Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Zillow Settles Class Action Lawsuit Alleging Labor Law Violations
It’s been a difficult year for online real estate database company the Zillow Group (“Zillow”), as this month, the company settled a class-action lawsuit accusing it of violating federal labor laws, agreeing to pay up to $6 million in association with the lawsuit. The company was specifically accused of failing to provide overtime and… Read More »
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Sues Company for Pay Discrimination
According to a lawsuit filed this month by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a concrete liner company—Spec Formliners, Inc.—violated federal law by paying female sales representatives less than male sales representatives. Not only did the company allegedly pay female workers less in terms of base pay, but the company also required women to… Read More »
Administration Defends Labor Law Executive Order
The Obama Administration’s “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” directive enabled federal agencies to turn away federal contractors with workplace violations, that is, until one federal district court judge blocked it. The order would have gone into effect on November 15th, making a strong statement that companies doing business with the federal government need to… Read More »
Changes Coming In Labor Law
On November 8th, the U.S. elected Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, potentially ushering in some significant changes in the field of labor law. First and foremost, with a change in administration comes a change in the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which has, until now, been heavily pro-labor. With… Read More »
With New Overtime Rules on The Horizon, It’s Time for Businesses to Prepare
As legally-mandated changes to the Federal Labor Standards Act—which go into effect on December 1st—are expected to affect the paychecks of over four million workers, businesses owners—especially smaller businesses—are now rushing to figure out how they can ensure that they are in compliance. In fact, it is shocking to see how many executives were… Read More »
Survey Indicates That Job Discrimination Is Getting Worse For Young African Americans
Recent survey results released by GenForward and gathered by the University of Chicago and Black Youth Project indicate that 48 percent of African Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 years old have experienced job discrimination–either during the application process or in performing the job itself. The issue is even more severe for… Read More »
Cancer Victims Are Protected Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
When most people think of protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they think of protection for those with physical or mental impairments—such as someone who is confined to a wheelchair—who can otherwise face job discrimination and undue hardship when it comes to employers providing reasonable accommodations at work. However, what many people… Read More »
Workers Sue for Not Being Classified As Official Employees
A lawsuit filed against Amazon.com on October 4th marks the latest case filed against companies for allegedly violating federal labor laws by classifying them as contractors rather than employees, arguably so that the companies can avoid paying overtime compensation for various work-related expenses. This is likely an issue we will see come to the… Read More »
New EEOC Guidance on Unlawful Retaliation
Employment discrimination can come in many forms. While you may think that harassment or wrongful termination may be the primary forms of unlawful discrimination in the workplace, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reports that the most common form of discrimination is actually retaliation. In fact, retaliation is reportedly a part of nearly half… Read More »
Common Industries With Wage Violations
Violations of federal or Florida labor laws can happen in any industry and in any size company. From large corporations to small businesses, wage and hour violations occur, whether they are due to errors or intentional wrongdoing. However, there are certain industries that have wage issues and complaints more often than others due to… Read More »
Robert S. Norell, Esq. became a member of the Florida Bar in 1994 and has represented hundreds of clients in all types of employment law cases for the past 20+ years.