United Airlines Settles EEOC Disability Lawsuit for $1 Million
Earlier this month, United Airlines agreed to pay just over $1 million to settle a federal disability lawsuit that has been garnering public attention since 2009. According to the settlement announcement from officials at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), United will have to pa…
Worker Misclassification Is Focus of New DOL Guidance for Employers
An “Administrator’s Interpretation” has been issued by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor (DOL) to provide clearer guidance regarding how employers should be classifying workers.
Focused in defining when workers should be employees versus independent contractors, this Inter…
Georgia Minimum Wage FAQs
In light of our recent blog on the minimum wage increases being enacted throughout the U.S., we think it’s a good time to answer some of the most common questions people have about the minimum wage laws in Georgia.
While our answers below can provide some important insight about workers’ right…
Should Atlanta Follow LA’s Lead & Increase the Min. Wage to $15 by 2020?
Recently, the Los Angeles City Council sent a bold message to employers and workers, as it passed a new ordinance that would increase the minimum wage in the county to $15 by 2020. This move, which follows similar efforts in Seattle, San Francisco and other cities in the U.S. to boost the minimu…
Break Time for Nursing Mothers: 3 Facts to Know
By federal law, employers are required to provide break times for nursing mothers. In fact, this legal requirement has been in place since March 2010 (when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, PPACA, amended Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA). And if you aren’t familiar …
The Gender Pay Gap: A Look at the Numbers
While you may be aware of the gender pay gap in the U.S., looking at the numbers can delineate just how big this gap is – and how it has changed over recent years. These numbers may also be one of the keys to working towards closing this gap and having income be based on merit/skills/effort, rat…
Red Lobster to Pay $160,000 to Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment Case
Red Lobster Restaurants LLC has agreed to pay $160,000 to settle an EEOC sexual harassment case (EEOC v. Red Lobster Restaurants LLC, Civil Action No. 1:13-cv-02860-MJG).
While the EEOC reportedly tried to reach a pre-litigation settlement with Red Lobster via its conciliation process, the…
Equality for LGBT Workers: A Look at the Executive Order on LGBT Workplace Discrimination
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people will now receive the same protections from workplace discrimination as are enjoyed by so many, as a new Executive Order on LGBT Workplace Discrimination has officially gone into effect as of April 2015.
An Atlanta discrimination lawyer t…
Supreme Court Decision Regarding Discrimination Cases Lauded by EEOC
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) unanimously ruled that reviews of EEOC’s conciliation efforts may only be “relatively bare-bones” and that it’s only necessary for the EEOC to “afford the employer a chance to discuss and rectify a specified discriminatory practice.”
Effectivel…
Gender Discrimination and the Equal Pay Act: FAQs (Pt. 3)
Wrapping up our blog series entitled Gender Discrimination and the Equal Pay Act: FAQs, below, we will answer some more common questions about workers’ rights to equal pay under federal law.
Gender Discrimination and the Equal Pay Act: Here’s What Else You Should Know
Q – Are there laws other…
Gender Discrimination and the Equal Pay Act: FAQs (Pt. 2)
Resuming Gender Discrimination and the Equal Pay Act: FAQs (Pt. 1), here, more questions regarding workers’ rights to equal pay will be answered.
Gender Discrimination and the Equal Pay Act: More Answers
Q – Is it ever OK for an employer to pay men and women different wages when they are both…
Gender Discrimination and the Equal Pay Act: FAQs (Pt. 1)
Equal pay is a family issue. Women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force and are a growing number of breadwinners in their families. More women are also working in positions and fields that have been traditionally occupied by men. When women are not paid fairly, not only do they suffer, but…
EEOC Announces Plans for New Workplace Harassment Study
Yesterday, the Chair of the EEOC, Jenny R. Yang revealed that the Commission will be conducting an in-depth study on workplace harassment over the course of the next year or so.
Led by a 16-member Select Task Force, this study will specifically analyze:
The current state of workplace haras…
A Look at EEOC-Enforced Laws: 9 Prohibited Practices for Employers (Pt. 3)
Wrapping up our series A Look at EEOC-Enforced Laws: 9 Prohibited Practices for Employers, here, we’ll highlight some more discriminatory actions that are illegal for U.S. employers.
Additional Prohibited Practices for Employers
7 – Discriminating in Training Programs
When employers have app…
A Look at EEOC-Enforced Laws: 9 Prohibited Practices for Employers (Pt. 2)
Resuming A Look at EEOC-Enforced Laws: 9 Prohibited Practices for Employers (Pt. 1), here, we’ll continue pointing out some of the specific discriminatory actions that employers in the U.S. are NOT allowed to take, according to current U.S. law.
More Prohibited Practices for Employers
4 – Dis…
A Look at EEOC-Enforced Laws: 9 Prohibited Practices for Employers (Pt. 1)
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the authority that oversees the enforcement of U.S. laws prohibiting various kinds of workplace discrimination.
In this blog series, we’ll highlight some of the specific practices these laws prohibit American employers from doing, as wel…
EEOC Sues FedEx Ground for Institutional Disability Discrimination
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has filed suit against the shipping company FedEx Ground Package System, Inc., (“FedEx Ground”) claiming that the employer violated federal law nationwide by discriminating against a large class of deaf and hard-of-hearing package…
Pregnancy Discrimination and Light Duty – Hope on the Horizon?
In a blog post last month, I discussed the dilemma of the pregnant employee whose medical restrictions (i.e. not being allowed to lift something heavy) prevents her from doing something her employer considers the central function of her job. Is that employee out of a job? Can it be that her only…
A New First for the EEOC
A couple of weeks ago, the EEOC filed its first ever lawsuits over alleged sex discrimination against transgender individuals. In both lawsuits, transgender workers were fired for being transgender and not conforming to the employer’s gender-based expectations. Both cases involve employees who we…
FLSA violations in the Oil and Gas Industries
Recent U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) investigations into the oil and gas industry have uncovered an alarming trend of companies underpaying workers, many of whom perform high-risk jobs, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). These violations seem particularly egregious when you…
Meet the Barrett and Farahany Team
Meet Linda Petmecky!
Linda joined Barrett & Farahany, LLP as an Administrative Assistant in 2010 and is now a Litigation Paralegal. Linda was born and raised in Atlanta and graduated from Emory University with a degree in Economics. She has four kids who share a great enthusiasm for SEC football…
This Week in Employment Law
Here’s some of what happened this week in the employment law world!
Pregnancy Discrimination, Special Delivery – Pregnancy Discrimination is a hot topic in employment law news today. Now SCOTUS will hear Young v. United Parcel Service this December after Judge Alisson Duncan found no evidence o…
Pregnancy Discrimination and Light Duty
Being pregnant is difficult, occasionally frustrating work! One of the frustrations that comes with being pregnant is the physical limitations such pregnancy imposes. For instance, doctors often order pregnant women to not lift anything over a certain number of pounds. What can you do if your job…
Oakland Raiders Agree to Pay Their Raiderettes
Fall is here, bringing cooler temperatures and the start of football season. Cheerleaders, who traditionally yell for their teams on the sidelines, have now started to speak out against their employers for committing illegal wage theft in courtrooms around the country. Last week, the Oakland Raid…