There's no question about it: New Jersey provides some of the most expansive employee protections in the country, greater even than California, and that is saying a lot. We even have the broadest whistleblower law in the country.

But for all of that, employers are remarkably ill-prepared for addressing those protections. Employment handbooks are not drafted properly - or there are no policies at all. It's surprising how many employers have neither the time nor the inclination to deal with these issues - before the problems begin occurring. They would save immeasurably from a little preparation.

And what's more remarkable, the habits and behavior in many workplaces aren't changing. The harassment stories we hear are just as horrendous as those of 15 or 20 years ago, when the laws were first being applied. And cases of discrimination, harassment and retaliation aren't limited to just "certain kinds" of employers - it's everywhere, blue-collar, white-collar, everywhere. Wherever they work employees have a right to be treated fairly and in a nondiscriminatory way.

Some companies are certainly responding. We have worked with many who comply with their obligation to respond quickly to internal employee complaints by asking us to investigate these allegations, especially where the "boss" is the offender. Companies ask us to make hard calls as to what is going on. I think out-of-court solutions generally are a healthy development in employment law.

We have a great group. Our practice is slightly different in that our firm, Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, allows us the resources to pursue some very complex and difficult cases. For instance, we have handled class-action suits for groups of employees on wage and hour claims; it would be very difficult for an employment lawyer at a smaller firm to take on such a case. So we're fortunate.

There are great rewards in employment law. It's a dynamic and important discipline, and our firm has been part of the law's powerful evolution in the state. I feel fortunate to be a part of it.