Navigating Employee Disputes: How an Employer’s Lawyer Can Help

Your employees are the lifeblood of your company. Without them, your company’s goods or services are not rendered. Maintaining a good relationship with your workforce is vital to your business’s survival. Conversely, neglecting your relationship with your employees can lead to resignations and poor morale.

Like any other interpersonal relationship you have, your relationship with your employees will go through ups and downs. There may be times when your workforce is upset with you over some matter, and the situation will need to be addressed.

As an HR professional, how you respond to these conflicts with your workers can either make your team stronger or strain a fraying relationship. When you face these moments of conflict, an experienced employer lawyer can be a significant asset to you and your company in various ways.

Reasons Employer-Employee Disputes Arise

Strong, growing companies and businesses that are struggling both face moments where employers and employees do not see eye to eye. Some of the reasons these situations develop in California include:

Pay and Benefits

Employee compensation is a frequent source of discontent among your workers. You may think that your benefits package and pay scale are fair, but numerous circumstances can make your employees feel otherwise. For example:

Employees may discuss their pay among themselves and grow dissatisfied

Workers can compare what they earn at your business with other employers

Inflation can make your employees’ pay seem insufficient to meet their needs

Your workforce may be disappointed when your company’s profits do not allow you to grant raises

Uncovering the reasons why your employees are upset about their pay and benefits is crucial to effectively addressing the dispute. This should be done as quickly as possible. Failing to take your employees’ concerns about their compensation seriously can lead to low morale and resignations as your workers seek out better opportunities.

Work Environment and Working Conditions

You might also face a dispute with your employees because they do not like the conditions under which they are required to work. Employees may be well-paid and motivated to do their jobs, but they can become discouraged if they feel their work environment hinders their efforts.

The challenges and obstacles they feel can include a noisy, poorly lit facility, antiquated tools and machinery, or a lack of training to do their jobs sufficiently. Like other employer-employee disputes, uncovering the root cause of their dissatisfaction is the first crucial step toward resolving the matter.

Interpersonal Conflicts

Interpersonal dynamics between employees and coworkers, or between management and employees, can also lead to disputes and conflict. This can involve everything from one person not getting along with another’s personality to a group of employees not trusting you or their supervisors.

These conflicts must be handled delicately. Where the dispute arises out of a clash of personalities, you must proceed with caution so as not to imply that one person is in the wrong. When one person has violated company policy or committed a wrongful act, you must be firm in calling out the violation while working to repair the wound it created.

The Role of Your Employer Lawyer in Disputes

No matter the type of employee dispute you are facing, bringing in an experienced employer lawyer at the first sign of conflict can help you diffuse the situation successfully. Depending on your needs, your employer lawyer can function as your:

Investigator

Your attorney can interview employees and managers to determine the dispute’s precise cause. They can also research issues such as pay, industry standards, or other topics.

In this role, your employer lawyer acts as a factfinder, bringing together all the information you need to handle the issue. Leaving this task to your attorney also frees you to continue focusing on running your business.

Advisor

Once you have all of the facts of the situation available, you need help deciding what the best course of action is. An attorney’s skill and knowledge can immensely benefit as they advise you on a course of action.

Specifically, they can help you appreciate the legal ramifications of the actions you are considering to avoid additional challenges and litigation.

Spokesperson

In some situations, your voice and opinion may not be as authoritative as another person’s.

For example, if you are dealing with a supervisor whose behaviors could be considered discriminatory or harassing, having your employer lawyer explain the legal ramifications of their actions may be more persuasive and impactful than if you were to attempt to do so yourself.

Mediator

Some larger disputes may not be able to be resolved because the lines of communication between you and your employees are strained or fractured. When this happens, you need a third party to step in and mediate the dispute, and your employer lawyer can also fill this role.

Your attorney can act as a neutral third party, listen to all sides of the matter, and suggest acceptable resolutions to all parties.

Legal Representative

If the dispute cannot be resolved informally, you need a legal representative to advocate for you in court and protect your personal and business interests. Legal cases can be costly and disruptive, but having a knowledgeable attorney by your side can help you resolve these matters with as minimal disruption to your business as possible.

An Employer Lawyer Is Key to Resolving Employee Disputes

You don’t need to fear employee disputes or avoid having tough conversations with your workforce as an HR professional. With a skilled and seasoned employer lawyer by your side, you can confidently address internal conflicts and build a better, more cohesive team in the process.

Your attorney can also be a force multiplier, filling key roles and performing time-consuming tasks that would otherwise distract you from running your business operations.

Partner with a skilled employer lawyer from Pearlman, Brown & Wax, LLP to address conflicts and build a cohesive team. Don’t hesitate – bring our expertise into your employee disputes today and start benefiting from these invaluable advantages. Contact us today!