Scott Hetrick joined Adams and Reese in 2000 and is a management rights advocate who focuses on federal and state labor and employment law compliance and disputes arising from claims in this arena. He counsels employers in all aspects of labor and employment law to help avoid claims arising from day-to-day employment decisions, particularly terminations of employees and large-scale layoffs.
Scott also assists in the drafting and revising of employment policies and procedures, employment applications, background check disclosure and consent agreements, employee handbooks and employment contracts, including non-compete agreements, trade secret agreements and arbitration agreements.
Since 1994, Scott has defended hundreds of “charges of discrimination” filed against employers with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He has litigated numerous discrimination and retaliation lawsuits in federal and state courts, of which most were resolved by summary judgment and dismissal of all claims against the employer.
Scott has developed a practice focus in preparing affirmative action plans for U.S. government contractors and subcontractors and responding to compliance audits of those plans by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). To date, he has prepared more than 200 affirmative action plans and defended against more than 15 OFCCP compliance audits.
His other significant contributions include:
Defending unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board, assisting employers with overtime, child labor and minimum wage legal compliance audits by the Department of Labor Wage-Hour Administrator and responding to workplace safety investigations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Drafting comprehensive leave of absence policies that coordinate a client’s obligations under federal disability/medical leave laws and state workers’ compensation laws while advising clients how to negotiate conflicting obligations under those laws to avoid litigation.
Training managers, supervisors and employees on discrimination and harassment prevention, investigations, documentation of discipline and discharge, payroll compliance and other procedures and practices associated with employment decisions.
Advising and counseling employers faced with union organization efforts, and helping unionized employers with all aspects of management-union relations, including preparation of strike contingency plans and arbitration of grievances under collective bargaining contracts.
Scott is a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program, Inc. (VLP). In January 2012, he was appointed Treasurer and became chair of the VLP's Finance Committee. During 2011, he served as the chair of the VLP's Recruitment Committee. Scott also serves as one of 16 District Deputies for the Knights of Columbus in Alabama, and was appointed by the Supreme Knight as Financial Secretary for Council 13163 at St. Mary Parish. He is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), its Mobile and Baldwin County chapters, and is past President of the Baldwin County SHRM chapter.
Scott speaks frequently on employment law and human resource management issues at seminars for personnel managers and business owners and has published several articles on employment law topics.
Articles and Publications
- Employee Head Knowledge and The Alabama Trade Secrets Act, 47 Ala. L. Rev. 513 (1996)
- The Employer's Duties Regarding Communicable Disease in the Workplace, 24:1 American Journal of Trial Advocacy, 35 (Summer 2000)
- Cyber-Girls and 'Net Surfer Dudes: The Peril and the Promise of the Electronic Workplace, (April 2003)
- Alabama Municipal Employees' Rights to Paid Military Leave, The Alabama Lawyer, vol. 64, p. 65 (Nov. 2003)
- The Fair Labor Standards Act, 2008 Cumulative Supplement, Contributing Editor
- The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Play Act of 2009 and Your Business, Mobile Bay Business Journal, March 2009
- Inside the Minds: Government Contracts Compliance -- Leading Lawyers on Navigating Evolving Requirements, Developing Compliance Programs, and Collaborating with Government Agencies, Aspatore Books© 2010
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