Interview with partner Jeffrey K. Brown and associate Michael Tompkins of Leeds Brown Law, PC Aug 23, 2013 In June, a federal judge in New York ruled in favor of unpaid interns who worked at Fox Searchlight Pictures. The ruling did not make any determination that Fox Searchlight violated the law; however, it opened the […]
Feb. 21, 2012 While we often think of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act in connection with discrimination in the corporate workplace, it also protects teachers. In a recent discussion with Jeffrey Brown of the New York employment law firm of Leeds, Morelli & Brown, PC, we learned why Title VII is important […]
By David L. Hudson Jr. Sept. 28, 2009 Without a doubt one of the most impactful decisions in recent memory from the United States Supreme Court was its 2006 public-employee, free-speech decision in Garcetti v. Ceballos (2006). In this decision, the Court dramatically reduced the level of employee First Amendment claims by creating a categorical […]
COLUMN: The Law in Real Life by Linda Holmes, J.D. Sick Leave Policy: Legislation Could Ease Burden on Sick Workers Aug. 26, 2008 Think about the last time you ate food that other people had recently touched. Fast-food cooks, grocery store clerks, baristas — whoever. How confident are you that these people weren’t sick? Would […]
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 is a federal statute that protects workers from pay discrimination based on sex. It extends to jobs that require equal skill, equal effort, equal responsibility, and similar working conditions. This act prohibits disparity in pay for jobs that require equal skill, equal effort, equal responsibility, or similar working conditions. […]
With the exception of the broadcasting and motion picture industries, the rule for meal breaks is that no person may be employed for more than five hours without a meal break of fewer than 30 minutes. On the other hand, the meal period may be waived by mutual consent if an employee’s work day is […]
For most jobs, unless you were fired for gross misconduct, you have the option of continuing group health care coverage at your own expense for a determined period of months. Many employers with more than 20 employees have what is referred to as COBRA benefits, available for up to 18 months after termination. Many other […]
No law requires employers to pay you for time off, such as vacation or holidays. An employer also is legally allowed to deny vacations for part-time employees or deny them the benefit completely. Some states enforce the “use it or lose it” vacation policy, which takes away accrued vacation hours if employees do not use […]
Most states require employers to give their employees time off to cast their votes and can also prohibit employers from disciplining employees who take time off work to vote. Some states allow some employees time off only if they otherwise would not have enough time before or after work. Few states require employees to be […]
Losing a job due to failed drug-testing is difficult enough, but in some states, local laws may even allow your employer to deny unemployment, disability or other benefits. If you face a drug test related termination, or are just wondering what your risks are, brush up on your state’s laws.
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