Labor Expert Highlights the Complexities of Hiring and Firing Employees at the University Club Workshop

As a shareholder in the labor & employment and litigation groups at Clark &Trevithick, Deborah Petito is a respected expert when it comes to handling complex labor and employment matters. Given the Byzantine nature of both the California and the federal employment laws and regulations, attorney Petito spends a lot of time helping client companies in and out of court. At the July Business Growth Workshop at the University Club of Pasadena, Deborah Petito highlighted the complexities of hiring, disciplining, and firing employees for a packed house of Southern California business owners.

Introduced by James Harwood of Total HR Management, Deborah Petito’s experience was described in detail. As an attorney, she represents public and private sector employment clients in all types of labor and employment matters, including representation in federal and state courts, before state and federal agencies regulating wages and hours of employment, and in arbitration proceedings. Deborah Petito also provides general advice and counsel to employers on employee discipline and termination, wage and hour issues, as well as other employment topics.

As Deborah Petito explained in her PowerPoint presentation, such representation and consultation is essential in today’s world because the legal framework has become a labyrinth. If a business owner does not have a gold thread to follow to find the exit, getting lost in the labyrinth of labor laws is just the first of their problems. Like Theseus in the Greek legend, they can suddenly find themselves face to face with the monstrous Minotaur of a financial judgment that can end up severely damaging or even bankrupting their company.

When a business owner asked whether it’s okay to simply trust your common sense in these matters, Deborah Petito shook her head and replied, “In California, when it comes to hiring and firing employees, unfortunately you cannot rely on common sense. Without knowing the intricate specifics of the laws and regulations, your company can suddenly find itself in precarious position with no safety net.”

In her successful practice Deborah Petito has been able to provide that safety net for California companies facing spurious claims from disgruntled employees trying to steal a quick judgment. In 2014 alone, she successfully represented a technology company, a manufacturing company and a service business in disability discrimination and family medical leave claims. Although the State Bar of California discourages ambulance chasing, business claim chasing in the state seems to be more popular than ever.

At just over the halfway point of 2015, the University Club’s Business Growth Workshops continue to be a real asset to the Pasadena community. By providing a monthly venue where Pasadena professionals can learn the intricacies of today’s business challenges, the University Club has demonstrated itself to be a valued staple of the city’s offerings. With the latest presentation on hiring and firing by Deborah Petito, the local business owners learned a lot while also having to sweat the difficulties they now face on a regular basis.

About the Author

Growing up in New York City as a stutterer, John Lavitt embraced writing as a way to express himself when the words would not come. After graduating from Brown University, he lived on the Greek island of Patmos, studying with his mentor the late American poet Robert Lax. As a writer, John Lavitt’s published work includes several articles in Chicken Soup For The Soul volumes and poems in multiple poetry journals and compilations. Today, John Lavitt works at Open Interactive as the Director of Content Development. As a journalist, he is a Regular Contributor to The Fix where he writes investigative reports about the latest issues in the world of addiction and recovery.