Your Voice for Justice in Ohio Employment and Civil Rights Matters
Under both state and federal law, employers are required to pay certain employees for any time worked in excess of 40 hours per week, at a rate of one and one-half times their usual wage. This means that with the minimum wage currently set at $8.30 per hour in Ohio, employers who pay their employees on an hourly basis (with…
In 2006, Ohio voters approved an amendment to the state’s Constitution, as a result of which, the minimum wage is scheduled to increase every year based on inflation rates. The current 2018 Ohio minimum wage of $8.30 per hour for non-tipped employees and $4.15 for tipped workers, will increase next month to $8.55 and $4.30 respectively. Unlike this year, the…
The school agreed to pay almost $1 million and toughen its age discrimination policies in response to a lawsuit filed by two ESL instructors. According to the plaintiffs, administrators in the English as a Second Language program systematically tried to force out older instructors. In an email inadvertently forwarded to colleagues, the program’s head complained that he must die with…
Many families in Columbus depend on overtime pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act sets out specific rules as to who is entitled to overtime pay and who is not. Contrary to what employers would like to believe, these categories are not self-explanatory. Executives This exception comes up quite frequently with regard to charge nurses, shift supervisors, and other employees with…
For the most part, employers hate the Family Medical Leave Act. They may talk about a family-friendly workplace that emphasizes work-life balance, but for the most part, that is just talking. Employers want people who come to work regularly and are focused on their jobs when they are there. Given this animosity, it is essential that workers know some of…
One former employee at a California dietary supplement firm will receive $50,000 because the company fired her after she said she was pregnant. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a worker informed supervisors at Tarr & Zenith that she was pregnant. A few days later, her bosses terminated her. The company fought the action until the EEOC finally filed…
A recent Supreme Court case significantly expanded the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime exemptions. As a result, fewer workers in Columbus may be eligible for time-and-a-half and other wage benefits. In Encino Motorcars v. Navarro, a sharply-divided Court held that automobile dealer service advisers were primarily salesmen and therefore not eligible for overtime. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence…
Eight current and former employees in Northern California will receive $850,000 due to proving allegations of sexual harassment on the night shift. How does this case affect your Columbus sexual harassment claim? According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, six of the claimants were young women with developmental disabilities who were at their very first jobs. The action also covered…
Seasons 52, a division of Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden), agreed to pay $2.8 million and abide by a consent decree to settle a large age discrimination claim. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, restaurant managers rejected older female applicants in favor of people who were “younger and fresher.” The bar-and-grill chain also rejected older male applicants because they were…
Late last year, the Ohio Legislature passed a law amending the state’s minimum wage law. Starting on January 1, 2018, the wage increased from Ohio’s minimum wage of $8.15 to $8.30 per hour. The change marks an increase of more than a dollar over the federal threshold. Similarly, the new wage for tipped employees will also increase from $4.08 to…