They are, however, exactly the sorts of things that can turn into big expensive headaches if not handled properly. Attorneys say employment-related litigation is booming. Jury awards have ballooned. The median award in an employment case was $276,711 in 2005, up from about $150,000 in 1999, according to Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.)-based Jury Verdict Research, which tracks and analyzes litigation. Then there are attorneys' fees, which San Francisco law firm Littler Mendelson estimates at about $95,000 for employment suits that settle just before trial. The tab for cases that make it to trial: $250,000 and up. Add fines and penalties from government agencies such as the Labor Dept., and HR issues suddenly seem a lot less boring.
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