White Plains Employment And Commercial Law Blog

As the number of employees and former employees in New York who claim to have experienced sexual harassment and other employee rights violations increases, prominent people and employers are becoming more likely to be accused of misbehavior. This is part of the growing trend of people who were previously reluctant to come forward now feeling emboldened to do so and filing lawsuits seeking compensation for wrongdoing. When sexual harassment or other illegalities occur at work, those who are affected should think about their rights and understand that time might be of the essence to file a claim. Consulting with a qualified employment firm may prove beneficial when dealing with these circumstances.

The former talk show host Charlie Rose - who lost his job after a series of sexual harassment claims - is named in a new lawsuit along with media outlet Bloomberg. A female makeup artist asserts that she was subjected to a variety of workplace violations when working for Mr. Rose. While working for Mr. Rose for more than two decades, the woman claims she was abused because of her gender and was subjected to sexual harassment, among other inappropriate behaviors.

In New York and throughout the United States, sexual harassment in the workplace is increasingly being reported and addressed. After many years of employers and employees being at odds over this behavior, the rise of the #MeToo movement brought new focus on the problem. With that, lawmakers sought to take steps to ensure that workplaces were properly prepared to deal with the issue. Still, with allegations of employment law violations, the circumstances are rarely clear cut. Each side will have a perspective on what might or might not have occurred, and it can be difficult to sort through. When there is an allegation of sexual harassment, much of the focus will be on the alleged victim, but the employer should also be prepared to lodge a defense.

New York and New York City have implemented new rules for training regarding sexual harassment. The state's date for training compliance is rapidly approaching, falling in early-October.. This training must be completed on an annual basis. The city's training requirement was made official in April. There, all employees must have taken part in the training within one year. In the city, businesses were informed via mail. The state also reached out. However, it is still in question as to whether workplaces are adequately prepared to adhere to the new rules.

Workers in the New York service industry will laud certain benefits of the job. It can provide them with a steady income, flexible hours, and the freedom for other pursuits. Still, there are certain aspects that bartenders, wait staff, and others in the restaurant trade will feel negatively about. They are often confronted with various forms of illegality and mistreatment. That can include harassment, failure to pay full wages, and other forms of abuse. When there is a workplace violation, these workers can be intimidated from coming forward as they feel they cannot afford to lose their job. This is a mistake, and consulting with an employment law firm is imperative to ensure an individual is being fully protected, as evidenced by one recent case.

There, world famous chef Jose Andres is facing allegations that he underpaid employees at his New York food market. The case was filed by a bartender who stated she was paid less than the minimum wage per hour. She wants to be compensated for what she did not receive and requests that fellow employees also receive their wages. The woman worked at the establishment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and she also did extra work for two hours. However, she asserts that she was paid based on tips despite the extra work not being tipped. The restaurant claims that it has always paid its employees what they are owed.

Workers in New York and across the nation are now granted more freedom in lodging claims for compensation after their employee rights have been violated. Although it is easier for people to address cases when they have been mistreated, that does not mean certain behaviors will stop and people no longer need to worry about being subjected to employment violations. A recent study indicates that age discrimination is still a problem. Those who have faced it should remember their rights.

The study from Hiscox USA says that more than one in five workers who are older than 40 have been subjected to age discrimination in the U.S. Many of these victims are male. According to the head of the specialty insurer, this is a growing problem for people who are of a certain age and want to keep working and advancing in their employment. Of workers 40 and above, 21% stated they experienced discrimination because of their age. The age at which workers are likeliest to be discriminated against is 51. For the study, 400 workers in that age range took part in a survey.