Knueve Included in Columbus Business First’s “20 People to Know in Retail” List

Mark Knueve, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the labor and employment group, was included on Columbus Business First’s “20 People to Know in Retail” List.  According to the paper, individuals on the list “are front and center in their industries.” Knueve was selected for the work he does on behalf of retailers. 

An interview with Knueve was published in the paper and included the following questions:

What’s the industry’s greatest challenge?
“Compliance with employment law has never been harder. The changes in labor and employment law over the past several years, and the amount of regulation facing retail employers, is truly staggering. We have seen changes in wage and hour law, changes in how employers are permitted to schedule their employees, changes in paid sick leave requirements – the list goes on. Add to all of this the massive increase in “bet-the-company” type class action claims based on employment law, and the risks associated with a mistake are significant.”

Wage and hour lawsuits against retailers are on the rise, what should employers be doing to make sure they are in compliance?
“Given the number and complexity of wage and hour laws combined with the rise in wage and hour class actions, it is critical that retail employers develop a partnership with trusted legal counsel. Pay practices and handbooks should be audited, and counsel should be asked to proactively advise employers of the “new risks” on the horizon. Employers that try to “go it alone,” “assume the risk,” or believe that a class action “can’t happen to them” often come to regret those decisions.”

To read the entire profile, visit the Columbus Business First website. (Subscription may be required).