Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Watch for These Documents That Your Employer May Make You Sign
When companies ask you to sign an employment agreement, that employment agreement may have a number of provisions that go beyond just your employment with the company. You may see a number of provisions, covenants, terms, and paragraphs, that seemingly address important things. Here is a short rundown of some of the more common… Read More »
Wrongful Termination, Discrimination and Harassment: What Are the Damages?
Discrimination harassment, hostile work environment or retaliation: We’ve often talked about how to spot when these types of employment discrimination are happening, and about what your employer can, and cannot legally do. But what about damages? If you are the target of discrimination, wrongful firing or retaliatory action at work, and your employer is… Read More »
The Equal Pay Act’s “Factor Other Than Sex” Exception: What Does it Mean?
The Federal Equal Pay Act (EPA) says that women must be paid the same amount as men assuming they do the same or similar work. There are a few exceptions to this, allowing employers to pay women differently (less than) men. Those exceptions include differences in pay based on any seniority, merit, quality of… Read More »
Pregnant Workers are About to get More Protections
Although it has been illegal to discriminate against pregnant workers in the workplace for some time now, a new, broader law, providing more protections for pregnant employees was recently passed by congress. It’s called the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), and it now requires that employers provide accommodations for employees who are pregnant or… Read More »
Were You Fired or Did You Quit Your Job? They May be the Same Thing
If there are problems in the workplace, it is no secret that most employers would prefer that you resign or quit, instead of having to fire you. If you resign or quit, there is the impression that it is a voluntary act; you could not have been discriminated against or harassed, because you were… Read More »
Can You Spot Age Discrimination at Work?
Let’s say that you work for a company and that you have worked there for many years now. As time has gone on, you have gotten older, but you are starting to notice something odd: Despite the time that has elapsed, many of your co-workers have since moved on for one reason or another,… Read More »
What Do You Need to Prove for a Hostile Work Environment Lawsuit?
You don’t have to be personally harassed, to be a victim of sexual harassment. That’s because of what is known as a hostile work environment claim. If your employer allows an environment to exist that is hostile towards a given gender, race, nationality, religion, or other protected class, the employer can be held liable… Read More »
Work for Hire Creations: Employees May Not Own What They Create
Many of us have jobs where we create things for employers. We make slogans, create art, design websites or paper materials, or write stories, songs or promotional materials. It may be your entire job description, or just a small part of your overall job duties. But who owns what you create for your boss?… Read More »
Can Your Employer Condition Wages on You Releasing Them From Lawsuits?
Imagine this: last week, you complained to your employer about a co-employee that was making lewd remarks to you, and who was “accidentally” touching you. You felt very uncomfortable, and reported this to your supervisor at work. You are called into a supervisor’s office and told that the matter is “taken care of,” and… Read More »
Is Your Employer Setting You Up for Pretext?
It is common practice for many employers to keep an employee file on its employees. Whenever the employee does something wrong, the employer writes that in the employee’s file, and stores it away. In many cases, when an employee is “written up,” if the infraction isn’t major, nothing actually happens—the employee isn’t fired, he… Read More »
