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Recent Posts in Employment Law Category

  • Signs of Disability Discrimination in the Workplace

    Under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EOCC) and the Equality Act 2010, employers are legally prohibited from discriminating against employees or applicants based on their disabilities. In fact, federal law requires that reasonable accommodations be made available to them. Even so, it’s unfortunately common for disabled employees to face harassment and discrimination in the ...
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  • Papa John's Pizza Investigated for Allegedly Not Paying Employees for Training

    Papa John’s Pizza , one of the largest pizza delivery companies in the country, may have conducted Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations, according to both former and current employees. Allegations from the pizza-chain employees state they did not receive wages for mandatory online training sessions. The FLSA requires that employees be paid for any job-related training made necessary by an ...
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  • Protection for Whistleblowers

    Whistleblowers often face a lot of backlash for their actions, especially from the company or organization they report. Even when a whistleblower is taking a stand and doing the right thing, the fact is that they’re stuck in the middle of a controversial issue. Some people see whistleblowers in a poor light, calling their actions disloyal, but the truth is that it takes courage to take action when ...
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  • Common Types of Discrimination in the Workplace

    Employers are required by law to protect employees from any form of discrimination they could face during work hours. Discrimination should never be overlooked, as it has a detrimental and toxic effect on both employees and the general workplace environment. It is your right as an employee to work in an environment free of discrimination . Workplace discrimination can affect: The hiring process ...
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  • Can I Sue My Former Employer for Defamation?

    If a former employer makes false statements about you, you may be eligible to file a defamation lawsuit. Defamation is a personal injury, meaning that you may recover damages for your financial losses and your emotional distress. Furthermore, you may even be awarded punitive damages in order to punish the employer for its wrongdoing. Defamation occurs when an individual makes an intentionally ...
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  • FAQ: Noncompete Agreements

    Depending on your job and its particular responsibilities, your employer may require you to sign a noncompete agreement when you come on board or receive a promotion. This is especially likely if your line of work involves unique intellectual property and specific knowledge of classified business methods, in which case your employer may have you sign an agreement that is intended to keep you from ...
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  • When Does an Employer Need to Hire an Employment Attorney?

    Although you might handle employment matters on your own, some issues that arise can be tricky and might require legal expertise. Lawsuits brought by former employees can result in huge financial losses for your business. This is why it is important to know when you should seek legal advice for employment issues that can impact your business. In this blog, we explain situations where an employer ...
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  • Pregnancy Discrimination – Next Steps

    By law, discrimination based on one’s pregnancy is illegal, just as discrimination based on one’s age, race, gender, religion, or other personal characteristics is illegal. This means you have the right to file a lawsuit if you have suffered pregnancy discrimination. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 provides legal protections for pregnant employees. If you have experienced harassment or ...
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  • What to Do About Unpaid Commission and Bonuses

    If you are in a commission-based line of work, you know how important it is that your company awards your commission fairly and in a timely manner. For most commission-based jobs, the base salary is not enough for families and individuals to afford basic necessities. When your employer fails to pay you the commissions and bonuses you’ve earned within a reasonable amount of time (or fails to pay ...
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  • Avoiding Wage & Hour Lawsuits

    The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has been cracking down on labor violations in recent years. In 2016, more than $266 million in back wages were collected on behalf of more than 280,000 workers. As these efforts increase, employees have also become more aware of their workplace rights and the actions they can take against employers who have violated labor laws. This is why it is ...
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  • Shellist Lazarz Slobin LLP Representing Flight Attendant Suing United Airlines

    Shellist Lazarz Slobin LLP attorney Bob Debes is representing a flight attendant whose case made the news recently after being required by her employer to stop wearing medically prescribed clogs. 60-year-old Edie Hall is suing United Airlines, her employer, after they rescinded the permission to wear these medically necessary shoes at least three times during her employment working with the ...
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  • Understanding "At-Will" Employment

    There are many different types of employment, far beyond simply part-time or full-time. One of the most popular types that’s being utilized by more and more business for their employees is the classification known as “at-will.” We’re often approached by prospective clients with questions regarding their rights and abilities to pursue action against their employer when they’ve been designated as an ...
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  • Recognizing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

    Anyone can be a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, which is why it is so important to know what sexual harassment may look like, and what you should do if it happens to you. Whether you have been a victim of workplace harassment, you think you may be experiencing harassment, or you have complete confidence that you never will be harassed in your current place of business, it is always ...
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  • What Happens After a Breach of Contract?

    When an employee or customer breaks their contract with you, where do you stand, and what can you do next? Unfortunately, breach of contract isn’t too uncommon. In fact, especially for small businesses, breach of contract can happy rather often. So, if someone does not fulfill the duties he or she agreed to perform, what can you do to protect yourself? First off, let’s explain what a breach of ...
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  • How Do I Know if There Are Tip Pool Violations in the Workplace?

    Many industries, especially those of service, employ a system of earning tips from satisfied customers who want to show their gratitude for particularly good service. As the system is set up, some employees even receive more money from their earned tips than they do from their regular wages. What many people don’t realize is their tips are protected under employee rights, which is why it is ...
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  • Exempt Employees vs. Non-Exempt Employees

    Typically, there are two types of employees in the workplace: exempt and non-exempt. You’ve probably noticed the two terms come up when you’ve filled out an application or looked through job listings—but do you know the difference between the two? Exempt Employees Exempt employees, such as truck drivers and agricultural workers , are excluded from overtime , meal and rest break rules, minimum wage ...
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  • Signs of Age Discrimination in the Workplace

    The workforce is predominantly being led by youth, as so many young workers are students, recent graduates, millennials, etc. As you get older, your bosses get younger--perhaps making you feel as though you are being left out of the loop in more ways than one. The truth of the matter is, your age should not play any role in your time at the workplace. Unfortunately, age discrimination is a real ...
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  • Bradley Alverson and Casey Howie vs. BL Restaurant Operations LLC d/b/a Bar Louie

    A recent class action case was brought against BL Restaurant Operations LLC, the company behind the upscale bar and grill chain Bar Louie. The claimants are bartenders employed by the chain, who allege that the salaried restaurant management was taking tips from the pool intended for the hourly-paid bartenders, failing to notify employees of tip credit, and required employees to spend more than ...
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  • Filing a Workplace Discrimination Claim in Texas

    Employment discrimination is regulated by both the state of Texas and the federal government. Federally, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, sex, gender, color, national origin, age, genetic information, or disability. Texas employment law also protects workers in Texas from unlawful discrimination based ...
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  • Common Mistakes in Employment Law

    Employment law can be tricky to navigate, with complex language that can be difficult for the average business owner to understand. Unfortunately, violating these laws can have expensive consequences, even if the violation wasn’t intentional. There are a number of mistakes that business owners can make that may cost them in fines and other penalties. Find out more about common mistakes that ...
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  • Severance Agreements: Tips for Employers

    When drafting a severance agreement , it is important that employers do so thoughtfully. Mistakes in severance agreements can leave employers vulnerable to a lawsuit and may attract the attention of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Learn what you need to know when drafting a severance agreement to keep your company safe from legal actions. Take an Individualized Approach One ...
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  • What Does "At Will" Employment Mean?

    Texas, like most states in the U.S., is an at-will employment state. This means that Texas employers are allowed to fire an employee for any reasons, as long as it does not violate the law. An employer CAN fire you because: You took too much time off You were not performing well He/she does not like you He/she is having a bad day He/she thinks you talk too much He/she does not get along with you ...
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  • Attorneys Debes, Rao & Prieto Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law

    Our entire team here at Shellist Lazarz Slobin LLP strives for success and excellence at all times. This dedication to the pursuit of perfection is once again reaffirmed by the recent achievements of Bob Debes , Sidd Rao and Ricardo Prieto , who each earned Board Certification in Labor and Employment Law. They join two of our other lawyers – Todd Slobin and Daryl J. Sinkule – who have also earned ...
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  • NASA Worker Files Lawsuit Over Alleged Mistreatment

    Lealem Mulugeta has always had a deeply-held passion for space flight, with a job at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) being a dream of his since he was a small boy. Upon being hired by the organization through contractor Universities Space Research Association, however, he soon found that the job was not what he expected. “There were certain things said to me that were not ...
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  • Protections Workers Have Against Discrimination

    Although workplace discrimination is illegal, countless employees across the nation still suffer from some form of discrimination. The law has come a long way in providing protections for workers, but we have yet to completely eliminate workplace discrimination, despite broad legal protections. If you are the victim of discrimination, contact an employment lawyer to learn more about your options ...
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