Editor
Donna Ballman is the award-winning author of The Writer’s Guide to the Courtroom: Let’s Quill All the Lawyers, a book geared toward informing novelists and screenwriters about the ins and outs of the civil justice system. She’s been practicing employment law, including negotiating severance agreements and litigating discrimination, sexual harassment, noncompete agreements, and employment law issues in Florida since 1986. Her blog on employee-side employment law issues is Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home. To find out more about Donna, visit her on Red Room.
It's that most wonderful time of the year. Mistletoe, eggnog and holiday parties in the office make employment lawyers rub their hands together with glee. That's because we get very busy in January after all the party-related firings. There's sexual harassment, discrimination, recriminations, finger-pointing ...
Continue Reading »In honor of Jobs Week on AOL Jobs, I want to speak up in praise of an entity that has taken a beating this year – the labor union. Anti-union sentiment has spread from state to state, and union busting has become popular under the banner of money savings. Before your billionaire CEO convinces you that ...
Continue Reading »With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast and earthquakes shaking it up, I thought it would be important to address what the employer's obligations are if they close the office due to a natural disaster. Whether an employee is entitled to be paid when the office is closed depends on whether they are ...
Continue Reading »Most employment cases aren't going to be those big headline multimillion dollar awards. Usually, if you're lucky, you might recover lost wages and benefits. Very few cases result in big money for the former employee, so don't assume you have a winning lottery ticket as soon as a coworker makes a racist or ...
Continue Reading »I usually recommend against complaining about your boss. It can be satisfying to complain, but complaining can get you fired. There's no First Amendment in the private workplace, and even government employees' free speech rights are limited. If you say your boss is incompetent or unprofessional, you aren't ...
Continue Reading »Just because you're salaried doesn't mean you're automatically exempt from overtime. Most employees are entitled to be paid overtime (1.5 times your regular hourly rate) under the Fair Labor Standards Act for any hours worked over 40 per week. Some employees are exempt, but not nearly as many as most employers ...
Continue Reading »I sometimes have people tell me they started their new job and then found out there was no health insurance. They express shock -- but they have to give me insurance, don't they? No, they don't. There is no law requiring any employer to provide any particular benefits to employees. There are some tax ...
Continue Reading »Almost everyone I talk to about this issue is absolutely sure they're entitled to two 15 minute work breaks and one lunch break a day. Almost everyone is wrong. Before you smart off to your boss who's demanding you return to work before you finish your coffee, here are 10 things you need to know about work ...
Continue Reading »If you have an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, you might be covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Many people are confused about their rights and responsibilities if they have a covered disability, and whether or not they are covered. Here are 15 things you need to ...
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Undercover Yet Again
The popular show is back for a third season.Undercover Boss
Success Secrets
Celebs share the secrets to their success. Secrets Of Success
The Water Cooler
These stories are sure to give you something to talk about.
