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Employee Charge Trends For 2015


Recently, Hiscox put out a publication that has a fascinating look at the employee charge trends in the U.S.  This Guide to Employee Lawsuits has an in depth look at several areas of employment litigation that I think readers should note.  In particular:

  • Across the U.S., companies had an 11.7% chance of having an employment charge being filed.  New Mexico has the highest percentage chance of an employment charge being filed (+66% above the national average), with the District of Columbia (+65%), Nevada (+47%), Alabama (+41%), and California (+40%) following close behind.
  • 275 days was the average duration of an employment law matter.
  • For employment law matters that did end up in court, the median judgment was approximately $200,000.00.
  • 25% of cases that ended up in court resulted in a judgment of $500,000.00 or more.

The article also includes a couple suggestions on what employers can do to prevent employment charges.  Some of these suggestions are common sense (making sure the hiring process conforms with federal and state requirements), while other suggestions might not have crossed employers' minds (such as maintaining employee handbooks that are customized to each state in which the employer operates).   



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