The breach of employment contract attorneys of Risman & Risman, P.C. represent employees when employers fail to honor the terms of an agreement. While many New York workers are at will, a written or clearly promised employment contract creates binding obligations for both sides. When an employer disregards those obligations, the employee is the one who is harmed.

When an employer breaches an employment contract in New York, available remedies may include:

• Damages to place the employee in the position they would have been in but for the breach, including unpaid salary, wages, commissions, earned bonuses, and lost benefits, subject to the duty to mitigate.
• Prejudgment interest, which may be available under New York law.
• Attorneys’ fees only if the contract or a statute provides for them.
• Specific performance only in uncommon circumstances, because courts rarely order an ongoing employment relationship.
• Evaluation of liquidated damages clauses and any limits on remedies written into the agreement.

We closely review the contract language, the facts of the breach, and the financial and professional impact on the employee. Settlement can be efficient, but we are fully prepared to litigate when that is in the client’s interest. Our record in court gives us leverage in negotiations and ensures that employers take our clients’ claims seriously.

Many breach disputes can be resolved through negotiation that secures the compensation owed and avoids unnecessary expense. We pair clear legal analysis with practical risk management to choose the strategy that best protects the employee’s short-term needs and long-term career.