ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Drafting Employment Policies

SPSK drafts written policies and manuals to meet each employer’s specific needs. Written employee policies and management procedures are a critical component of an effective personnel management program. They also form the foundation of an employer's legal defense by documenting policies and procedures for addressing employment problems. SPSK creates policies tailored to each employer's specific culture, which support the overall satisfaction and effectiveness of the workforce as well as provide essential guidelines for the resolution of employee problems, while simultaneously reflecting the current state of the law. Professionally written policies can minimize an organization's liability, while poorly crafted materials may be interpreted as contractual agreements or a suggestion of discriminatory practices and are a potential source of liability for the employer.

Compensation Plan Development, Job Descriptions and Survey Analysis

SPSK offers the following:

• Benefits analysis, design, and administration. An evaluation of current benefits and practices is conducted and recommendations for areas of change and/or enhancement are made.
• Job evaluations, job grade design/development, and job descriptions including Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other regulatory bodies’ requirements to ensure compliance and certification, as needed, as well as assistance with internal equity balance. SPSK also audits job title congruence with actual job content, and uniformity and logic in the organization’s titling system.
• Salary and benefit survey design and analysis. This can be done in a variety ways from a formal company-wide or multiple company level with published results, to an ad-hoc telephone survey.
• Performance management systems, pay-for-performance and alternative reward systems. With the labor market changing and tightening daily, and the newest generation of employees coming into the workforce with a completely different set of motivators and incentives, we can help companies to design systems to select, recruit and retain in such a competitive marketplace and still watch the bottom line.

Executive Compensation Plans and Agreements

SPSK offers executives a wide range of services in the design, implementation, administration and termination of ERISA plans and executive compensation plans and programs. In conjunction with our Tax attorneys, SPSK can design a compensation plan tailored to meet any need, including stock option and equity-based plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, employee benefit plans, severance, bonus and other fringe benefit plans. SPSK also assists employers and executives in drafting and negotiating executive contracts.

Restrictive Covenants and Confidentiality Agreements

Restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements have become a source of litigation as a result of recent court decisions. SPSK can assist companies in drafting, enforcing and defending restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements. SPSK has significant experience litigating these types of cases to a successful conclusion.

Serving the Public Sector

SPSK represents numerous public sector clients throughout New Jersey, including municipalities, counties, boards of education and utilities authorities. SPSK has a broad range of expertise in public sector labor and employment law including areas such as:

• Collective Negotiations
• Grievance and Interest Arbitration
• Contract Administration
• Scope of Negotiations Proceedings
• Unfair Labor Practice Proceedings
• Representation before the Public Employment Relations Commission
• Representation before the Department of Personnel, Merit Systems Board
• Representation before the Division on Civil Rights
• Representation before the Division of Pensions and Benefits
• Representation before the Department of Education
• Discipline and Discharge Issues
• Wage and Hour Issues

Overview