Baltimore Employment Lawyer
Julie C. Janofsky has over 30 years of experience representing both employers and employees in complex employment matters, both in and out of court. She also has more than ten years of experience as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, and is regularly appointed to arbitrate both employment and commercial disputes in Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as throughout the Mid-Atlantic States. Ms. Janofsky carries the highest rating of “AV” (Preeminent) in the Martindale-Hubbell Directory of Lawyers.
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Employment Contracts
An employment contract may be useful to clarify the employee’s compensation arrangement, including any severance pay, commissions and bonuses. An employment contract may also limit or define the employer’s right to terminate the employee for cause, as well as any obligation by the employee not to compete against the company following termination. A well written employment contract may avoid later disputes.
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Non-Compete Agreements
A non-compete agreement may require an employee not to solicit or sell to customers, not to engage in a competitive business, and/or not to solicit or hire other employees of the employer for a designated period of time following termination. A non-compete agreement also may restrict an employee from exploiting confidential information or trade secrets of the employer.
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Employment Policies and Procedures
We assist employers in drafting and enforcing employment policies and procedures, including equal employment opportunity policies, discipline and workplace conduct rules, internet and computer use policies, drug and alcohol testing procedures, guidelines for payroll and leave time, arbitration programs. We assist employees in navigating their way through employer policies, including compliance with drug and alcohol testing procedures, discipline, grievance and arbitration procedures, and equal opportunity rules.
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Sexual Harassment Litigation
Sexual harassment is a form of workplace sex discrimination that violates both Maryland and federal law. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature can be sexual harassment when the conduct affects a worker’s employment, when it unreasonably interferes with a worker’s work performance, or when it creates an intimidating, sexually hostile, or offensive work environment.
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Wage and Hour Disputes
A wage is any payment or compensation for work performed. Wages may include a bonus promised for work completed, a commission promised as compensation for making a sale, a fringe benefit such as paid leave or health insurance, overtime pay, or any other form of compensation for work performed.
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Misclassified Interns and Exempt Employees
Employers need to evaluate carefully how they classify their workers to ensure compliance with state and federal wage laws. Employees who are misclassified as exempt or as interns may have unpaid wage claims for up to triple damages plus interest, attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation.
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Severance Negotiation
Offering a departing employee severance pay and/or other severance benefits in exchange for a release is a way employers can avoid or minimize their exposure to departing employee disputes.
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Wrongful Termination
Most Maryland employees are employed “at will,” meaning that either the employer or the employee is free, for any reason and at any time, to terminate the employment relationship without cause or notice. However, there are many important exceptions to the general “at will” employment rule.
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Departing Employee Disputes
Employees sometimes resort to litigation if they believe that their treatment was unfair, or in violation of the law. Employers can avoid or minimize their exposure to departing employee disputes in a number of ways.