Archive for 2017
What is USERRA?
Those who choose to serve in our Armed Forces could find themselves called into the line of duty at nearly any time, should something catastrophic happen. Often these service members have lives and careers that they’ve been working to expand and grow in order to live a fulfilling life, and they must put these things…
Read MoreA single act of harassment may be sufficient to bring a race discrimination case
In a recent race harassment lawsuit, a federal district court determined that a supervisor’s single use of the “n” word was sufficient to constitute a hostile work environment, and allowed he race discrimination case to proceed. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes race discrimination/race harassment illegal. Further, according to the Equal…
Read MoreA Brief Overview of Georgia’s Overtime Laws
In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which would go on to become the foundation for the relationship between employers and employees that we still adhere to today. Perhaps the most well-known provision of this law pertains to work hours and how they could make an employee eligible to receive overtime pay. While…
Read MoreMinimum Wage to Increase for City of Atlanta Employees
Recently Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced that the City of Atlanta will be increasing the minimum wage paid to city employees to $15/hour. This increase is a positive step in providing a livable wage to city employees. Studies have shown that increasing minimum wage also has a positive impact on local economies, with workers putting the…
Read MoreWhat types of damages can I recover in an employment discrimination case?
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits several different types of employment discrimination, including discrimination or harassment based on one’s gender, race, religion or national origin. Where you have suffered work place discrimination in violation of Title VII, you may be able to bring a lawsuit and recover damages. Damages differ based…
Read MoreDOL signals it may seek to increase the FLSA’s salary threshold
After implementation of the new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations were put on hold last year, many employers and employees were left wondering whether the changes would ultimately take effect. The changes would have increased the salary threshold to be considered exempt from $23,660 to $47,476, thereby allowing potentially millions more workers to qualify…
Read MoreWhen must interns be paid?
With several high profile cases recently challenging the practice of using unpaid interns, many industries and companies have adjusted how they compensated interns and the work duties assigned to interns if they are to remain unpaid. One industry still struggling with finding the right balance is the restaurant industry, especially when it comes to training…
Read MoreSupreme Court to hear discrimination based on “religious freedom” case
The Supreme Court has announced that it plans to hear a discrimination case involving a bakery that refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple. The Colorado-area bakery asserted that it was against their “religion” to sell to a gay couple. The bakery was found guilty of discrimination. Similarly a florist in Washington…
Read MoreMinor League Baseball Players Allege Wage and Hour Violations
A collective action brought by Minor League Baseball (“MILB”) players is currently pending seeking back wages and damages for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The FLSA provides certain guarantees, such as that workers be paid at least federal minimum wage, and that non-exempt workers earn overtime pay at a rate of one…
Read MoreKentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant Sued for Disability Discrimination
Legal news reports that an Atlanta-area Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise is being sued for alleged disability discrimination in violation of the American’s with Disability’s Act (ADA). The ADA prohibits discrimination against “qualified individuals with a disability” in the terms and conditions of employment. The ADA also prohibits disability harassment and retaliation against you for complaining about…
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