Providing Legal Insight for Employee Handbooks
Protecting your company from employment liability requires prudent and up-to-date employment policies. The best way to ensure that your policies will protect you from liability under the constantly evolving web of employment laws and regulations is to develop and regularly update your business’s employee handbook. At Thatcher Zavaro & Mani, our team of employment attorneys has drafted many employee handbooks and is constantly monitoring changes in employment law that require updates to policies. Led by managing partner Linda Hitt Thatcher, who has been consistently named one of the top attorneys in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area by Washingtonian magazine, our attorneys will design a specialized employee handbook tailored to the needs of your industry and designed to shield you from legal liability arising from employment disputes.
Trusted Representation Tailored to Your Needs as an Employer
The Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., employee handbook lawyers at Thatcher Zavaro & Mani will ensure that your handbook covers state and federal employment laws, company policies, and the company’s grievance or complaint procedures. If a business can prove that it has well-documented policies in place, its position will be stronger should an employee file a complaint or lawsuit.
Company handbooks should address privacy policies and employee use of computers, the internet, email, cellphones, blogs, social media networks (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X, etc.), and artificial intelligence as these are also critical and ever-evolving topics. The attorneys of Thatcher Zavaro & Mani are prepared to discuss these issues with you and advise you on appropriate policies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Employee Handbooks
Having an employee handbook is more important than you think. If you have any questions about drafting or updating an employee handbook, you may find your answers below:
Are there any consequences for not having an employee handbook?
Maryland does not require businesses to have employee handbooks – yet they can greatly benefit businesses in many ways. Employee handbooks can help avoid liability issues by having clear, written guidelines for workplace policies that reflect state and federal laws. Employers can enforce policies written in employee handbooks, helping ensure the workplace runs smoothly, avoiding unnecessary employee disputes and discrimination claims.
Can an employee be terminated for not following the policies listed in the handbook?
Yes. Maryland is an “at-will” employment state, which means an employer can terminate an employee for any reason that does not violate the law, including failing to follow workplace policies in an employee handbook. However, an employee could claim that they were wrongfully terminated if a handbook is poorly worded, inconsistently enforced or violates state and federal laws. Drafting an employee handbook that protects a business from liability generally requires the assistance of experienced Maryland attorneys.
Why should I have a lawyer review the employee handbook before implementing it?
Our lawyers at Thatcher Zavaro & Mani can draft and review an employee handbook. This helps ensure that the handbook complies with state and federal laws. We can identify outdated legal language, identify key policies specific to a particular industry or business, and address anti-harassment, wage and hour and other legal concerns. Legal guidance when drafting an employee handbook also helps ensure that an employee’s rights are not inadvertently violated, potentially leading to unnecessary legal risks for a company.
How often should an employee handbook be updated?
Because employment laws constantly evolve at the federal and state levels, an employee handbook should be revised at least once a year to incorporate any significant legal or policy changes. Outdated employee handbooks can expose a business to liability issues. A handbook can be updated to reflect new labor laws that would protect a business from wrongful termination, discrimination or other legal claims.
Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., Employment Lawyers
Thatcher Zavaro & Mani considers employment law and company policies from the perspective of employer defense and employee plaintiff law. You can rely on our knowledge and experience as we provide counsel for your business. Please contact us to schedule an appointment with our attorneys by calling 301-850-1246.