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Welcome

Employment,
Empowered. 

A compass for business owners and other professionals seeking guidance through complex regulatory terrain.  Let us be your overall resource for advocacy, compliance, and innovative solutions—all designed to empower you to navigate employment law with confidence and clarity.

About

My name is Jessica James

With a decade of global law firm experience in employment counseling and litigation, I launched this practice to offer the same white-glove representation to California businesses and professionals, but on a different and more approachable scale. 

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How can employment counsel help?  

Dispute Resolution

Our goal is to resolve conflict efficiently and definitively.  If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, we are prepared to litigate aggressively to protect our clients' interests.  We offer broad experience in a variety of disputes, including claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, failure to accommodate, and other wage and hour claims.

Experienced Counsel 

Even without conflict, it can be daunting to ensure compliance with a myriad of federal, state, and local laws regulations.  We are here to guide your business through the intricacies of these laws, minimizing legal risk and providing the needed expertise for making informed decisions. ​

  • Contracts: Reviewing employment contracts, confidentiality agreements, and severance and settlement packages to protect key interests and ensure enforceability.
     

  • Handbooks and Policies: Developing employee handbooks and other policies to align with legal requirements and best practices.
     

  • Trainings: Ensure your workplace has an accurate understanding of employee rights and is equipped to fulfill  legal obligations (see more details on trainings below). 
     

  • Investigations: Counsel in conducting internal investigations under privilege. 
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  • Background Checks: Navigating state and federal requirements for compliant criminal and civil background checks.
     

  • M&As and Restructuring: Guidance on employment-related issues during mergers, acquisitions, reductions-in-force or other restructurings.

Pay Equity

Pay equity is more than just a number.  We  partner with responsible employers and other professionals to help with the implementation of appropriate compensation practices, ensure compliance with evolving pay transparency disclosures, and develop regular, robust and privileged pay equity analyses to withstand scrutiny under federal and California equal pay laws.  ​

Trainings

Employers are obligated to ensure their workforce is equipped with the necessary tools to thrive in a safe and inclusive environment.  We are here to develop and deliver interactive, engaging trainings on a spectrum of mandated and other critical topics:
 

  • Sexual Harassment Prevention: Maintaining a harassment-free workplace is non-negotiable most California employers must provide a mandatory training every two years (or within six months of a new hire). Comprehensive and interactive trainings educate employees and managers alike on recognizing, preventing, and addressing harassment and retaliation.
     

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Trainings explore topics like unconscious bias, cultural competency, hiring and retaining top talent, and promoting inclusivity across all levels of the organization while staying withing the law.
     

  • Manager and HR-Specific Courses: From wage and hour laws to family and medical leave, employees have rights. Trainings ensure employers understand these rights and fulfill their obligations under California law. Trainings delve into protected categories, leave laws, pay equity, reasonable accommodations, and creating fair hiring, promotion, and compensation practices.
     

  • Workplace Violence Prevention: Mandatory annual training sessions to cover OSHA regulations, emergency protocols, and practices specific to your workforce for identifying, reporting and responding to workplace hazards. 
     

Reach out to become one of the California employers who rely on us to stay informed, compliant, and proactive in fostering thriving workplaces.

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Becker Nelson Center & James

530-295-6400

info@bncj-law.com

263 Main Street, Placerville, CA 95667

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