Increasingly, employers have used credit checks to screen employees and make hiring and firing decisions. In fact, according to a 2018 HR.com report, as many as 16% of all employers in the United States conduct a credit check on all employees as part of the hiring process, and a third pull credit reports on at least some of their job candidates. But what is an employment credit check, and how can employers use them against their employees? Continue reading “How Employers Can Use a Credit Check Against An Employee”
Category: On-the-Job Issues
On-the-Job Issues explained by New York Employment Lawyer Steven Mitchell Sack
What is At-Will Employment, and Why Does it Matter?
By far the most common type of employment in the United States is what is known as at-will employment. In fact, it is estimated that nearly three quarters of all employees in the U.S. are considered to be at-will employees. But what does it mean for someone to be employed at-will, and why might that matter for you?
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Five Potential Signs of Religious Discrimination
As Steven Sack says in his book, Fired!, “The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits religious discrimination and requires employers to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of employees and prospective employees.” However, religious discrimination is a surprisingly common phenomenon in workplaces across the country, although many people do not realize it. Here are five ways employers may discriminate against employees on religious grounds:
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OSHA Announces Heat Illness Prevention Program
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to deal with the dangers of heat illness in employment settings. As Steven Sack notes in his book, Fired!, “The 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace,” and protecting employees from these sorts of hazards is part of their mandate. The program targets 70 high-risk sectors where employees frequently suffer the ill effects of exposure to high temperatures. It has also signaled that it will be moving forward with new rulemaking to help prevent heat illness, in order to better protect workers from injury and death.
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Five Potential Signs of Age Discrimination
Age discrimination is not discussed as often as other types of discrimination, but it is no less damaging for people and their careers. When employers choose to discriminate against their older employees, they can cause substantial harm to them and their career prospects. Here are five signs of age discrimination you may want to watch out for if you are 40 or older:
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What is an Arbitration Clause in Your Employment Contract?
It is increasingly common for employers to put arbitration clauses in their employees’ contracts. Unfortunately, many employees sign these contracts without understanding what they mean, unintentionally trapping themselves in a potentially troublesome legal arrangement. So what is an arbitration clause, and how can it affect you when it is in your employment contract?
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The Benefits of Unionizing Your Workplace
In the past few months, labor unions have seen significant growth, with major employers like Amazon and Starbucks seeing their employees begin to unionize. Though they have worked hard to discourage this trend, the increase in unionization shows just how beneficial organizing a union can be. Here are just some of the potential benefits of unionizing your workplace:
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What is the FMLA, and How Does it Help You?
A surprising number of American workers do not realize they are entitled to family and medical leave under federal law. This law, known as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), protects many workers by giving them a certain amount of leave every year for family or medical issues. But what is the FMLA, and how does it help employees?
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Labor Organizers Challenge Amazon Captive Audience Meetings
Amazon, the major shipping company, has been accused of engaging in unfair labor practices in its attempts to prevent the formation of unions at its workplaces. Among the major practices it has been accused of is the controversial use of “captive audience meetings” to discourage labor organizing. If challenges against the policy are ruled to be unlawful, it could have a severe impact on companies attempting to thwart unionization across the country.
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How Do Employers Use Performance Reviews Against Employees?
Performance reviews are a regular part of almost every job in existence, with employees evaluated based on their ability to adequately perform their job duties. In theory, these are innocuous, a sensible part of ensuring employees are on task and doing their jobs. In reality, however, performance reviews can be used as a tool to deprive employees of their pay and benefits, and to conceal potentially illegal labor practices. Continue reading “How Do Employers Use Performance Reviews Against Employees?”
