Worcester Employment Attorneys

Advocating for businesses in employee disputes

Managing employees effectively is one of the biggest challenges of business ownership, but it’s also critical to your business’s success. State and federal laws grant employees numerous rights and protections. Failing to plan for and adequately address these protections can lead to substantial civil liability. As experienced Worcester litigators in both state and federal court, our employment law attorneys at Gould & Ettenberg, P.C. have ample experience handling claims against employers. We also understand the types of situations that bring about these claims and can counsel business owners on methods of avoiding such disputes.

Policy drafting and counsel

With broad business law experience at our disposal, our attorneys are able to counsel employers and their human resources departments on various employment issues. We can help you draft and institute employee hiring and disciplinary policies that avoid claims of discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination and provide important documentation should such claims occur. We can also help you protect your client bases and intellectual property through binding noncompete and nondisclosure agreements.

Discrimination and retaliation claims

Employment law litigation is a constant concern for employers of all sizes. Gould & Ettenberg attorneys have represented companies throughout the Worcester area through the administrative process as well as in state and federal courts in matters including:

  • Discrimination — State and federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, age, gender, disability, religion, race, color and genetic trait in hiring, firing or other terms and conditions of employment. This includes intentional and direct discrimination as well as unintentional discrimination due to policies that have a disparate impact on members of certain groups.
  • Harassment — When employers fail to respond appropriately to harassment of their employees by coworkers, supervisors, managers or even customers, they may be civilly liable and responsible for punitive damages and attorney’s fees as well.
  • Retaliation — State and federal laws protect employees from suffering consequences for engaging in protected conduct, including filing or participating in discrimination complaints, filing wage-and-hour or safety complaints, reporting illegal conduct or participating in protected union activity.

A Worcester employment lawyer from Gould & Ettenberg, P.C. can provide employers facing these types of complaints with practical advice on how to move forward. We can attempt to resolve these issues through negotiation or administrative or private mediation — and, if necessary, defend our clients in state and federal court as well as before agencies such as the EEOC.

Contact a firm that understands the legal side of employee relations

Gould & Ettenberg, P.C. attorneys have been advising Worcester businesses regarding employment issues for more than 35 years. Call us at 508-752-6733 or contact us online to set up a consultation with a caring and experienced attorney today. We are conveniently located in downtown Worcester with easy access to both state and federal courthouses as well as convenient parking.