Employee relations and firm risk: Evidence from court rooms

In this study, we examine the relation between employee lawsuit and risk in U.S. public firms. We hand collect more than 20,000 employee lawsuits and find that labor-related allegations significantly affect firm risk after controlling for various firm characteristics. We document that a greater number of employee litigation increases firm risk. Our results remain robust when we use alternative measures of employee lawsuits, including other work-related complaints, violations, disputes, and allegations. Our study reveals that case characteristics - charging parties, outcomes, and duration - play a significant role in defining the firm risk. Our results show the importance of employee treatment which may have important implications for policy makers and business owners.