Zanesville Employment Law Attorney

Last updated on December 23, 2025

As an employee in the United States, you have certain rights. These include the right to be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, the right to work in an environment free of harassment and discrimination, and the right to take unpaid leave and return to the same or a substantially similar job after the birth of a child. These rights are guaranteed by laws that include the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In many states, state laws provide additional protections for workers. One example is the Ohio minimum wage of $8.30 per hour.

When your rights are violated in the workplace, you have the right to seek justice and in some cases, financial compensation for your related damages. Work with an experienced employment lawyer to determine the most effective way to handle your claim, because different types of claim are handled by different state and federal agencies.

Employment Cases We Handle

Our team works with individuals facing the following types of cases:

• Sexual harassment;
• Discrimination;
• Wage and hour disputes;
• Misclassifications;
• Wrongful termination; accommodations for disabilities
• Denial of compensation or benefits;
• Disability pay;
• Nonpayment of overtime compensation;
• Safety violations;
• Employee misconduct;
• At-will employment;
• Retaliation claims; and
• Issues related to noncompete agreements and other parts of employment contracts
• Severance agreements

What You Can Recover Through an Employment Claim

When you face a rights violation in the workplace, check your employer’s policies. Often, the first party to discuss your concerns with is your supervisor. Human resources should also be included in this discussion because often, issues can be corrected at this level.

If you cannot resolve your situation by working with your employer, speak with an experienced employment lawyer about your legal options. Depending on the nature of your case, you could file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Ohio Civil Rights Commission; the Ohio Department of Commerce, or the federal Department of Labor. After an investigation of your case, the government agency may determine an appropriate course of action and facilitate a settlement, which could include:

• Compensation for your lost wages and back pay, in cases of nonpayment of overtime compensation or failure to compensate you at the minimum wage. You can also be compensated front pay, the pay you would have received if you had continued to work at the company;
• Compensation for your medical bills if the violation resulted in your physical injury;
• Compensation for your emotional distress;
• Depending on the circumstances, reinstatement in your job; and
• If the claim is related to a reasonable accommodation you requested, your employer may be required to make this accommodation

Work with an Experienced Zanesville Employment Lawyer

If you suffered damages because of a violation of your workplace rights, contact our team of Zanesville employment lawyers at 614-762-9727 today to set up your initial consultation in our office.

Types of Employment Cases

The Ohio attorneys of Marshall Forman & Schlein LLC help employees and plaintiffs in all areas of labor and employment law, including:

• Compensation issues, such as wage & hour violations: Ohio law sets minimum standards governing minimum pay, required breaks, hours and overtime. If you are a nonexempt employee, you must be paid overtime; however, employers sometimes try to avoid this obligation by misclassifying employees as exempt to get around this requirement, which can, in some circumstances, result in overtime violations.
• Discrimination: State and federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against you based on age, ancestry, color, disability, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion or sex.
• Employment Contracts: Speak with one of our attorneys to review your employment contract and ensure that a provision of that contract has not been breached.
• Employment Fraud: This behavior includes defrauding an employee or a prospective employee by giving them false hope of a promotion, better benefits, etc.
• Misconduct: Defined as intentional disregard for the employer’s rules that can jeopardize their trust in the employee; an employee can be accused of (and may therefore want to defend themselves against) general or gross misconduct allegations.
• Noncompete Agreements: These agreements prohibit an employee from working for a competing employer or engaging in certain types of actions that would result in competition for the employer the agreement is made with. In Ohio, these agreements are enforceable, but there are very specific requirements that they must meet in order to be enforceable.
• Sexual Harassment: Federal and state law protects you from experiencing harassment in the workplace; harassment can include quid pro quo sexual harassment and hostile work environment harassment, including harassment on the basis of sex/gender, race, religion, national origin, ethnic group, ancestry, disability, and more.
• Severance Agreements/Separation Agreements: While severance is not required under Ohio law, some employers do offer severance pay for certain types of employees. It is wise to consult with an attorney before signing a Severance or Separation Agreement.
• Wrongful Termination: While your employment may be at-will, there are exceptions to legal termination in accordance with at-will employment if you are terminated in violation of your employment contract or due to discrimination, as well as in retaliation for being a whistleblower or in violation of other laws, such as the Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as in conjunction with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).