As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, working people are faced with a number of significant challenges, from navigating extended periods of working remotely to experiencing mass layoffs. Because the current situation is in many ways unprecedented, it can be unclear what an employer may legally require of an employee during this time. In March, the EEOC, […]

Where in the world are working women equal to men? According to an international report released by the World Bank earlier this month, the nations that make this esteemed list are Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Canada. These nations had a perfect “100” score according to the World Bank’s Women, Business and […]

Fired?  Laid off?  I’m sure you have so many things running through your mind right now.  Here are a few things to consider when reviewing your severance agreement. DON’T be pressured to respond or sign immediately. Your employer must give you time to review the agreement.  I frequently hear of employers trying to pressure or […]

If you live in Kentucky and are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, you should be aware of new protections that may apply to you and your employer. Last month Kentucky passed the Pregnant Workers Act with bipartisan support, making it the 25th state to pass specific legislation to protect pregnant employees. Federal laws […]

When it comes to workplace discrimination, your rights often depend on the state where you work.  That’s because states can pass laws that offer even stronger protections for employees than federal law.  Last year, New Jersey did just that when it passed what may be the broadest pay equity law in the nation, the Diane […]

Every few months, social media is set ablaze with reports of an African-American employee, usually a woman, told by her boss to change her hair or face disciplinary action or termination. For example, in January, Brittany Noble, a black female news anchor in Jackson, Mississippi, alleged that she was fired for wearing her natural hair […]

The devil is in the details. In this case, the details are pay data collected by the United States government in an attempt to quantify, if possible, gender or racial discrepancies in pay. With this in mind, during the Obama administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) decided to improve the quality of the pay […]

Thinking of raising a complaint to your Human Resources representative?  First, read these Dos and Don’ts from an employment law attorney. 1. DO read this article: “HR Is Not Your Friend: Here’s Why.” In representing clients in gender discrimination claims and pregnancy discrimination claims, I have learned that many employees think HR is there for […]

Although many employees describe what they face at work as a “hostile work environment,” frequently what they are experiencing or observing is evidence of another type of workplace discrimination. It is therefore important for employees who believe they are experiencing discrimination in the workplace—and the lawyers who represent them—to look closely and carefully at all […]

The longest federal shutdown in U.S. history is having devastating effects, placing hundreds of thousands of federal workers in economic peril and potentially crippling the delivery of basic services for Native American tribes. It has also shut down the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), delaying Americans from receiving justice where their employers have illegally […]