What we do · 04
Employer advice
For the hard decisions, before they become disputes.
You want to do this right, and you're not sure what right is.
You need to let someone go and the file is thin. A manager said something they shouldn't have. You're hiring your fifteenth person and the handbook was written for five. You have people working on both sides of the state line and two sets of rules. Most employers who call us aren't in trouble. They just don't want to be.
What we help with.
- Terminations and layoffs. Planning the decision, the paperwork, and the conversation, and drafting fair separation agreements.
- Investigations. When there's a complaint of harassment, discrimination, or misconduct, we help you look into it properly, or conduct the investigation ourselves.
- Classification and pay. Whether a role is exempt from overtime, and whether a contractor should be an employee.
- Handbooks and policies. Written for how your business actually runs, in Missouri, Kansas, or both.
- Agreements. Offer letters, non-competes, confidentiality terms, and contractor agreements.
- When a claim arrives. A demand letter, an agency charge, or a lawsuit. We respond, and we represent you.
How we work with you.
We work best as the lawyer you call before the meeting, not after. Many of our employer clients are small and mid-sized Kansas City businesses without in-house counsel. We give a straight answer, in writing when it matters, and tell you what it costs before we start.
Because we also represent employees, we run a conflict check before every new matter. We never take a case against a current client.
When to call us.
- Before you end someone's employment, especially after they've raised a complaint or taken leave.
- When you receive a complaint you're not sure how to handle.
- When a demand letter, agency charge, or lawsuit arrives. These come with response deadlines.
- When you're growing into a new state, a new headcount, or a new kind of role.