Does Your Tip Pool Comply With Federal Law?
For many workers, a large percentage of their pay comes in the form of tips, especially in the hospitality and restaurant industries. Often the tips earned over the course of a shift are pooled, and then distributed among the workers. However, federal law (the Fair Labor Standards Act – FLSA) has very specific requirements concerning…
Read MoreKnowing Your Workplace Rights If You’re Pregnant
In 1978, Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which made it illegal for employers to discriminate against an employee if she became pregnant. This means that employees cannot use terminations, wage or hour cuts, medical leave denials, and more to penalize a woman just because of her pregnancy. And yet, in 2013, more than 5,000…
Read MoreCan I be fired for my political beliefs?
In one of the most contentious presidential elections in recent history, it is often hard to avoid political conversations and opinions concerning the candidates. At work, however, many people question rules concerning political speech, and whether espousing a particular belief may cause them to lose their job. Further, if they do lose their job or…
Read MoreDo I get time-off to vote?
With election day quickly approaching, many people are anxious to exercise their right to vote and make sure their voices are heard. However, workers may wonder if they have to take time off to vote, and what their rights are with respect to work and voting. While each state differs, Georgia provides specific guidelines for…
Read MoreAgeism Still Exists in the Workplace, Hurts Millions of Older Workers
Unjust employment discrimination is a serious problem that can affect anyone, young and old. A recently-released study from the University of California at Irvine and Tulane University has concluded that age discrimination in particular is getting out of hand but no one is noticing. Researchers created 40,000 job applications under dummy pseudonyms, each one making…
Read MoreCommon FLSA Workplace Violations
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides the majority of workers certain protections such as the right to make at least minimum wage and to earn overtime pay, typically at a rate of one and one half times a worker’s standard rate of pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a week. However,…
Read MoreAppellate Court Decision May Lead to Discriminatory Hiring Practices
A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit concerning federal age discrimination law is drawing sharp criticism. In Villarreal v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., a Georgia man sued R.J. Reynolds and two job search companies alleging unlawful age discrimination based on the tobacco company’s hiring policy which gave preference to…
Read MorePoll Finds Nearly One-half of Young African American Workers Face Job Discrimination
A recent poll has found that nearly one-half of young black people in America face job discrimination, whether during their job search or while on the job. The poll also found that about one-third of women of all races believe that they have faced gender discrimination. The GenForward race discrimination poll determined that 48% of African…
Read MoreEmployee or Independent Contractor?
A recently filed lawsuit against Amazon, Inc. has highlighted an issue that is a growing concern for workers across America – employment misclassification. Pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), whether you are classified as an employee or independent contractor can have a significant impact on both the benefits you are entitled to and…
Read MoreWhat constitutes race discrimination?
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted to prohibit certain types of discrimination, specifically discrimination based on race and color, sex, religion and national origin. Despite its passage, discrimination in various forms continues to exist. Although most people are able to identify blatant examples of harassment based on race, such as crude…
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