Los Angeles Employment Contract Attorneys
Employment Contract Review in California
If you have issues with an employment contract in southern California, the Los Angeles employment contract lawyers at Mathew & George can help. Our team has the experience required to help you with any contract-related issues, including creating an employment contract or renegotiating an existing one. Furthermore, if an employer has violated the terms of your employment contract, we will help you explore your options for legal recourse and protect your rights.
Most states follow the “at-will” employment law, meaning that any employment relationship is entirely voluntary. The employee or the employer may end the relationship at any time, for any lawful reason, with or without notice. However, some employment relationships are agreed upon through a contract. While some contracts are officially drafted in a physical document, most employment contracts are implied or verbal agreements. If you’re looking for an attorney to represent you and your contract issue, contact the Los Angeles employment contract attorneys at Mathew & George today for a free case consultation.
Elements of a California Employment Contract
When disputes arise concerning an employment relationship, any relevant contracts often come into play – even verbal ones. According to the employment contract attorneys at Mathew & George, most employment contracts stipulate factors such as:
- The employee’s obligations and job responsibilities
- Performance requirements for maintaining employment (this may include reaching target sales figures or completing specific objectives)
- The length of employment (many independent contractors use contracts that define how long they will work for an employer or how long a specific project is intended to last)
- Compensation, such as the employee’s hourly rate or salary (contracts will also stipulate any potential benefits or bonuses as well as the requirements for receiving them)
- Any conduct that will nullify the contents of the contract or terminate the employment
- Non-disclosure or non-compete agreements, which prevent the employee from taking sensitive knowledge of the employer to a competitor
Note that in California, non-compete agreements are unenforceable. Any employer who requires an employee to sign a non-compete agreement may be liable for a lawsuit, as such an agreement can impede the employee’s future employment endeavors.
In most cases, “at-will” employment laws are used to end working relationships. Employers typically only end such relationships, however, for specific disciplinary reasons or because of a lack of job competency or success on the employee’s part. Regardless, “at-will” laws do not allow employers to fire personnel for any reason. An employer cannot base a job-related decision solely on a worker’s identifying personal qualities, such as race, skin color, religion, age, sex, or sexual orientation – or else it would be considered wrongful termination.
Additionally, employers may not violate explicit stipulations of an employment contract. It is more difficult to prove this has happened when an implied or verbal contract is the only contract relevant to the situation. Only a few states consider implied contracts enforceable, and usually only when the employee has worked for the employer for a long period of time. In many cases, the employer assured the employee that he or she would have a job as long as certain standards were consistently met, and the employee argues that he or she cannot be fired unless those standards are not met.
Overview of Mathew & George’s Employment Contract Services
The Los Angeles employment attorneys at Mathew & George offer several services when it comes to contracts, these include:
- Drafting employment contracts for all situations
- Reviewing already drafted employment contracts
- Negotiating terms in employment contracts
- Writing terms and provisions for ease of employee understanding
- Explaining enforceability under California and Federal law
Filing an Employment Contract Lawsuit in Los Angeles
A breach of contract occurs when a party to a contract violates its requirements. Most employment contracts have specific clauses outlining the employee’s options in case of any grievances about the employment relationship. This usually includes acceptable options for recourse should the employee be terminated. These clauses are meant to shield the employer from potentially expensive lawsuits.
Many employers who no longer deem a contract acceptable or supportive of the business’s interests will attempt to renegotiate the terms of the contract with the worker. However, the employee must agree to these changes. Whenever contract disputes arise, an experienced contracts lawyer is one of the best assets a person can have.