In this illuminating and comprehensive book, nationally recognized employment lawyer Kimberlie K. Ryan shares her vast knowledge of employment law with Colorado business owners and human resource professionals. To help you make the most of your legal protections and avoid common legal mistakes, Ms. Ryan offers practical guidance for everyday workplace issues, along with checklists and sample forms. She provides answers to tough legal questions often faced by Colorado employers, including:
When interviewing a job applicant, what can I ask and what can’t I ask?
Does our Employee Handbook create an unintended employment contract?
Will the IRS think our independent contractors are really employees?
What is illegal harassment, how do I prevent it, and how do I deal with complaints?
How do I fire an employee without getting sued?
What notices do I need to post on the job site?
How long do I need to keep records regarding employees and job applicants?
When do we need a lawyer?
Employment Law Guidebook provides clear explanations of the many different federal and state laws and regulations governing the employer-employee relationship, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), the Colorado wage laws, the Colorado Labor Peace Act, Equal Employment Opportunity laws, immigration laws, and many more.
Chapter 1: The People Who Work For Employers Chapter 2: Contracts, “Unintended Contracts,” and Employee Handbooks Chapter 3: The Pre-Hire Process Chapter 4: The Hiring Process Chapter 5: Equal Employment Opportunity Issues Chapter 6: The Lowdown on Harassment: Can’t We Even Joke Anymore? Chapter 7: Retaliation Chapter 8: Prevent, Investigate, Correct: The Top Three Words in Developing an Anti-Discrimination and Harassment-Free Workplace Chapter 9: When is the Company Liable for Harassment? Chapter 10: Everything You Wanted to Know About the EEOC But Were Afraid to Ask Chapter 11: Employment-Related Immigration Information Chapter 12: Leave Issues Chapter 13: A Wage and Hour Primer Chapter 14: Employee Privacy: Legally Healthy Boundaries in the Information Age Chapter 15: How and Why to Give Employees Feedback Chapter 16: Workplace Violence: Work Zone or War Zone? Chapter 17: Basic Introduction to Labor and Union Issues Chapter 18: Employee Separations Chapter 19: When Do Employers Need an Employment Lawyer?
Appendix 1: Summary of Laws Private Colorado Employers Should Know Appendix 2: Record Keeping Requirements: Guidelines and Selected Statutes Appendix 3: Employer Posting Requirements and Internet Resources Appendix 4: Forms Index
Kimberlie K. Ryan is a nationally recognized employment lawyer, speaker, and writer. Kimberlie works to help individuals and companies resolve employment disputes, and part of her mission is to help create legally healthy workplaces by educating employers and workers about their rights and responsibilities under the law. A certified mediator, negotiator, and litigator, Kimberlie has mediated and litigated hundreds of employment law cases, practicing exclusively employment law for more than 10 years. Kimberlie also has the unique qualifications of having practiced law on “both sides of the (employment law) fence.”
In 1998, Kimberlie founded The Ryan Law Firm, LLC, her own successful law practice, where she has represented workers in individual and multi-plaintiff cases in all facets of employment law. Before founding her practice, Kimberlie began her career as an attorney at one of the largest law firms in Dallas, representing management in legal disputes. Returning to her home state of Colorado, Kimberlie joined another defense firm, where she practiced employment law on behalf of large business interests, before opening her own firm.
In addition to practicing law with The Ryan Law Firm, Kimberlie founded Ryan Employment Mediations, where she mediates employment-related disputes. She obtained her mediation certification from Pepperdine School of Law, Strauss Institute for Mediation Studies.
Kimberlie also appears monthly on NBC’s Mornings@9News business segments as an Employment Law Analyst and frequently is quoted by media sources on cutting-edge legal issues. Having taught Employment Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law as an adjunct professor, Kimberlie also mentors law students and new lawyers.
As a result of her diverse practice, Kimberlie has a broad perspective of both sides of the employer-employee relationship. As an attorney, speaker, and trainer for companies, Kimberlie knows the day-to-day issues facing employers in the ever-changing area of employment law. Because of this, she is in a unique position to help employers anticipate problems before they arise and to take action to help prevent them.
Kimberlie is a member and active participant in many professional and community organizations and is the proud mother of Kyle, her teenaged son, a prolific and talented writer in his own right.
