LEGAL SERVICES FOR EMPLOYERS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
Mr. Russell has represented both public and private sector employers (with a particular focus on not-for-profit organizations that have employees) in most facets of labor and employment law. This has included “traditional” labor areas such as collective bargaining negotiations, unionization campaigns, and labor relations litigation. Our practice places particular emphasis on the hiring/termination process and the ongoing management of employment related issues. We can design an employee handbook and human resources policies suited for your business, including specific problem areas such as harassment and discrimination prevention programs and drug/alcohol testing policies. We can help guide you in the ongoing administration of your employees, helping you devlelop both systems and forms for employment applications, job descriptions, employee evaluations, employee discipline, and termination. We can help protect your business from employees who might leave your employ and take valuable information, customers, or employees with them by drafting and enforcing confidentiality, non-competition and other restrictive covenant agreements. We can also help you with any kind of an employer/employee agreement that will meet your business’s requirements. We can assist you in dealing with unemployment claims, wage/hour/payroll issues, workers’ compensation claims, and discrimination charges filed under Federal Law (under the jurisdiction of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) or under State Law (before agencies such as the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Indiana Civil Right Commission, or Michigan Department of Civil Rights). We also will help you deal with your empoyment compliance issues, both as problems come up, and in a procative way (through education and training) in areas such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Workers’ Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and all other state, federal and local employment and labor laws
Mr. Russell has specific experience representing employers in the following areas: health care; IT/computer industry, municipalities, park districts, banking/financial institutions, retail establishments, public school districts, private schools, not for profit service organizations, churches, day care centers, landscapers, construction contractors., and many other small to medium size businesses.