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Don’t Speak English? Don’t Worry, English Speaking Only Policies in the Workplace Violate the Law
With more and more diverse and multi-lingual employees in the workplace, employers might institute a workplace rule requiring employees to speak only English in the workplace. Be wary of these policies as they can constitute a form of national origin discrimination in violation of federal and state laws. An English-only policy will be found to […]
CAN YOU SUE YOUR EMPLOYER FOR BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE?
The Workplace Bullying Institute reports that 35% of working adults have reported being bullied at work, and 40% of those targeted never tell their employers according to the 2010 & 2007 U.S. Workplace Bullying Surveys
SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA CONFIRMS THAT ONLY FEMALE HUMANS CAN GET PREGNANT
Last week in Delva v. The Continental Group, Inc., the Supreme Court of Florida held that the Florida state law prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sex includes pregnancy discrimination. Significantly, in support of its analysis, the Court recognized the obvious—namely that pregnancy is “a natural condition unique to females and a primary characteristic of the female […]
JOB-PROTECTED LEAVE: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – Domestic and Sexual Violence Leave
Our first blog in the Job-Protected Leave series addresses Florida law and taking time from work due to domestic or sexual violence. Florida Statute §741.313 provides for up to three days of job-protected leave every 12 months to employees who need time off to deal with protection from domestic or sexual violence. It covers things like seeing an attorney, getting a restraining order, going […]
JOB PROTECTED LEAVE: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)
Our second blog on job-protected leave addresses your rights to take leave from work based on the Family and Medical Leave Act, also known as the FMLA, for medical-related reasons for you or your family. The FMLA allows you up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave every 12 months for the following reasons To care for your own serious […]
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: Clarifying Your Right to Free Speech
If you work for the government, do you have a First Amendment right to speak out without fear of retribution? You may. Just yesterday, the United States Supreme Court in Lane v. Franks, et al., — S.Ct. —-, 2014 WL 2765285 U.S. (2014), further clarified a government employee’s First Amendment rights. Essentially, if you, as a government employee, […]
JOB-PROTECTED LEAVE: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – Military Leave Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
Our third blog in the Job-Protected Leave series addresses your employment rights as a military service member. When you report for military duty, the law requires your employer to keep your job or a similar job open for you until you return. What’s more, you are entitled to all the job benefits that you would have had if you had stayed on […]
NEWS FLASH: Minimum Wage to Increase
The minimum wage for non-exempt employees in Florida will increase to $8.05 per hour starting January 1, 2015. This is an increase of $.12 from the current rate of $7.93. The federal minimum wage rate has not changed from $7.25; however, since Florida’s minimum wage rate is higher than the federal minimum wage rate, Florida’s […]