Defining Discrimination: Have You Been a Victim?
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. These federal laws include laws protecting against discrimination based on: Race, ethnicity or national origin Religion Sexual orientation Pregnancy Age Disability Sex or...
For Employers: Avoiding Discrimination Lawsuits Based on Employee (Mis)Behavior
As the owner or manager of small or mid-sized business, you may feel that you have protected your business from the risk of avoidable workplace discrimination lawsuits simply by regulating your behavior and that of your management colleagues. You might keep scrupulous...
FMLA Benefits & Eligibility
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) permits eligible employees to take unpaid leave for specified family and medical reasons without risk of losing their jobs and with continuation of existing health insurance. Before the FMLA became law, employees could...
Blowing The Whistle on Misconduct — And Facing The Consequences
Employees who witness wrongdoing by a business, corporation or its officers may become whistleblowers. Some whistleblowers have been asked by their bosses to do something that they believe is illegal or unethical. Many individuals who witness such illegal actions are...
What to Do if You Have a Discrimination Claim
Federal law makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against someone on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, disability, national origin, creed, family status, or status in regards to military service. Each of these designations is considered to be a protected...
Defining Discrimination: Have You Been a Victim?
Discrimination in the workplace can be so subtle that it may take a long time to realize what is happening to you. Perhaps someone makes comments about your age, gender, race, or disability on a regular basis while smiling and claiming to only be kidding. In...
Overtime Eligibility: Should You Be Getting Paid More for Your 40+ Hours?
In Georgia, certain workers who put in more than 40 hours per week must be paid a minimum hourly wage of $10.88. This figure is one-and-a-half times the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which is used in lieu of the state minimum wage of $5.15. Overtime wage...
Has Your Employer Violated Your HIPAA Privacy?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is designed to protect an individual’s health information from inappropriate disclosure. Even though HIPAA has been in effect for a number of years, HIPAA violations still occur. Following are some of the...
Elements of a Hostile Work Environment
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects against employment discrimination. In particular, it protects against discrimination that unreasonably interferes with an employee’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment....