Worldwide, individuals with disabilities face social barriers and experience discrimination in situations across a broad spectrum of locations on a daily basis. These include opportunities to enjoy public buildings and community events, to participate in athletic events, and access to educational and employment opportunities, among others. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act… Read More
Employment Blog
Here you can find the most recent employment law news and commentary on cases around the country. If you need assistance with employment law, don't hesitate to call us.
Is Discriminating Against Overweight Employees Legal In Missouri?
While certain forms of discrimination may be frowned upon in the media, they are not necessarily overtly illegal. For instance, sexual orientation is not considered a protected class in Missouri. If an employer fires someone because he or she is gay, a lawyer would have to argue that this is a form of gender or… Read More
Do Undocumented Workers Have a Right to Sue for Unpaid Wages?
The 8th Circuit US Court of Appeals sent a strong message to employers in 2013. The Court decided to rule in favor of undocumented immigrants who had been employed by The Jerusalem Cafe in Westport. The Court determined that regardless of the legal status or citizenship of the employees who were hired to work at… Read More
Decline of Unions May be Responsible for Surge of Labor Lawsuits
One area of employment law that often gets overlooked is wage and hour litigation. This often involves the misclassification of employees as independent contractors or companies overtly expecting their employees to work overtime without compensating them correctly. Federal standards are set by US Department of Labor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Since 2000 there… Read More
PERC
In the Evergreen State, certain state employees have a right to request that a union represent them in collective bargaining. Washington has the Public Employment Relations Commission, or PERC, to manage labor issues with public employees. In its own words, PERC’s mission is “[t]o prevent or minimize the disruption to public services through the impartial,… Read More
Kansas City Corrections Employee Alleges She was the Target of Sexual Harassment
In December of 2017, a Missouri Department of Corrections employee filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Corrections. The suit alleges that male employees called her vulgar names, made inappropriate comments about her body, and asked for sex on numerous occasions. The plaintiff, Jennifer LeFleur alleges that the behavior continued both before… Read More
Amid Settlement for Unpaid Overtime, More Suits Arise Against Sprint
In the Summer of 2017, Sprint Corp. settled a lawsuit in which 153 of its employees claimed that Sprint required workers to under-report their hours while simultaneously demanding that they work beyond their regular schedule. In December, a second lawsuit was filed against Sprint that alleged the same by a former employee who had not… Read More
Nevada Supreme Court Decision Allows Employees to Sue for Wage Violations
In December of 2017, the Supreme Court of Nevada ruled that employees were entitled to file private suits against employers for unrecovered wages or other wage violations. Beforehand, employees were forced to file claims with the Nevada Labor Commissioner. The law, in effect, did not state that employees were expressly prohibited from filing claims in… Read More
Colorado Gets Serious About Unpaid Wages
The concept of working to earn money to support one’s self and/or a family is as old as the United States itself. Over the years, numerous movements have led to the creation of fair living wages, safe work environments, and protection from discriminatory practices. While it is true that employers continue to violate some basic… Read More
St. Louis Regional Chamber Targeted in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
In August of 2017, a female employee filed a lawsuit against the President of the St. Louis Regional Chamber alleging that she was passed up for promotion on multiple occasions due to gender discrimination. Karen Ellis served as the director of economic development at the Chamber. She is suing for $75,000. The lawsuit claims that… Read More