Step Two:

A simple, yet memorable and effective Cover Letter for submitting your resume to a prospective employer. Contains alternative clauses for various circumstances: responding to an advertisement; upon suggestion of a mutual acquaintance; upon request of a friend or mentor.

An Action Letter for your use in confirming the basic terms of a job offer you have received, and to create a written record to avoid later disagreements, differences in memory, or potential employer bad faith. In a later dispute, it may prove very valuable to have to present back to your employer, or in a lawsuit or arbitration proceeding. Even if your employer doesn’t give you anything “in writing,” this is how you can put something “in writing” yourself.

Offer Letters (sometimes called “Welcome Aboard” letters) seem short, simple and to the point. However, most Offer Letters are quite the opposite: they are often deceptively written, in that they contain (a) employment “risks” that are carefully hidden, and (b) what we call “wiggle room” that can be used to deny you employment “rewards” that you are counting on. This Model Memo shows you how to address and correct the most common problems in Offer Letters.

A Comprehensive Checklist to ensure you don’t fail to raise, request or resolve an issue of importance to you before you “shake hands” on the terms and conditions of a new job. Remember: “If you don’t ask, you don’t receive.” Remember, too, that “If you don’t think of it, you won’t ask for it.”

It is firmly established in the law – even confirmed by the United States Supreme Court – that an employer cannot be held responsible for discrimination, harassment or hostility if the affected employee did not report what happened . . . and there is a record of that report. For this reason it’s critical that an employee complaint be put into writing, so that the fact that it was transmitted, and exactly what was reported, can be confirmed. This Model Memo can help you do just that.

One of the more sensitive tasks in the employment relation is asking for a raise or promotion. Should you be forceful? Should you be careful? What is the right balance? This Model Memo shows you how.

Your one best method to getting the annual bonus you deserve is to (a) ask for it, (b) ask for it at the right time, and (c) ask for it in the right way. This Model Memo can be used as a good example for your own memo.

Sadly, more and more employees who report financial wrongdoing, or who object to harassment or discrimination, or who participate in investigations of illegality, suffer retaliation for doing so. If this happens to you, it is important to object, in writing, and to do so effectively. This model memo shows you how.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (known as “FMLA”) is a federal law that gives most employees a right to take time off to care for loved ones, and return to that same (or an equivalent) job. It’s a very useful law, but kind of complicated, too. Many people ask us, “Where do I start?” This memo shows you how.

Being accused at work of being hostile, harassing or discriminatory can happen to anyone, with devastating results for your job, career and reputation. For this reason it is very important that you respond in a positive and proactive way to any such allegation. This memo provides several possible “defenses” and language that might, or might not, be applicable to your situation. Even if not applicable to your situation, this is a good model to adapt and follow in its way of addressing this difficult and dangerous situation.

We present two alternative resignation letters for your use. First, a short version, to satisfy the minimal requirements of courtesy. Second, a mid-length version to address issues of incomplete projects, compensation due, and future communications. These are offered as a “package” because you may want to use parts of each in your own resignation.

If you resign from your job, you may be losing out on many valuable interests, including prorated bonus, severance, vesting of stock or stock options, and even unemployment insurance. However, if you are “involuntarily” resigning due to an intolerable situation at work, these interests – and others – may be yours to keep. This Model Letter shows you how.

Don’t believe you have been offered sufficient severance, considering your circumstances and service to your employer? That would not be surprising, because over time employers have reduced the amount of severance they offer. This model memo is the kind of memo we suggest all of our clients use in order to request additional severance.

There are circumstances in which – even though you have not been fired, downsized or laid off – you can ASK to leave and still receive a severance package. It is a matter of having a good reason to suggest such an arrangement, connecting it to your departure, and asking in the right way. This Model Memo serves as a model to make such a request.

A formal demand letter for use after employment to demand compensation of any kind not paid on time. This Model Letter can be used to demand unpaid salary, earned bonus, unreimbursed expenses, or any other unpaid item. This Model Letter may, itself, motivate your former employer to “pay up” what is due. If not, and you have to go to your state’s Labor Department or court, your having “demanded” the money in this way will assist you in your collection efforts.

Sooner or later, most employees have a need to consult with, or hire, an employment attorney. This Model Letter helps you determine if a particular employment attorney or law firm is the right one for you and your concern or case by requesting information on experience, billing practices, and other relevant considerations.

Instead of being an employee for one employer, many people find that they prefer to sell their services and earn their living by being independent. If you do, it is important to establish the “rules” of that relation, in order to avoid costly disputes. This Model Agreement can serve as a guide to preparing your own independent contractor agreement.

It’s not common for an executive to need to supply his or her own employment agreement; the employer almost always has its own attorneys provide an initial draft. Still, (a) executives do sometimes need to propose their own agreements. Additionally, executives sometimes ask for a “sample” employment to either (b) compare with the draft they have received, or (c) review for alternative ideas and language. This Sample Executive Employment Agreement can be used for all those purposes.