New York City Employment Counseling Lawyers

Employees in New York City need an advisor to help them understand their legal rights and how to navigate difficult, stressful situations at work. At Carey & Associates, P.C., we have provided these services to workers in all sorts of industries, from law to finance to education. We rely on decades of experience in employment law, including fighting on behalf of workers to challenge harassment, discrimination, and unfair work conditions.

To make sound decisions about your career, you need expert legal advice. Contact our firm to get the confidential, one-on-one counseling with a New York City employment counseling attorney. Our counseling experience is broad and includes the following issues.

Employment Agreements

Many workers are given an employment contract with almost no time to review. This is often presented as a “take it or leave it” situation. Call our firm if you want an experienced lawyer to review the agreement and discuss things like:

• Pay and benefits
• Non-competition agreements
• Arbitration agreements
• Nondisclosure agreements

We can also try to negotiate on your behalf with your employer to improve the terms. Employment contracts are legally enforceable agreements, and you want to make sure they are fair. Employers tend to draft them to protect their own interests.

Performance Improvement Plans

Before meting out discipline, an employer might put you on a Performance Improvement Plan. We can offer expert guidance on your obligations under the plan and how to respond. If you are subject to discipline, we can help with negotiating a resolution that’s fair.

Severance Negotiations

Separating from a firm is more complicated than many workers imagine. There are so many issues, and the law in this area is in flux. We are happy to discuss:

• What to do if you think your termination was discriminatory or motivated by harassment
• The legality of a nondisclosure agreement
• Whether your employer will enforce a previously signed non-compete agreement
• The reasonableness of severance pay and continuing benefits

We can represent you in the negotiation process. Any severance package will require that you give up the right to sue, so don’t go into negotiations blind.

Job Hunts and Recruiters

The job search has only become more complicated as employers fight for talent. We can advise you about how to handle recruiters, as well as what to disclose and what questions to avoid answering. You might have left a previous job in less-than-ideal circumstances, and we can discuss how to approach that as well.

Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) Requests

You have a right to request and take FMLA leave without retaliation. However, there are practical difficulties whenever a worker requests leave. Regardless of what the law requires, you might fear a loss of work opportunities or covert retaliation. You also might have questions about whether you can request leave and what supporting documentation you will need.

We can also advise about how to return to your job when you reach the end of your leave. This return is often less seamless than workers hope. Let us help.

Workplace Relations

Difficult coworkers and bosses can sink your career if you aren’t careful. Our law firm can help you understand how to manage these relationships and help identify when to complain and how.

You might also have questions about company policies and how to comply. This is only natural, since many employee orientations are rushed, and Human Resources might become suspicious if you begin to ask questions. Let us provide guidance after reviewing applicable rules in a confidential meeting.

Workplace Complaints

Sometimes an employee needs to complain. For example, you might suffer from a hostile work environment due to racial, sex, or disability discrimination. Even if no one has crossed the line yet, you could benefit from our advice about how to preserve evidence.

We can help you identify how to complain effectively to preserve your rights and put your employer on notice. Although retaliation is flatly illegal, it still happens all the time because many workers don’t know how to respond. Let us analyze the risk and develop mitigation strategies.

Schedule a Confidential Consultation

The New York City employment counseling attorneys at Carey & Associates, P.C., bring decades of combined experience to every matter we accept. Call our firm if you have questions about work, even if they don’t fit neatly into disputes about pay or discrimination. Employees benefit from using us as a sounding board as they navigate office politics.

You can contact our firm by calling (914) 705-5427 or by submitting an email. Confidentiality is assured.