Posts by Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP
When Must I Be Paid As An Intern?
Despite recent efforts to clarify just when it’s acceptable to hire an unpaid intern, many workers – including large numbers of college students – report mistreatment and confusion surrounding the rules. In fact, news has reported on several high profile lawsuits concerning internships at Harper’s Bazaar and Fox Searchlight. Remember – if you’re working at…
Read MoreRejection Of Sexual Advances May Be Basis Of Claim For Retaliation
Federal employment laws prohibit many forms of discrimination, including religious, sex and race discrimination. Employers are also prohibited from retaliating against workers who complain about discrimination. A recent case looked at what actions could support a claim for retaliation under Title VII. In Hilton v. Shin, a woman – Glynese Hilton – was fired after she…
Read MoreEmployers Must Pay Workers Overtime, Regardless Of Citizenship Status
A recent overtime lawsuit from New York emphasized the fact that citizenship status does not affect whether workers are protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and entitled to overtime pay. The case looked at whether it’s okay to pay workers a set rate per day, rather than an hourly rate. The answer depends in part…
Read MoreEEOC Rules Federal Laws Ban Transgender Discrimination
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has just ruled that federal employment discrimination law (Title VII) prohibits transgender discrimination. This means that employers may not take a person’s transgender status into account in making employment decisions, such a hiring, firing and promoting. This decision follows the same reasoning applied to longstanding sex and gender discrimination laws…
Read MoreOvertime Lawsuits On The Rise
Since the height of the recession in 2008, millions of workers have been laid off, forced to work longer hours and many have received less pay. Now workers are striking back in court. According to a recent overtime lawsuit article, there has been a dramatic increase is workers suing employers pursuant to both federal and…
Read MoreCiticorp Required To Pay Back Wages For Equal Pay Act Violations
A Florida woman has been awarded nearly $340,000 in back pay as the result of a pay discrimination lawsuit against Citicorp. According to the lawsuit, when Heidi Wilson received a promotion to become manager of the Citicorp service center she did not receive a raise or bonus despite the fact that the male who was in…
Read MoreRaising The Federal Minimum Wage Could Help Struggling Families And Communities
A movement is underway in Congress to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to as much as $10. Under current federal employment law – the Fair Labor Standards Act [FLSA] – employers are required to pay workers at least $7.25 an hour. Several states including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois and elsewhere are pushing to…
Read MorePregnancy Discrimination On The Rise
News reports that pregnancy discrimination cases across the county are on the rise. According to a Washington Post article, nearly 6,000 women across the country have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging pregnancy discrimination at work. If you believe you may have been discriminated against because of a pregnancy, it is important to…
Read MoreUSERRA Protects Military Personnel’s Right To Reemployment
With many active uniformed officers returning to the United States and hoping to return to their previous employment, many military personnel wonder about their rights to reemployment when returning from serving in the military. Fortunately, federal anti-discrimination law protects armed service members. Called the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), USERRA provides that…
Read MoreUnpaid Intern At Charlie Rose Show Files Wage And Hour Lawsuit
A former intern at the Charlie Rose show has filed a wage and hour lawsuit based on alleged violations of state wage laws similar to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that require employers to pay interns who perform certain types of work. Before you accept a position as an “unpaid intern” it is a…
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