One of the most common workplace issues in America today is discrimination. Employment discrimination is prohibited on the basis of a person’s age, gender, race, national origin, religion, or disability. While it is difficult to totally eliminate discrimination in the workplace, here are some ways to help prevent it: Develop and implement a policy. Every workplace should have a […]
The Fair Labor Standards Act: The Most Commonly Asked Questions
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) was introduced in 1938, establishing protection for workers in regards to their labor requirements, with things such as the 40-hour hour workweek, a national minimum wage, and guaranteed time and a half overtime pay. While it may be pretty straightforward, there are many commonly asked questions with the FSLA, especially when […]
Fired Before Christmas – Can I still Get Paid My Christmas Bonus?
Every year without fail we get at least one call from someone who was fired in the weeks before Christmas. What worse time is there to lose a job? Why does it happen? For some companies it looks like a great way to avoid paying Christmas bonuses. Of course the first question we get is […]
Aaron Maduff Takes On The Pension Fight In Illinois
Last month, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin interviewed Aaron Maduff about his fight against Illinois’s current pension-reform law, and the continued progress he is making towards getting this yearlong issue resolved on behalf of the many university employees that he is representing. November 21st, 2014 marks a huge victory for Aaron Maduff and his clients. It was on […]
SUPREME COURT RULES THAT SECURITY SCREENINGS DO NOT NEED TO BE PAID
The United States Supreme Court issued a 9-0 opinion in a FLSA lawsuit, Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk. We discussed the case and its implications in a previous blog post here. This decision also has potentially major ramifications on a much talked about class action lawsuit filed against Apple that we discussed here. In each of these cases the question was […]
The Most Common Causes Of Employment Discrimination
The Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects employees from discrimination based on their age, race, color, religion, sex, disability, or national origin. Even though employees are protected under this act, unfortunately, some employers will violate these rules, resulting in employment discrimination. There may be occasions when employers may not recognize that they are violating […]
Tips To Consider Before Signing An Employment Contract
Once a job offer has been extended, many applicants are so excited for the opportunity that they don’t understand what exactly they are signing away when signing the employment contract. However, it is always critical for any potential employee to review, understand, and even negotiate employment contracts before making the decision to sign. Here are […]
Understanding The FLSA
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was passed in 1938 in order to establish a national minimum wage, guaranteed overtime to qualified employees, the 40-hour workweek, as well as prevent the employment of minors in “oppressive child labor”. Not only does the FLSA require that an employer pay their employees minimum wage, but they must also pay […]
Illinois Appellate Decision May Require Employers to Retain Attorneys for Unemployment Hearings
Although employment lawyers handle unemployment hearings as a matter of course, it has been a common practice for larger companies to have non-attorneys representing them in administrative hearings, including at the Illinois Department of Employment Security (unemployment hearings.) An opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court in Chicago may change that. While individuals are permitted to […]
Excessive Non-Competes: The Jimmy Johns Problem
While non-compete agreements do have their purpose, they are over used and abused by employers. As a general proposition, they are disfavored in most states as a restraint upon trade. Most recently, a non-compete agreement that Jimmy Johns’ Sandwich shop has used with even its low wage workers has caused a stir in the employment […]