Blog Posts in 2018

• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Does the denial of a job offer for wearing dreadlocks constitute race discrimination?

  An African-American woman has petitioned the Supreme Court to review her race-discrimination matter. She asserts that she was offered a job as a customer service representative, but the offer was rescinded when she refused cut her dreadlocks. If ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  DOL issues 3 new opinion letters

  The Department of Labor (DOL) has just issued three new opinion letters on various topics that affect the enforcement of wage and hour rules and regulations. While the opinion letters do not have the force of law, they do provide guidance concerning ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Exemptions need not be "narrowly" construed

  A recent Supreme Court decision concerning how workers are classified (whether as exempt or non-exempt) may potentially have widespread impact on this issue. In the matter, a car dealership classified workers as exempt. If a worker is considered ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Jury awards $17 million in national origin discrimination case

  A federal jury has just awarded a man almost $17 million in a national origin discrimination case. According to court documents, the man was repeatedly criticized and berated because his Arab background and his accent. The man is highly educated ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Federal Whistleblower Center Supports Legislation Supporting Employees who Report Harassment

  The National Whistleblower Council has just signed a letter in support of H.R. 4924 which seeks to provide greater workplace protections to congressional staff who complain of workplace harassment. The Council is also urging the development of ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Spending Bill Provides Protections to Tipped Workers

  Congress has just passed its new proposed spending bill, which includes a welcome provision protecting restaurant workers ability to keep the tips they earn. The bill sets forth that owners and managers may not retain the tips earned by tipped ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Sex Discrimination Laws Protect Transgender Workers, Federal Court Rules

  Two recent cases have bolstered support for the conclusion that Title VII prohibitions against sex discrimination extend to and include sexual orientation discrimination. In the first, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that a funeral home ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Pay considerations for employees who want to work remotely

  With more and more companies providing ways from employees to work remotely, what happens when an employee who typically performs in-office work, calls in sick and requests to work from home? What are the FLSA implications? The answer depends, ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  How Does Daylight Savings Time Affect My Pay?

  This weekend marks the beginning of daylight savings time. On Sunday, March 11 at 2 a.m., time will “spring ahead” one hour for most states across the country. Late shift workers and other over-night employees may wonder about the impact ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Federal Court Determines Title VII Prohibits Transgender Discrimination

  In a recent landmark case, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits transgender workplace discrimination. The court also determined that employers may not use the Religious Freedom Act as an ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Whistleblower Lawsuit Filed Against HUD Secretary

  A federal official has just filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that she was demoted for refusing to go over budget and pay more than was allowed to decorate Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson’s office. According to the ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Federal Appeals Court Determines Title VII Protections Against Sex Discrimination Include Sexual Orientation Discrimination

  On Monday, a second federal court of appeals determined that sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964 extends to and includes sexual orientation discrimination. The New York federal appeal court determined that ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  The Importance of Cracking Down on Minimum Wage Violations

  A recent investigation by Politico determined that as legislative fights continue concerning raising the minimum wage, enforcement of current minimum wage laws can be a challenge. The national minimum wage remains at $7.25/hour, with several cities ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  As Hiring Practices Change, Employers Must Use Care Not to Discriminate

  As the workplace evolves, both in how employers seek new hires, and the day-to-day performance of tasks, it is important that employees’ basic rights are respected and are not inadvertently violated with the changing times. For example, when ...

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• Posted By Buckley Beal, LLP

  Whistleblower lawsuit alleges CMO was terminated for reporting fraud

  The chief medical officer of a large medical center in the southeast has just sued the hospital in a whistleblower lawsuit asserting that he fired after he testified about the hospital’s alleged improper admissions practices, patient safety ...

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