The EEOC announced on April 13, 2016 that it reached a partial settlement of a race discrimination claims made against Local 25 of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association and its associated apprenticeship school. The lawsuit was originally filed in 1971 in the Southern District of New York by the Department of Justice. The EEOC replaced the DOJ in […]
Equal Pay for Women: World Cup Champions File An EEOC Charge
Federal Law, Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, require employers to treat male and female employees equally in the workplace, not just in terms of pay, but to all forms of compensation, and terms, conditions or privileges of employment, transfers, or promotions. An employer cannot deny women equal […]
Can Mandatory Overtime Be an Essential Job Function? The 11th Circuit Says Yes
On March 30, 2015, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a lower court’s decision which determined that mandatory overtime was an essential job function – confirming the dismissal of a disability discrimination claim. You can read the opinion here. In 2012, the plaintiff provided a note requesting a lifting restriction of no-more than 15 pounds. The employer reassigned her to […]
Supreme Court Affirms Use of Representative Damage Analysis in Wage and Hour Class Action
The Supreme Court affirmed the 2.9 million dollar jury award in Tyson v. Bouaphakeo for time workers spent donning and doffing personal protective equipment (often called PPE). To prove the amount of unpaid work, the employees relied on an expert study to calculate the average time it takes to don and doff the PPE. Relying on this […]
Why You Need To Understand Employment Laws
Sometimes employees, and even employers, forget what the appropriate behavior for work is, and end up saying or doing something during work hours that can land them in a lot of trouble. This is why it is critical that you understand employment laws and what is acceptable behavior at work. It is also important to recognize when you […]
Filing A Discrimination Claim…Here’s What You Need To Know
Discrimination in the workplace can appear in many forms. Whether discrimination was in regards to an employee’s age, sex, race, national origin, color, religion, disability, or sexual orientation, there are a variety of ways discrimination can occur. It is important to know, however, that every employee is protected under state and federal laws in order to prevent […]
Handling Discrimination and Harassment Claims In The Workplace
Running a successful business means running a workplace free of harassment and discrimination. However, there may be potential workplace issues that come up, making it critical that you are handling it in an appropriate manner. Here is how to properly handle a discrimination or harassment claim in your workplace: Be respectful. When a complaint is brought to your attention, […]
All I Got For Christmas Was A Pink Slip
Every employee hopes for a bonus at Christmas time. But terminations are also common. Is it because the company is looking to avoid the Christmas bonus? Is it because the company is simply trying to reduce staff before the end of the year? For whatever reason, we see a slight uptrend in terminations at this […]
The Laws That Protect Employees’ Rights
There are several federal laws that have been established in order to protect employee rights. The following information will help you to understand your basic rights, as well as the laws that protect your rights as an employee. Basic Employee Rights While not all businesses will qualify for each law, there are basic rights in all workplaces, including: […]
Hiring An Employment Attorney
In today’s world, where lawsuits have become a common thing, it is important to know whom you can turn to and trust in the event you are filed with a lawsuit. Regardless of the situation you may be facing, an employment attorney can help you. There may be many occasions in which you may need to seek […]