Labor & Employment

Hennessy & Roach, P.C. represents employers in a wide range of labor-management matters, employment discrimination claims, employee relations, and employee benefits. Our services encompass consultation, “preventive maintenance,” and litigation. Although a good lawyer strives to help keep clients out of litigation in the first place, employment law litigation has become a fact of life in today’s workplace. When such disputes arise, we provide tenacious, creative representation for the employers. We defend our clients in suits before state and federal trial and appellate courts. We also represent clients before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB); the U.S. Department of Labor; and state and local civil rights agencies, including the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. We are available to advise employers who must deal with issues such as:

• Complying with federal and state civil rights laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
• Avoiding pitfalls in federal and state wage and hour laws, including overtime pay issues
• Developing employee manuals, work rules, and appraisal systems to minimize exposure to contract, civil rights or wrongful termination claims
• Protecting Management’s interests during union organizing and decertification campaigns
• Responding effectively to strikes and picketing
• Collective bargaining negotiations and grievance arbitration
• Implementing plant shutdowns or relocations
• Complying with safety and health (OSHA) requirements
• Fulfilling Equal Employment and Affirmative Action requirements for government contractors