Practices

Employment, Labor & Benefits

We understand your business.

Read our blog - Employment MattersEmployee-related issues can steal time and drain energy from progress towards achieving your business goals. Mintz Levin’s Employment, Labor and Benefits attorneys focus on providing clients with a consolidated approach to their complex human resource and employment law issues. By working together, our team brings diverse capabilities to help you maximize one of your most important assets— your employees—while minimizing risks.

From recent legal developments to current trends in employment and compensation practices, we provide clients with informed advice that can help you resolve thorny issues and get you back on track. The counseling and advice we provide, and programs we help you implement, reflect the best practices in dealing with an ever-changing, and challenging, landscape of statutes, regulations and court decisions.

At the same time, we understand that one size does not fit all. We learn about each client’s business and culture so that we can help with strategies, practices, and policies that best fit your unique needs and style. Often the best results—based on this acquired knowledge—are invisible; for example, in many cases a dispute is averted because a successful strategy or best practice is devised and implemented early on. 

Mintz Levin’s clients represent a broad cross-section of the business community, encompassing a wide spectrum of industries including manufacturing, retail and consumer products, high tech, energy and clean technology, life sciences, healthcare, education, hospitality, financial services, construction, immigration, and professional services.

Cost-effective service to employers.

Because disputes can be expensive, we put a premium on helping clients resolve disputes quickly and cost effectively through practical and creative solutions. If a dispute reaches litigation, winning early and decisively can translate into saving thousands of dollars and dozens of hours in management time. Some matters on which we regularly assist clients include:

  • Assessing and mitigating risks, including those relating to wage/hour and discrimination laws.
  • Drafting HR policies and procedures such as those relating to discrimination and harassment, leaves of absence, drug and alcohol testing, medical examinations, workplace conduct, progressive discipline and dispute resolution, and other policies that protect your business prerogatives without creating unintended legal rights for employees.
  • Providing advice on all phases of the employment “life cycle,” including recruiting, hiring, promotion, discipline, termination, and benefit entitlements.
  • Preparing and maintaining qualified and other retirement, welfare and other benefit plans and programs
  • Implementing equity and other compensation arrangements.
  • Drafting critical employment documents such as employment agreements, offer letters, and confidentiality, non-compete, and separation agreements.
  • Representing employers in union matters, including union avoidance, collective-bargaining negotiations, disputes before the NLRB, and contract administration.
  • Enforcing non-compete restrictions and trade secret protections.
  • Employment, labor, and benefits-related due diligence for transactions.
  • Responding to Department of Labor, EEOC, OSHA and other government agency inquiries and investigations.
  • Defending discrimination, wage hour and other allegations by employees.

Available audits, training and other programs

  • Wage-Hour and other Employment Practices Audits, which identify, assess, and help minimize employment practices risks.
  • Dispute Resolution Policy design and implementation, which maximizes the use of conciliation, mediation, and arbitration, and minimizes the costs and risks associated with jury trials.
  • HR Basics training that focuses on the legal nuts and bolts of becoming an employer during your start-up phase.
  • Professionalism in the Workplace program, which trains all employees to avoid workplace conduct fraught with risks, including harassment and discrimination, and teaches management and supervisory personnel how to deal with complaints.
  • Breakfast briefings and other seminars on new developments and timely topics to keep you and your HR management current with the law.

Related Industries

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Events

A Smoother Road to Growth: How to Avoid the Top Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by Start-ups

Mintz Levin, Chrysler Center, 666 Third Avenue, NY
4/4/2012
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Yankee Dental Conference 2012

Boston, MA
1/26/2012
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Executive Compensation Package Seminar

New York, NY
1/18/2012 - 1/19/2012
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

What To Do When: A Practical Guide to Navigating Legally Complex Employee Issues

Sheraton Hotel, Framingham, MA
12/14/2011
7:30 am - 9:30 am

Successful ADR Strategies for Life Sciences Companies:What Young Lawyers Should Know

Boston, MA
10/19/2011
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Executive Session Series: Managing Generations

Waltham, MA
9/8/2011 -
7:30 am - 11:30 am

What to Do When: A Practical Guide to Navigating Legally Complex Employee Issues

Boston, MA
8/30/2011 -
7:30 am - 9:30 am

Center for Health Law & Policy Seminar: Understanding Health Insurance Exchanges

Mintz Levin, Washington, D.C.
8/4/2011 -
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Compliance on the Ground program

Burlington, MA
6/24/2011 -
9:30 am - 11:30 am

OWHE's 77th National Leadership Forum

Washington, D.C.
6/22/2011 -
4:15 pm - 5:30 pm

Association of Behavioral Healthcare Seminar: Workplace Violence

Framingham, MA
6/9/2011 -
9:30 am - 11:30 am

Mintz Levin Presenting Free Webinar on Employer Compliance with State & Federal Immigration/Employment Regulations


4/28/2011 -
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Managing Employee Leaves of Absence: Interplay Between the ADA and FMLA Acts

Boston, MA
2/17/2011 -
7:30 am - 9:30 am

NEHRA Legal and Legislative Workshop: Workplace Violence

Norwood, MA
1/13/2011
7:30 am - 9:30 am

NEHRA Legal and Legislative Workshop: Performance Management and Employee Relations

Marlborough, MA
11/18/2010
7:30 am - 9:00 am

9th Annual "Fundamentals of Employment Law"

Boston, Massachusetts
11/17/2010
8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Labor & Employment: Legislation Year in Review and What is to Come

Boston, MA
11/9/2010
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

ALI-ABA Continuing Professional Education Webinar: Navigating Health Care Reform

Webinar
6/21/2010 -
8:30 am - 11:30 am

Yozell Associates' Spring Seminar

Cambridge, MA
6/10/2010 -
8:30 am - 11:00 am

Managing Employee Leaves of Absence: Interplay Between the ADA & FMLA Acts

Boston, MA
5/27/2010 -
7:30 am - 9:30 am

Health Care Reform: An In-Depth Analysis for Employer-Sponsored Plans


5/27/2010 -
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

National Health Care Reform: Understanding the Employer’s Role


5/4/2010 -
8:30 am - 10:30 am

Mintz Levin Attorneys and ML Strategies Professionals To Present "Health Care Reform Seminar: An Update for Employers" in Boston


4/30/2010 -
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Health Care Reform: What Employers Need to Know Now!

TeleConference/Live Audio Webcast
4/29/2010 -
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm

New Federal Health Care Reform Law: Impact on Employers and Group Health Plans and How To Control Health Care Costs

West Boylston, MA
4/27/2010 -
9:30 am - 12:00 pm

ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting


4/22/2010 -
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Employment Law Practice

Newton, MA
4/20/2010 -
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm

Mintz Levin Attorneys and ML Strategies Professionals To Present "Health Care Reform: What’s Happened and What's Next for California Companies" in San Diego


4/20/2010 -
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An Overview Of Wage and Hour Law: How To Classify Your Employees and Avoid Common Pitfalls

Reading, MA
4/7/2010 -
7:30 am - 9:30 am

Getting Smart About Social Media

San Diego, CA
3/30/2010 -
6:00 pm - 7:25 pm

William Gallagher Associates Webcast: A Historic Time in Healthcare

Webcast
3/29/2010 -
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Partners Benefit Group Breakfast Seminar: National Health Care Reform


3/26/2010 -
9:00 am - 10:30 am

The Puck Stops Here: The Obama Administration’s Impact on the Workforce - One Year Later


3/25/2010 -
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

American Association of State Colleges & Universities' Academic Affairs Winter Meeting

St. Thomas
2/5/2010 -
10:00 am -

National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities 2010 Annual Meeting

Washington, D.C.
2/2/2010 -
8:00 am - 8:45 am

Breakfast Workshop: The Family Friendly Workplace

Quincy, MA
1/26/2010 -
7:30 am - 9:30 am

Mintz Levin To Present Breakfast Briefing, “Avoiding the Mouse Trap: Potential Pitfalls Employers Face in Social Networking Site Searches”


11/17/2009 -
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Alden J. Bianchi To Address Health Policy Committee of the ERISA Industry Committee


10/30/2009 -
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Mintz Levin and Iron Mountain To Co-Present “Alternative Dispute Resolution of Employment Complaints”


10/8/2009 -
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Lilly Ledbetter Aftermath: How the Law is Changing the Landscape for Employers & How to Be Prepared

Boston, MA
10/6/2009 -
8:00 am - 10:00 am

Alden J. Bianchi and Donald W. Schroeder to speak at the 2009 Contingent Workforce Strategies Co-Employment and Risk Forum


6/18/2009 - 6/19/2009
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Mintz Levin to present a webinar on "Shopping for Answers: Strategies for Retailers in a Distressed Environment"


6/4/2009 -
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Mintz Levin and the German-American Business Council of Boston, Inc. to present a program on "Business and Legal Challenges in a Down Market"


4/16/2009 -
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Mintz Levin to present a live webinar, "Don't Make Yourself a Target"


4/2/2009 -
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Mintz Levin to present a program on "The New FMLA - An Employer's Top 10 List for the New FMLA and Its Regulations"


3/25/2009 -
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Brandon T. Willenberg to speak at the CommNexus Special Interest Groups (SIGs) event, "Best Downsizing Strategies for 2009"


2/11/2009 -
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Mitch Danzig to speak at a Mintz Levin-hosted lecture on "The Business of Science"


2/9/2009 -
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Richard H. Block and David R. Lagasse to speak at the 2009 International Financial Services Association (IFSA) Risk & Regulatory Symposium


2/5/2009 -
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Bret A. Cohen to speak at the Boston Bar Association program, "Damages in Employment Discrimination and Retaliation Cases"


1/12/2009 -
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Bret A. Cohen will speak at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Conference on Employment Law


12/5/2008 -
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H. Andrew Matzkin will chair the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education program, "When OSHA Applies to Biotech and Healthcare Clients"


11/13/2008 -
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Alden J. Bianchi will present at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education program, "Business Lawyers' Guide to Corporate Tax"


11/7/2008 -
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Alden J. Bianchi will speak at the New England Employee Benefits Council program, "Massachusetts HealthCare Reform"


11/5/2008 -
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Katrina I. Kropa and H. Andrew Matzkin will serve as co-presenters at the Council on Education in Management seminar, "Recent Developments in Employment Law 2008"


6/25/2008 -
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Caregivers in the Workplace


10/26/2007 -
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Breakfast Workshop: Addressing The SEC's New Executive Compensation Disclosure Rules For Public Companies


1/18/2007 -
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Breakfast Workshop: Exploring The SEC's New Executive Compensation Disclosure Rules For Public Companies


11/16/2006 -
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SEIU 1199: Organizing Impact on the Healthcare Community


3/21/2006 -
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A Primer on the Treatment of Deferred Compensation Under Internal Revenue Code §409A


3/8/2006 -
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Breakfast Briefing: SEIU 1199: Organizing Impact on New England's Healthcare Community


1/10/2006 -
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Breakfast Briefing: Creative Solutions for the Closely-Held Business


11/9/2005 -
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Responding to the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004: Learning the Rules of Engagement for Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plans

Boston, MA
3/22/2005 -
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Employee Whistleblowing Under Sarbanes-Oxley, a Mintz Levin Breakfast Briefing

Boston, MA
3/9/2005 -
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Mintz Levin Sponsors Northeast Human Resources Association's 2004 Convention

Boston, MA
10/20/2004 -
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Responding to the New Challenges of State and Federal Wage and Hour Laws: A Seminar Presented by Mintz Levin

Boston, MA; New York, NY
10/12/2004 -
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Safeguarding Your Confidential Information and Goodwill: Employment Law Round Table Series

Boston, MA
5/25/2004 -
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Safeguarding Your Confidential Information and Goodwill: An Employment Law Breakfast Briefing

Stamford, CT
4/20/2004 -
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The Mutual Fund Industry Turmoil and 401 (k) Plans: Selecting and monitoring 401(k) plan investment options

Boston, MA
4/14/2004 -
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Occupational Medicine Issues Discussed by Steven D. Weatherhead, Mintz Levin Attorney, at 10th Annual Conference

Boston, MA
3/18/2004 -
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Mintz Levin Presents Employment Seminars: Reining In and Ushering Out Problem Employees

Boston, MA; New York, NY; Stamford, CT
10/23/2003 -
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Mintz Levin hosts Electronic Monitoring Breakfast Briefings

Boston, MA; New York, NY; Stamford, CT
2/28/2003 -
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Resources

Current DevelopMintz

Center for Health Law & Policy
Bringing industry leaders, policy makers, and the best legal minds together to improve the health care system. >> Read more

Health Care Reform:
Analysis & Perspectives

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