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September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month and, this weekend, our Firm is helping our young friend Benjamin Brave and his family raise money to support pediatric cancer research and provide assistance to families who face the daunting financial ramifications of cancer treatment.

8 year old Benjamin was diagnosed with leukemia almost two years ago when his mom took him to his …

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Despite President Trump’s repeated campaign promises to protect LGBTQ employees he is doing the exact opposite.  

I’ve tried to keep on open mind about this presidency.  I really have.  When President Trump promised during his campaign that he was going to protect LGBTQ people, I thought there was a *small* chance he might actually keep that promise.  Yet he has …

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Clients and potential clients tell us all the time that they think they have been the victim of a “wrongful termination.”  Oftentimes, what employees actually mean when they say “wrongful” is unfair or baseless.  And, every time a client or potential client tell us this we have to tell them that there is no independent legal claim for wrongful termination.

I …

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Some say the Working Families Flexibility Act benefits employees while others worry employers will use it to cheat employees out of wages.

This week the House of Representatives passed the Working Families Flexibility Act which would amend the FLSA’s overtime regulations and give employers the option of offering employees comp time instead of overtime.

The Act would allow employers to offer employees comp time (more vacation time) …

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The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals hands down a seminal ruling holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects LGBT employees from workplace discrimination.

I have long bemoaned the fact that federal law does not protect LGBT employees from discrimination. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outlaws discrimination based on “sex” but courts have always interpreted that to refer …

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Recording workplace conversations will bring you nothing but heartache.

Many of the clients or potential clients with whom I speak tell me that they either have been or are currently surreptitiously recording workplace conversations.  They are usually so excited when they tell me this because they assume the recording will be a smoking-gun piece of evidence to support their claims.  I cringe every …

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Employment Law Optimism

Because the world feels just a teensy bit tense lately, we are going to start every week with a list of Monday Morning Good Things for Employees–a compilation of the previous weeks’ good news.  Last week, proving good things often come from chaos, there seemed to be quite a bit of good news for employees.

• LGBTQ employment rights (in the federal sector at least) live to see another day. Despite …

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Companies cannot turn a blind eye to third-party sexual harassment.

A Chicago jury recently awarded a woman $250,000 in emotional distress damages after her employer failed to protect her from third-party sexual harassment.  In this case the third-party was a customer.

In EEOC v. Costco, the EEOC filed suit on behalf of the Plaintiff after Costco failed to take steps to protect her …

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 Cheers to More Employee Protections

Ok, we realize that not everyone gets as excited about employment law as we do.  Nevertheless, there are eight new employments laws on the books that we think you should know about and which we think warrant some celebration.

1. Common sense for sick time.  Falling under the category of employment laws that never should have had to become …

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Office holiday parties cause hangovers and headaches for companies and employees.

Every year around this time employment lawyers start feeling anxious. No, it’s not the end of the year push or the rush to hit deadlines.  It’s the dreaded office holiday parties.

Our friends on the other side of the bar who represent employers collectively shudder at the thought of …

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