Labor & Employment Law
Preventative Counseling
In keeping with our philosophy of preventive counseling, our attorneys develop personnel policies and procedures for complying with state and federal anti-discrimination laws, including the Illinois Human Rights Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Our attorneys are asked to speak on a wide array of employment topics before both state and national organizations. We also provide on-site training and in-service programs tailored to the needs and requests of individual clients.
Employee Leave
At Robbins Schwartz, we guide clients on compliance with the ADA, FMLA, and other leave and accommodation requirements.
All Aspects of the Employment Relationship
Our attorneys counsel employers in all aspects of the employment relationship, including collective bargaining, hiring and termination decisions, employee discipline and reductions-in-force, employee leave and disability accommodation requests, and investigations of employee misconduct and harassment complaints. Our attorneys also represent employers in grievances, arbitrations, unfair labor practices charges, and unlawful discrimination complaints and lawsuits. We aggressively defend our clients in federal and state courts and before various administrative bodies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Personnel Policy and Employee Handbook Reviews
Employment law is always evolving. In recent years, the Illinois and federal legislatures have passed several pieces of legislation directly impacting an employer’s obligations and enhancing employee rights. New legal requirements require a review of existing personnel policy manuals and employee handbooks to ensure continued legal compliance.
We regularly assist clients with drafting and revising policy manuals and handbooks. Our team is up to date on the newest laws impacting the workplace, as we consistently monitor draft legislation that may impact employers.
Human Resources Compliance
Every workplace faces challenging human resources and personnel issues, whether it is responding to an employee’s request for a leave of absence or workplace accommodation or determining an appropriate level of disciplinary action for employee misconduct. No matter the specific issue, addressing each requires a thorough analysis of the facts and a firm understanding of employer policies and the application of state and federal law. When employers fail to fully understand the facts of each situation or fail to apply the appropriate policy or law, they face unnecessary legal exposure.
Employee Discipline
We assist employers with handling employee discipline, misconduct, and harassment complaints.
Investigations
We provide counsel on investigations with a focus on addressing issues efficiently and mitigating the potential for litigation.
Employee Discrimination
Our attorneys guide employers through employee discrimination complaints, conducting thorough investigations to ensure clear findings and appropriate remedial actions, thereby preventing legal claims and improving workplace morale.
Title IX
Our attorneys work to provide expert advice to ensure our clients are in compliance with Title IX rules and regulations.
Litigation
At Robbins Schwartz, we defend employers in state and federal litigation and administrative charges, effectively managing cases to minimize disruption and achieve favorable outcomes.
Labor Relations
We represent clients before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board and will alert you to any conduct that could subject you to such charges.
Collective Bargaining
Our firm has extensive experience representing employers in collective bargaining, helping them negotiate fair agreements while protecting management rights and ensuring compliance with state and federal labor laws.
Grievance Arbitration
Our attorneys have decades of experience guiding employers through the grievance procedure and defending against union grievances, achieving high success rates in arbitration.
