It may seem odd to include a statement in an employment application or offer that limits the time that an employee has to file legal claims that may arise later in the employment relationship. Recent case law, however, suggests that it is something that all employers should consider and decide if it is appropriate for their business and their employees.
In the last three years, a line of case law has developed in Ohio and the Sixth Circuit that allows employers to limit the time period by which employees must bring claims arising from their employment. The cases all involved employers that included in their employment applications a provision stating that, by signing the application and subsequently accepting employment, the employee agreed to bring all claims arising out of the employment relationship within a certain period of time—a time period that is shorter than statutory limits. Some of the applications stated that any claims had to be filed within a period of time as short as six months. Continue Reading Can an Employer Contractually Limit an Employee’s Time to File Claims?