Case notes

The situation. The company had to reduce headcount by a third across nine states, eight weeks after a missed fundraise. It had never run a layoff and its people team was two people.

What we did. We built the selection file with finance, ran an adverse impact analysis on three drafts, mapped federal and state notice rules for each site, and drafted 212 agreements with the required age disclosures.

Outcome. 207 of 212 agreements signed in the review period. No charges or claims filed in the twelve months that followed.

The situation. A state labor department opened an audit into whether the marketplace's caregivers were employees. The initial back-wage estimate was $1.9 million.

What we did. We reviewed the working relationship under the state test, built a phased reclassification plan with payroll, and presented the plan to the agency before its findings were issued.

Outcome. 388 caregivers moved to W-2 in the first phase. The audit closed with $41,300 in back wages and no penalty.

The situation. Three employees raised complaints about the chief technology officer within a week. The chief executive was a close friend of the executive concerned.

What we did. The board engaged us directly. We interviewed 23 people in eleven working days, reviewed 4,800 messages, and reported to the independent directors only.

Outcome. Findings delivered on day 19. A negotiated departure followed within a month, with no litigation.

The situation. Opening showrooms took the company from three states to twelve in eighteen months. Its handbook had grown to 41 policies, several contradicting each other.

What we did. We rewrote the handbook around what store and warehouse staff do, added a short addendum per state, and set up a twice-yearly review of leave and pay-transparency rules.

Outcome. 41 policies became 23. Store managers now answer most leave questions without escalating to people operations.

The situation. The acquirer wanted non-competes from every employee of the target, including several in states that do not enforce them.

What we did. We replaced blanket non-competes with narrower non-solicitation terms and paid garden leave for nine key people, and agreed the terms with the target's counsel before signing.

Outcome. All 46 employees signed before closing. Two later departures were handled through garden leave with no dispute.

The situation. A former team lead filed a discrimination charge after a performance-based termination, and the company's documentation was thin.

What we did. We rebuilt the record from contemporaneous emails and scheduling data, then filed a position statement of nine pages with 31 exhibits.

Outcome. The agency dismissed the charge with a no-cause finding after seven months.