Most people think about the abusive treatment of employees at work when they consider the meaning of illegal discrimination. While the discriminatory treatment of members of protected classes in the workplace is both personal and noticeable, workplace discrimination can also be institutionalized and be exercised through the company’s policies. Company policies that have a disparate
Whistleblower laws provide important protection for employees who report their employers for engaging in illegal activities or violating the safety standards established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA. OSHA is the federal agency that is tasked with administering the whistleblower provisions found in 22 federal statutes. Here is an overview of the
Under the federal Equal Pay Act, employers in New Jersey are required to pay men and women who have substantially similar jobs equally. This law covers all types of compensation, including salaries, stock options, insurance benefits, commissions, and bonuses. However, many employers fail to pay male and female employees equally, and women continue to earn
Millions of women in the U.S. experience discrimination based on pregnancy each year. Pregnancy is not a covered disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, workplace discrimination based on a worker’s pregnancy status is unlawful under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. This law prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on a worker’s pregnancy. Employers
Under federal law, sexual harassment can take several forms in the workplace. The workplace sexual harassment definition might include inappropriate comments, demanding sexual favors in exchange for providing work benefits, displaying obscene photos, and other examples. Determining what is illegal harassment and what is acceptable can be difficult. By looking at how the courts and
When people experience workplace discrimination based on their protected characteristics in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, they can file discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC is the federal agency that enforces federal anti-discrimination laws. When it receives a discrimination charge, the agency will investigate to determine whether discrimination occurred. If the agency
Federal and state anti-discrimination laws prohibit discrimination based on an applicant’s or employees protected characteristics. Employment discrimination can happen in many ways, and the conduct can be overt or subtle. Prohibited discrimination in the workplace happens when an employer treats a member of a protected class differently than other workers based on the employee’s protected
Most employers in the U.S. are required to pay an overtime premium to non-exempt workers who work more than 40 hours per week. This premium is based on the worker’s normal hourly wage and is 50% of it. An employee who works overtime hours must be paid one-and-one-half times his or her regular hourly wage
While non-exempt, statutory employees in New Jersey are entitled to receive overtime pay for the hours that they work above 40 in a workweek, exempt workers are not entitled to the overtime premium. While the Fair Labor Standards Act and New Jersey’s labor laws regulate the rules concerning worker pay, little guidance is provided for
Many people experience stress in their jobs. When workers are forced to deal with regular work-related stress as well as a coworker’s outrageous behavior, the stress that they experience may be overwhelming. If you have asked your manager for help with dealing with your coworker’s poor behavior, your manager might not follow through or take