Chillicothe Employment Lawyer

Employment law can get complicated quickly. There are state and federal laws that apply, and employers must comply with all of them. Some Ohio laws provide greater protections to employees than federal laws do. 

Employment law encompasses many elements. For example, workers are to be paid a fair wage that meets or exceeds minimum wage law requirements. Currently, the minimum wage is $9.30 an hour in Ohio. 

Wage issues are not the only issues that you may encounter in the workplace. Discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and benefits are also important issues that workers face. If you have employment concerns, seek legal help from the Chillicothe employment lawyers at Marshall Forman & Schlein.

Common Employment Law Issues

Some of the most common employment law issues include the following:

• Minimum wage disputes. Minimum wage disputes are some of the most common employment law issues. Your employer is required to pay you at least the state’s minimum wage for all work performed and cannot force you to work for tips without paying you other wages.

• Overtime disputes. A workweek consists of 40 hours. If you work more than 40 hours in one week, Ohio’s overtime law requires that you be paid 1.5 times your regular hourly rate. So, instead of $20 an hour, for example, you would be paid $30 an hour. Some professions are exempt from this law, though.

• Discrimination. Discrimination refers to unfair treatment toward a person based on a protected class, such as age, race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and genetic information. It is still a huge problem in many workplaces across the United States. 

• Harassment. There are two main types of harassment in American workplaces: sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other types of verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. A hostile work environment occurs when a person’s conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an offensive work environment.  

• Wrongful termination. Wrongful termination occurs when an employer fires an employee for the wrong reasons. Some examples include race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. A person also cannot be fired for retaliation, such as serving on a jury, filing a workers’ compensation claim, or because they are the victim of sexual harassment. 

• Salary misclassification. Employers often engage in salary misclassification to avoid paying an employee for overtime. They also do this to avoid having to pay for workers’ compensation benefits.  This is done by classifying a non-exempt employee as an exempt one.

Contact a Chillicothe Employment Lawyer

Employment law encompasses many aspects. If you have concerns about wages, benefits, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, or other issues, you need to speak to someone who can help you understand your legal rights.

If you are dealing with a legal issue in the workplace, contact the Chillicothe employment lawyers at Marshall Forman & Schlein. We are willing to do what it takes to protect you. Schedule a consultation by calling (614) 463-9790 or filling out the online form.