Palm Beach Gardens Employment Contracts Attorney
Most employees are considered “at will” under Florida law. This means that an employee is free to leave, or the employer is free to fire the employee, and neither party has to give a reason. There are, of course, certain exceptions to this rule, such as an employer cannot fire an employee based on a legally protected trait such as a race or sex.
Another exception is for employees under an employment contract. When an employer and employee enter into an agreement governing the terms of their relationship, that can override the normal presumption of at-will employment. If you are a party to such an agreement and you believe that your employer has not lived up to its end of the bargain, an experienced Palm Beach Gardens employment contracts attorney can help. At the Sconzo Law Office, we represent employees seeking to enforce and assert their rights under such agreements.
What Does an Employment Contract Cover?
An employment contract should be in writing and signed by both the employer and the employee. Oral employment contracts can be enforced in certain cases but they are often more difficult to prove in court. Again, it is important to remember that employment contracts are an exception to the rule of at-will employment.
An employment contract may cover a number of subjects, including but not limited to:
- the scope of the employee’s job duties and responsibilities;
- how much the employee will earn in wages, salary, and benefits;
- the conditions under which an employee can be terminated for cause;
- a confidentiality or non-disclosure clause that restricts the employee from using the employer’s trade secrets or other proprietary information outside the scope of their employment;
- a non-compete clause that restricts the employee’s ability to work for another employer in the same field and/or geographic area for a specified time period after leaving the employer; and
- an arbitration clause waiving the employee’s right to sue the employer for any violations of the law or the employment contract.
Either the employer or the employee may take legal action if they believe the other party has breached the terms of the contract. For example, a former employee may sue claiming the employer fired them without cause as detailed in the agreement. Conversely, an employer may sue a former employee for violating the non-disclosure or non-compete provisions of a contract.
Contact the Sconzo Law Office Today
Employment contracts are frequently used to secure the services of key employees. Such employees often have substantial value and therefore warrant deviation from the normal at-will rule. At the same time, employment contracts may be unfairly or improperly used against an employee who may not fully appreciate all of its terms.
This is where working with an experienced Palm Beach Gardens employment contracts attorney can help. The team at the Sconzo Law Group, P.A., can advise you about your rights and obligations under these agreements. And if necessary, we can pursue legal action on your behalf to ensure a current or former employer’s compliance. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation.
