As an employee within a company, it is likely that you see yourself as a loyal and hardworking team player, and your competence at your job likely forms part of your identity. It is common for people to feel a sense of purpose through their employment, and much of...
Employer retaliation doesn’t just happen to whistleblowers
Retaliation in the workplace is a widespread problem. In fact, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, retaliation constitutes the single most common complaint that federal workers bring against their employers. It is also a major issue in private...
Supreme Court expands Title VII protections
In a historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that Title VII, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This decision effectively provides greater workplace protections...
‘AT-WILL’ RIGHTS OR WRONGFUL TERMINATION: HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE
Ohio is an “at-will” employment state. This means that under Ohio law, the employee and employer are both allowed to put an end to employment at any time without a reason and without warning. This is a point of confusion for many of our clients. We are often asked how...
FIVE SIGNS OF A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT
Lots of people dread going to work. For some, they’d simply rather be home or on vacation, but others have darker reasons for their dread. A hostile work environment can be toxic for employees and can cause serious misery that makes them feel trapped and frustrated....
QUID PRO QUO HARASSMENT EXPLAINED
There are two types of workplace sexual harassment that have been recognized in court: a hostile workplace environment and quid pro quo harassment. Though not quite as common as the creation of a hostile work environment, quid pro quo...
EMPLOYMENT BASICS: THE WARN ACT
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act was enacted in 1988 and came into effect in early 1989. This law protects workers by requiring that employers who have 100 plus employees to give their employees at least 60-day notice if they are going to...
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
If you are someone who pays other people to do work for you or your business, you need to understand the difference between employees and independent contractors. We are always surprised by how many people are unclear on the differences, so we decided to shed some...
PREVAILING WAGE SIMPLIFIED
You’ve probably heard of minimum wage, but have you heard of the related employment law concept of prevailing wage? Prevailing wage is the rate that employees of contractors and vendors must be paid when working with a government agency. Prevailing Wage in Ohio In...
why-should-i-pay-attention-to-the-notices-provision-in-my-contract
If you are a business owner engaging in a partnership, joint venture, or other entrepreneurial arrangement involving multiple parties, the importance of a solid and fair business contract cannot be overstated. In this age of constant electronic communication, one...