HR Compliance & Employee Relations Management

Thompson Coe counsels clients through a broad range of issues in their day-to-day operations. We work as an extension of your organization to develop the necessary strategies to manage employee relations issues in real time. We regularly counsel employee relations management concerning personnel policies, practices, procedures, and impending personnel decisions. We also provide free, value-added services to our clients to minimize potential exposure before litigation arises.

Audits are important for evaluating legal HR compliance, creating proactive protections, and providing people and HR development. Many employers do not comply with various laws, but most potential violations can be easily detected and remedied.

Audits provide a deterrent from litigation and can serve as a cornerstone of a company’s “good faith defense” in future litigation. Auditing the effectiveness of the human resources technical system can include reviewing records and technology systems, document retention, immigration and EEO tracking and technology, and salary and benefits tracking.

Thompson Coe employment lawyers counsel clients on everything from the pre-employment process to post-termination compliance with non-competition and other agreements on a daily basis.

Among other things, this counseling includes giving advice on the timing of background checks, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, negotiation of employment contracts, effective handling of performance and attendance issues, evaluating accommodation requests, determining eligibility for and designating FMLA leave, internal complaints and investigations, terminations, reductions in force, and potential litigation against an employee who is violating an employment agreement or who has retained confidential employer information.

Thompson Coe offers employment training courses for employees, supervisors, and managers on a wide range of critical topics. These sessions answer tough HR legal and compliance questions, offer practical guidance, and explore proactive approaches to maintaining a positive work environment while minimizing risk or lawsuit threats.

We can present on any labor and employment law topic that would benefit your organization, and we are happy to develop custom programs to address specific concerns you may have.

A company’s policies and procedures are essential to its operations and to defining the working relationship with its employees. Thompson Coe helps employers ensure that their policies and procedures are consistent with the organization’s goals and corporate culture, as well as in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

We work with companies at every stage, assessing their corporate policies, helping them implement procedures, and providing comprehensive audit services to assess and promote ongoing compliance.

Various state and federal agencies, including the Department of Labor, Immigrations & Customs Enforcement, and the EEOC and TWC, have the ability to investigate employers. Such investigations can include issuance of a subpoena, requests for employee interviews, or unannounced visits to one’s office and requests for access to the facility and its employees and documents.

Thompson Coe advises on the legality and scope of these investigations and how to properly navigate this process.

In recent years, the OFCCP has intensified its enforcement of laws requiring federal contractors to show that they are not discriminating against employees or job applicants and are engaging in good-faith efforts to ensure equal employment opportunities for women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans.

We assist companies of all sizes in complying with detailed record keeping requirements, conducting sophisticated data analyses and keeping up with changing regulatory requirements.