White Plains Employment And Commercial Law Blog

For New Yorkers finding out that they are pregnant, it is an exciting time. It means starting or expanding a family. But, it also means adapting one's life around the charges that occur during the pregnancy. It might be difficult to work or continue certain job tasks because of the normal symptoms of pregnancy.

However, employers cannot change the way they treat their employee just because she is pregnant. Even more so, if a woman develops a medical condition because of her pregnancy or has a high-risk pregnancy, an employer must accommodate her so she can continue to work.

Employees tend to know the basics when it comes to their rights in the workplace. Discrimination and harassment tend to be highlighted situations, where employees have the right to take a stance and protect his or her rights. However, some employees may not fully understand that their rights extend beyond just speaking out about their mistreatment. When employees observe unlawful activity by an employer, he or she has the right to blow the whistle on their employee.

While this might be the appropriate step for employees in New York and elsewhere to take, it is not always an easy one to take. There is often the fear that an employer will retaliate and even fire an employee for taking such actions. However, employees have the right to blow a whistle on an employer for breaking the law, and whistler blower rights protect an employee when doing so.

Whether New Yorkers were just hired for a job or have been at the same position for years, it is important for employees to understand their rights in the workplace. And, even when one is fully aware of these rights, this does not always mean they will be upheld. Maybe it is a co-worker, supervisor or boss. No matter who it is, mistreatment, harassment and discrimination in the workplace is not only uncomfortable, but is also illegal.

In order to stand up against sexual harassment in the workplace, "Time's Up" recently announced its initiative to combat sexual harassment in the advertising industry. Since this organization began, this is the first industry specific effort, and more than 1,000 prominent women in the entertainment fields launched it.

Flirting in the workplace is a hot topic right now. As the pendulum swings from the abusive sexist environments from decades past, many fear that it might swing too far the other way. The most echoed statement when the topic comes up is "Where is the line now?"

With the rise of the #MeToo movement and powerful men such as Matt Lauer and children's book author Sherman Alexie standing accused of sexual harassment, there is no better time to consider that question. Taking into account all of the various ways people interact, nearly everyone has flirted with a co-worker at some point. However, if you have questions about the line, consider the following list of clearly harassing actions.