Gender discrimination has become a hot topic of conversation lately, especially when it comes to equal pay for men and women. And while both men and women certainly have the ability to be equally as successful, there are still things that women, or men, may experience, often due to outdated perceptions about gender roles, equality, or […]
Wage theft is a common workplace issue that is increasingly becoming a problem for employees all over the country. Wage theft may occur when an employee does not receive all of their wages or any wages at all. Recognizing Wage Theft Not paying employees correctly maybe a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA establishes a Federal […]
Every workplace should be free from sexual harassment or discrimination of any kind. All workplaces are required by law to ensure that each and every employee is free from these concerns. Nonetheless, they do happen, and often. Unfortunately, many people fail to understand that sexual harassment comes in a variety of forms, and identifying it is not always easy. […]
On January 20, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. While the new administration’s policies are unclear on a wide range of issues, his comments during the campaign provide some hints on positions he will take with regard to labor and employment law. At the outset, we can assume that they […]
Employees are often hesitant when it comes to calling out their employer for doing something wrong by a complaint to management or Human Resources. Most employees are typically concerned with one thing—retaliation by their employer. That same fear of retaliation comes when an employee reports the employer to a regulator like the EEOC (for discrimination), the Department […]
On January 1, 2017, the Illinois Freedom to Work Act went into effect. The law prohibits private employers from entering into a non-compete agreement with “any low-wage employee.” The statute makes any such agreement “illegal and void.” Under the law, a non-compete agreement applies to the many common restrictive covenants including: Any agreement that prohibits working for any other employer […]
On January 1, 2017 a number of new laws went into effect in Illinois. Whether you are an employer or an employee, here are some employment laws you should know: Social Media Password Protections House Bill 4999 makes it illegal for an employer, or potential employer, to ask you to sign into your social media account […]
On January 1, 2017, a new sick pay law will come into effect for employees in the state of Illinois. While it is called the Illinois Sick Pay Leave Act, it does not actually require employers to provide sick leave (starting in July, most Chicago employers must provide sick leave as well as Cook County Employers). The […]
December 1, 2016 was supposed to be the day that about 4 million Americans were set to qualify for overtime pay under a new federal rule by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new overtime law would have doubled the annual salary threshold from $23,660, to $47,476, which determines who qualifies for overtime pay when they work over […]
Effective December 1, 2016, the Department of Labor is enacting a new overtime law in which the Fair Labor Standards Act is being changed, allowing the threshold annual income below which overtime pay is required (assuming all other requirements for overtime pay are satisfied) to rise to $47,500, compared to $23,660, which was the amount […]
