Employment Law

Discrimination • Wrongful Termination • Sexual Harassment • Family and Medical Leave • Employment Contracts • Severance Agreements

Employment law deals with the rights and obligations of employers and employees. Both state and Federal laws govern minimum wage, overtime pay, length of the workweek, employee benefits, workplace safety to discrimination, unemployment, disability and worker’ compensation issues.

Since 1912, employers in the U.S. have accepted an 8-hour workday as a norm. It was not until 1950 that Wages and Hours Act reduced the standard workweek from 44 to 40 hours. However, in some industries, workers such as those harvesting crops are permitted to work 72 hours per week, if they wish to do so.

State and Federal Laws Protect Employees

Child labor, which was common during the Industrial Revolution, is now virtually abolished in the United States. State and Federal employment laws and regulation have greatly expanded over the years.

Today, the major Federal laws that protect employees are:
Wages and Hours Act
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
ERISA Claims (Employee Retirement Income Security Act
FSLA (Fair Labor Standards Act)
FMLS Claims (Family and Medical Leave Act)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legal Help for Employees

While an employee and his employer may work together to resolve employment-related problems, conflicts often arise that require sound legal advice and guidance to resolve the problem.

Corporations and many mid to large sized businesses have Human Resource departments and in-house legal counsel to assist them when problems arise. An employee, on the other hand, must seek the legal services of an employment law attorney to protect his rights.

U.S. employment laws cover a myriad of issues that include, but are not limited to

Discrimination based on race, age, gender, religion, national origin or disability
Wage and hour irregularities
Sexual harassment
Employment advertising
Workplace testing
Wrongful termination
Retaliation in the workplace
Privacy on email and voice mail
Hostile work environment
Family and medical leave
On-the-job safety and health
Health insurance and retirement plans
Unemployment, disability and workers’ compensation insurance
Employment contractsRed
Reduction in workforce
Military leave

Employment Law Advice for Employees

Whether your employment law matter concerns sexual harassment, discrimination, a hostile work environment, retaliation in the workplace, wrongful termination, medical leave, a worker comp claim or you need assistance negotiating severance and employment agreements, an attorney with experience in employment law can ensure that your rights are protected and resolve your workplace issue.

Find a New York employment law attorney.