Former CNN Producer Files Discrimination Lawsuit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently featured Omar Butcher, our client, in a story that talked about his time at CNN and his struggle to receive the same opportunities as his colleagues. As a young man, Omar dreamed of becoming a journalist. After growing up in Germany and Italy—his father was in the Army—he attended Florida State…
Read MoreNation’s First Wage Discrimination Law Passed
In mid-January, Philadelphia became the first city to pass a wage discrimination law. Hopefully, this will lead to similar actions by cities and states around the country, including Atlanta and Georgia. The new discrimination law prohibits employers from asking job applicants for a record of their past salary. Legislators explain that by basing your new…
Read MoreTop Areas of Employment Discrimination
A little more than 50 years ago, Congress passed Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination in the workplace. The law prohibits discrimination against employees, former employees, and applicants for employment on the basis of their race, color, sex, national origin and religion. Additional laws have been passed to…
Read MoreProposed Religious Freedom Act May Open Doors To Discrimination
A draft executive order proposed by the White House seeking to “Respect Religious Freedom” would provide sweeping protections to those who discriminate. While federal law under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from religious discrimination, the executive order would allow those same employers to use religion to discriminate against others –…
Read MoreWage and hour laws may be affected by changes at local level
With the federal overtime law on hold, many wonder how their rights to overtime pay and minimum wages will be affected. While what the federal government will do remains to be seen, most believe that the new rule which would have raised the salary threshold for being labelled exempt (and thus unable to earn overtime…
Read MoreLegal Protections Against Workplace Discrimination
Just because it’s illegal to engage in workplace discrimination doesn’t mean the problem doesn’t exist. In fact, it’s prevalent in workplaces throughout Georgia, across the nation, and globally. While it’s true that, historically, we’ve made significant strides when it comes to protections against workplace discrimination, the battle isn’t over. We must continue upholding the laws…
Read MoreFederal Discrimination Lawsuit Filed Against Oracle
A recent lawsuit filed by the Department of Labor against tech giant Oracle reveals the complexity of discrimination. In the race discrimination case, the DOL asserts that Oracles hiring pool was both over-represented by Asians, and thus discriminated against other ethnic groups (such as African-Americans and Hispanics) but also underpaid them relative to white workers. The…
Read MoreWhat Is Employment Verification Discrimination?
A new law is set to take effect on January 18, 2017 which will help end employment verification discrimination. Employment verification discrimination occurs when a worker is treated differently when beginning a new job. For example, if an employer requests certain documents from a new employee based on his or her perceived national origin or…
Read MoreTop Wage and Hour Concerns for 2017
Over the last several years, wage inequality and wage stagnation has been a drag on the economy. While the FLSA was enacted to provide workers certain protections, employers have not always abided by these protections. David Weil, the outgoing administrator of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, has focused on enforcing these provisions, resulting…
Read MoreFinal Determination Concerning Overtime Law Nears
In November, just days before the new overtime law was set to become effective, a federal district judge from Texas, Judge Amos Mazzant, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law from implementation. The Labor Department rule would have doubled the salary level at which hourly workers must be paid extra for overtime pay, from $23,660…
Read More