focused on protecting each client’s best interests.
Our law firm has a well-earned reputation for being insightful as well as detail-oriented and will protect your rights in any employment agreements. Upon contacting us, you’ll know we’re the right people for the job. Our team is highly competent in drafting foundational employment documents for clients throughout Illinois.
Our law firm’s comprehensive knowledge of federal and state employment law couples with carefully chosen words to design documents strong enough to hold up through negotiations and any future attempts at litigation. In the event you are faced with an employment dispute, S.T. Legal Group is well-prepared to represent your interests inside or outside of the courtroom.
Employee Classification
One thing that always has to be clarified when forming an employer/employee relationship is what type of employment is being considered. Some terms and rules may differ depending upon whether the employee is going to be:
- Full-time
- Part-time
- Casual
- Working under a contract
- Consultant or independent contractor
- Apprentice or trainee
Depending, for example, on whether the employee is categorized as exempt or non-exempt, the individual will or will not be entitled to overtime pay by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
At S.T. Legal Group, we regularly prepare and review a variety of agreements on behalf of employers and employees including:
Employment Agreement
It is important to specify the terms and conditions of employment before a new employee joins a business. Doing so will delineate responsibilities and expectations on both sides and hopefully lead to a satisfying connection.
Terms to be established include:
- Employee duties (these should be spelled out in specific terms)
- Employees hours, including any possible overtime
- Employee wages or income, depending on employment designation
- Employee benefits — health, life, and disability insurance as well as retirement plans
- Time off — holidays, sick days, personal days, vacations
As an employment attorney with an in-depth knowledge of federal and Illinois state law, Diana Servos will be able to craft an employment agreement that covers all necessary subject matter, leaving nothing open to misunderstanding or dispute.
Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs)
Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) are designed to protect the privacy of the business’s confidential information (e.g., trade secrets, intellectual property, and client lists) from an employee who decides to leave the company or is terminated. Nevertheless, NDAs also protect employees by specifying exactly what is and is not permitted should the employee be wrongfully accused.
Though NDAs are ostensibly established to prevent unwanted dispersal of confidential, proprietary information (trade secrets), in 2015, Illinois’s courts ruled in employees’ favor in two noteworthy lawsuits involving nondisclosure agreements. With such rulings on the books, it is critical that employers, as well as employees, have excellent legal representation when dealing with nondisclosure issues — representation like that offered by S.T. Legal Group.
Noncompete agreements
In a somewhat similar way, noncompete agreements are intended to prevent employees who are leaving the company — especially those in key positions, like executives and salespeople — from working with competitors or starting their own competing company. This may do serious damage to the company they are leaving because they take with them substantial information about their former company’s inner workings, marketing tools, etc.
Illinois, however, holds employers to high legal standards. Illinois courts will only enforce noncompetes if they appear to be protecting a legitimate business concern that the courts consider “reasonable and necessary.”
Severance Agreements
Though it may seem counterintuitive, one of the first things to consider when forming an employment relationship is how both parties may one day part from the company. After all, most jobs do not last forever, so outlining the details around termination of employment is crucial to having a smooth interaction in the workplace. The following components are essential in a severance agreement:
- How confidentiality rules will apply after termination
- Whether the date of the employee’s termination is now known (through contract) or will later be determined and agreed upon by signatures of both parties
- For what length of time the employee will have benefits after termination
- What rules will indemnify the employer from further claims by the employee after termination
Putting these details into writing will remove hurdles that might otherwise stand in the way of an employee’s or employer’s ability to move forward.
Advantages of Using S.T. Legal Group for Employment Agreement Review
S.T. Legal Group not only has outstanding credentials and proven legal experience, we are seasoned employment attorneys who keep current with all new federal and state laws that may affect employment issues. For instance, during just this past year, there have been significant updates to the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. When you work with our team, you will never have to worry about us being up-to-date as well as up to the task at hand.
Contact Our Deerfield Employment Agreement Review Lawyer
Whether you are an employer or an employee, establishing a positive workplace is a mutual responsibility. The S.T. Legal Group is well-prepared to help you on your way. You’ll be gratified to find our team well-organized, efficient, and dedicated to protecting your interests, now and in the future. Contact S.T. Legal Group today for an initial consultation.
S.T. Legal Group employment agreement lawyers represent employers and employees in Deerfield, Lake, and Cook Counties and throughout the state of Illinois.