Milwaukee Employment Law Blog

Many jobs require you to perform repetitive tasks. Regardless of the industry you work in, repetition can become troublesome over time. However, if you experience swelling due to health conditions such as arthritis, it could hinder your ability to complete your duties.

You might be familiar with the ways in which inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect your joints. Additionally, nearly half of the people with RA experience symptoms in their kidneys, nerve tissue, lungs or eyes as well. While there is no cure for the painful arthritic effects you might experience, there are some things you can do to manage your symptoms.

There is little doubt that properly running the Human Resources department for a large Milwaukee employer is a difficult job. HR specialists are typically involved in recruiting, hiring and training new employees. In many companies, they also help resolve conflicts between employees and manage Family Medical Leave Act matters.

A recent article in a finance publication pointed out some of the most common mistakes HR departments make that result in lawsuits under the federal FMLA or the Wisconsin version of the law (W-FMLA). Those laws give employees job-protected rights to unpaid leave for the birth of a child, serious medical condition or to care for an immediate family member.

Nearly a decade ago, a former waiter joined co-workers in a lawsuit against the owner of a restaurant where they all worked. The group of employees proved to the court that they were victims of wage theft, and had been illegally denied overtime pay and minimum wage. The good news: a federal judge ruled in favor of the two dozen workers, awarding them $1.5 million in damages. The bad news: the workers have been unable to “collect even a penny.”

Because this case was in one of the many states without a wage-lien law, the workers were essentially powerless to enforce the court’s decision. Here in Wisconsin, victims of wage theft are permitted to put a lien on the employer’s property; a powerful legal tool that provides real leverage in compelling a business to pay its workers what they are owed.

The U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) started its defense of its World Cup title with a 13-0 thrashing of Thailand that included a pair of goals by former University of Wisconsin star, Rose Lavelle. As the USWNT has piled up goals and wins on the field, all 28 team members have pursued pay equity in a gender discrimination lawsuit off the field.

The women's lawsuit points out that members of the U.S. men's team are paid much more, even though they are historically far less successful. According to the lawsuit, the women on the national team make approximately $8,200 less per game than the men on the national team.