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Provided by Michael Shadiack
Labor and Employment
Michael Shadiack is the Chair of Connell Foley LLP’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Representing a broad spectrum of employers and management personnel in the private and public sectors, he provides litigation defense and dispute resolution, as well as preventive compliance counseling and training.
“The ART of advocacy,” Michael’s motto, is a nod to his approachability, responsiveness and trustworthiness in the full range of employment services he provides. His diverse client base includes: privately owned and operated businesses; international, national and regional corporations; nonprofit organizations; higher education institutions; municipalities; public agencies; multi-employer trade associations; and commercial employment practice liability insurance firms.
Michael partners with management personnel to provide guidance and solutions on the many issues and challenges facing employers, including: employee hiring, disciplining, and discharging; wage and hour compliance; management of employee medical leaves of absence and workplace accommodations; implementation of strategies to avoid and respond to workplace harassment and discrimination; whistleblower retaliation; drug and alcohol testing; personnel file management and recordkeeping; reductions in force; performance evaluations; and preparation of separation and release agreements, and noncompetition agreements.
Michael has an outstanding track record of successful outcomes as lead counsel on behalf of employers in all aspects of litigation in state and federal courts, before state and federal administrative agencies and in arbitration and mediation proceedings.
Michael also provides employers with practical, comprehensive and preventive recommendations on substantive personnel and benefit issues to ensure compliance with current statutory and common law requirements. His services are customized to the client’s industry, locale, workforce and business practices. His cost-effective, on-site training programs on all aspects of employment law encompass workplace harassment prevention, managing employee leaves of absence, hiring and firing best practices and procedures, avoiding retaliation and discrimination in the workplace, employee discipline, performance evaluation best practices and social media in the workplace. He is a highly sought-after and featured presenter to human resources and management representatives, as well as in-house counsel, regarding these important human resources topics, and the steps employers can take to avoid or reduce the risks of litigation.
As a significant component of Michael’s preventative counseling, he drafts and updates employee handbooks to accomplish four primary objectives: (1) clear communication with employees; (2) administrative efficiency; (3) best employment practices to avoid or minimize workplace disputes; and (4) proactive measures addressing changes in laws, liability trends and business climate.
Michael also represents employers during contract and grievance arbitrations and collective bargaining negotiations, defends against unfair labor practice charges, prosecutes employee disciplinary appeal hearings, and assists employers with NLRA and New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission compliance to avoid administrative charges.
American Bar Association
New Jersey State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
Morris County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
USLAW Network, Employment practice group
Extended Member Advisor, USLAW Network Labor and Employment Practice Group
Changes in New Jersey Employment Law in 2025: What Employers Across the Country Need to Know
USLAW, 03.2025
Quoted, "Harassment and Discrmination in the Workplace"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 12.05.2024
NJ Business Magazine Quotes Shadiack on Legalities of Remote Work
New Jersey Business Magazine, February 2024
Michael Shadiack and Caitlin Dettmer's Labor and Employment Blog Featured in NJBIA Article
New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA), 03.02.2023
Featured, "Mandate mystery: Lawyers say companies thinking about COVID vaccination policies have a lot of factors to consider"
ROI-NJ, 01.26.2022
Quoted, "The Workplace Vaccination Equation"
New Jersey Business Magazine, August 2021
Featured, "Answers on Mandating Vaccines and Other Tricky COVID-19 Workplace Matters"
New Jersey Business Today, 03.23.2021
Quoted, "Employers Ponder Vaccine Challenges"
WorkersCompensation.com, 02.10.2021
Author, "Employment Law Implications of COVID-19 Vaccines"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 02.2021
Featured, "How Coronavirus Paid Leave Programs Work with Schools Reopening"
New Jersey Business Today, 09.01.2020
Quoted, "Workplace Policies All Employers Should Consider Before Reopening"
New Jersey Business Today, 05.20.2020
Featured, "Businesses Battle Through COVID-19"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 05.2020
Quoted, "Reminder: Use the New Form I-9 to Ensure Compliance"
New Jersey Business Today, 05.05.2020
Quoted, "What to Know about Wage & Hour Laws"
New Jersey Business Magazine , 04.30.2020
Quoted, "Making Sense of Medical Marijuana in the Workplace"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 03.12.2020
Quoted, "Defending the Unconscious: How to Guard Against Legal Claims of Implicit Bias"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 02.12.2020
Quoted, "Should Employers Prohibit Co-workers from Dating Each Other?"
New Jersey Business Magazine , 01.27.2020
Quoted, "Stay Woke: Avoid Unconscious Bias When Interviewing, or Risk Making Costly Hiring Errors"
ROI-NJ, 01.24.2020
Quoted, "Employers Prohibited from Asking Job Candidates about Salary History"
New Jersey Business and Industry Association , 01.02.2020
Quoted, "Are You Getting Ready for Potential New Overtime Regulations?"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 08.08.2019
Co-author, "Law Changes How NJ’s Medical Marijuana Program Impacts Employers"
NJBIA's Business Newsletter, 08.02.2019
Author, "NJ Family Leave Act: Practical Pointers for Small Employers"
New Jersey Business & Industry Association, 06.26.2019
Quoted, "Smaller Businesses to Comply with Family Leave Act Starting Sunday"
New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), 06.2019
Quoted, "Get Ready for Changes to Federal Overtime Rules"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 05.01.2019
Quoted, "NJ Limits On Harassment NDAs Could Crush Burdened Courts"
Law360, 03.29.2019
Quoted, "Take Control of Your Workers Comp and Employee Leave Programs"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 03.22.2019
Quoted, "Is NJ's Paid Sick Leave Law Killing Off PTO Policies"
New Jersey Business Magazine , 03.15.2019
Quoted, "3 Questions Employers Ask About Paid Sick Leave"
New Jersey Business Magazine , 02.12.2019
Quoted, "The Most Important Part of Your Employee Handbook"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 11.02.2018
Quoted, "As Sick Leave Law Debuts, Confusion Remains on Finer Points"
New Jersey Law Journal, 11.01.2018
Quoted, "Three Things You Need to Address in Your Employee Handbook"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 10.23.2018
Quoted, "How to Protect Your Company’s Reputation When Employees Misuse Social Media"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 04.10.2018
Quoted, "Before You Look Up a Job Applicant on Social Media…”
New Jersey Business Magazine, 03.12.2018
Featured, "Four Phrases That Should Never Be in Your Employee Handbook (and What to Say Instead)"
New Jersey Business Magazine , 11.30.2017
Featured, "One Book Can Make or Break a Company"
U.S. 1 Newspaper/Princeton Info, 11.27.2017
Featured, "What Employers Should Do to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 11.16.2017
Featured, "Employers Continue to Ask Illegal Questions in Job Interviews, Survey Says"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 11.08.2017
Featured, "Four Essentials for Documenting an Employee’s Poor Work Performance"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 10.13.2017
Quoted, “How to Banish a Bad Actor”
IAWatch Weekly Briefing, 03.2017
Featured, "Should You Check a Job Applicant’s Social Media before Hiring Them?"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 01.2017
Quoted, “The Paid Days Maze”
New Jersey Business Magazine, 08.2016
Featured, "Employee Paid-Leave Situations"
New Jersey Business Magazine, 08.2016
Featured, "The Importance of Employee Handbooks"
New Jersey Business Magazine , 08.2015
Co-author, "An Innocent Tweet or a Data Leak: Guidance for Drafting Social Media Policies to Protect Confidential Information”
Corporate LiveWire, Expert Guide: Labour & Employment Law, 07.2015
Co-author, “Background Checks: Recent Developments and Practical Considerations"
Corporate LiveWire, Expert Guide: Labour & Employment Law, 05.2014
Co-author, "LAD Amendment Prohibits Retaliation for Sharing Compensation Information, ‘How Much Do You Make?' Is No Longer A Forbidden Question"
New Jersey Law Journal, 12.2013
Author, "Employee Handbooks: Three Main Objectives for Employers"
Corporate LiveWire, Expert Guide: Labour & Employment Law, 05.2013
Author, Employer Alert: New Form I-9, The Department of Homeland Security Issues a New Version of the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Form
03.2013
Author, Employer Alert: New FMLA Forms and Poster Requirements
03.2013
Author, "Employee Handbooks: Hot Tips for Employers to Maximize the Benefits and Avoid Common Drafting Errors"
National Business Institute, 06.2012
Author, "Limiting Risk From Lawsuits and Government Investigations"
National Business Institute, 06.2012
Featured, "The Perils of Misclassification"
New Jersey Business Magazine , 02.2011
Author, Client Alert: Employee or Independent Contractor? Contractors Must Properly Classify Workers or Face Penalties and Civil Liability
09.2010
Author, Client Alert: Wage and Hour Concerns for Healthcare Employers
09.2010
Co-author, "Pension Plan Withdrawal Liability: A Primer"
New Jersey Constructor magazine, Summer 2010
Co-author, "Employees Now Protected Against Retaliation For Merely Requesting FMLA Leave"
New Jersey Constructor magazine, Issue 2, 2010
Featured, "Mandated Employee Benefits"
New Jersey Business Magazine , 07.2010
Author, Client Alert: New Jersey Becomes Third State to Require Paid Family Leave
05.2008
Author, "The Exclusive Remedy Provision Under New Jersey Workers' Compensation Act"
New Jersey Lawyer Magazine, 12.2003
Legal Author, "Quantum Frontline Supervisor"
Quantum Health Solutions, an employee assistance provider. Mr. Shadiack's articles focus on topical employment law issues, including but not limited to disability and medical leaves of absence
Author, "Torts - Act of God - Does a Golf Course Owner and/or Operator Owe a Duty of Care to Their Patrons to Protect Them from Lightning Strikes?"
8 Seton Hall J. Sport L. 301, 1998
New Jersey
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Seton Hall University School of Law
J.D.
1998
Seton Hall University
B.A.
1995
Leaders in Law
NJBIZ
2022
Best Lawyers in America (2016-2025): Employment Law - Management, Labor and Employment - Litigation
Best Lawyers
New Leaders of the Bar
New Jersey Law Journal
2013
New Jersey Super Lawyers (2009, 2011-2025)
Super Lawyers
Provided by Chambers
Michael Shadiack is chair of Connell Foley LLP’s labor and employment practice group. He undertakes complex employment litigation, including disputes involving discrimination and harassment claims. Michael also assists clients with compliance and training matters.
Provided by Chambers
Michael is thorough, responsive and an excellent communicator. He proactively keeps clients informed and manages both facts and emotions well.
Michael is very knowledgeable and the guidance he provides on complex matters always seems to be explained in a way that I can understand.
Michael is thorough, responsive and an excellent communicator. He proactively keeps clients informed and manages both facts and emotions well.
Michael is very knowledgeable and the guidance he provides on complex matters always seems to be explained in a way that I can understand.
