Author Archives: Employment and Commerce Law Group
Supreme Court Ruling Allows Employers to Steal from Employees
Last month the Supreme Court severely limited workers’ rights to fight employers who commit “wage theft” from their employees. It didn’t get the fanfare it should have since it didn’t involve any celebrities or the latest must-see video. However it’s…
Are Short Breaks Taken at Work For Health Reasons Compensable? What About Time Spent Traveling to and from Work?
Wage theft occurs when employers don’t pay employees everything they are owed by law. Generally, the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay employees for all work time. There are common issues in FLSA and some gray areas…
Discrimination Against Transgenders Illegal Says Sixth Circuit
The Sixth Circuit ruled this week federal anti-discrimination laws apply to transgender individuals in the workplace. The Sixth Circuit covers the states of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. In the case of EEOC v. R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes,…
Why Do I Need An Employment Lawyer?
Each state has specific guidelines for employers, and navigating these laws can be tricky. Most employees don’t know whether they have a case against their employer or former employer, and find themselves questioning: Do I need an employment lawyer? Why…
Burberry Pays $2.54 million in Overtime Settlement
Luxury retailer Burberry has agreed to pay $2.54 million to its workers in settlement for its failure to pay employees overtime , aka “wage theft“. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of employees who say they were regularly…
The Unpaid Intern - Am I Owed Overtime or Minimum Wage?
Job prospects are tough for young people these days, especially in some of the “glamour” industries like professional sports and the music industry- as a result employers in these and other industries are using these unpaid interns for free labor….
Overtime for Truckers, Drivers, and Loaders
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, many types of workers are not guaranteed overtime pay due to exemptions ranging from computer professionals to sugar processing employees. One of the largest exemptions includes folks working in the over the road transportation…
Independent Contractors vs. Employees
If you have spent time in the working arena, you probably know certain folks are categorized as an independent contractor instead of an employee? Legally speaking, its a big difference. Individuals who are classified as independent contractors save an employer…
Employment At-Will, What Does It Actually Mean?
What exactly does it mean when they say a certain state is an “employment at will” state? In simple terms, it means that an employee can be fired at any time, regardless if the employer has a legitimate excuse or…
Tip Pools - Whose Tips Are They Anyway???
Tip pools are common in the service industries; tips are important to service employees obviously as the industry has a lower required minimum wage than other industries. The minimum wage for tipped employees is only $2.13 and has not been…
