How often do you travel by taxi? When you travel by taxi do you think about your ability to get in and out of the automobile? When many of us travel by taxi we probably do not think about the ease with which we can access the vehicle, and we probably do not think...
Month: March 2011
Employee wins Fair Labor Standards Act case at Supreme Court
The United States Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of an employee in a Fair Labor Standards Act case. The Supreme Court ruled that workers who complain to their employers about wage violations are protected from retaliation whether the complaint is written or...
Mild stress can lead to long-term disability and need for benefits
Mild stress can cause long-term disability that prevents people from working and therefore causes the need for long-term disability benefits according to a new study. The conclusion of the study conducted by the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom is that the...
ABA program helps Labor Department with Wage and Hour Law claims
Every year thousands of employees submit various labor law claims to the Department of Labor. The labor law claims touch on various areas of the law such as Wage and Hour Law violations like overtime and minimum wage problems or family medical leave law violations....
FMLA would likely be expanded if Defense of Marriage Act repealed
Under a bill introduced to the United States Senate on Wednesday by Senator Diane Feinstein of California, those who would be protected by the Family Medical Leave Act would be expanded. The Senator's bill would repeal the federal ban on same-sex marriages and as a...
Parents believe school’s non-allowance of service animal violates ADA
The parents of a 4-year-old disabled boy who uses the assistance of a service animal have filed a lawsuit against a school district in North Carolina that will not allow the young student to bring his service animal to class. The parents of the 4-year-old say their...
A continued look at grain bin accidents
During a post last month, we talked about the story of three boys who were trapped in the bottom of a grain bin in Illinois. Two of the boys, a 14-year-old and a 19-year-old died during the accident. An investigation by the United States Labor Department found the...
Long-term disability awarded to man with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The Ninth Circuit appeals court ruled that a 47-year-old California man should be awarded long-term disability payments for his extreme case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The federal appeals court found the insurance company's denial of long-term benefits was...
Pharmaceutical companies lose wage and hour lawsuit
Two pharmaceutical companies, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Schering Corp., were dealt a blow in a federal wage and hour lawsuit that challenged federal overtime law. The United States Supreme Court denied the drug companies' petition to review a ruling made by the...
Does termination disqualify me from unemployment insuraunce benefits?
Probably not. Terminated employees are typically entitled to unemployment insurance benefits. The primary exception to this rule is when the employee is discharged for "misconduct". Misconduct has been defined and redefined as an intentional and substantial disregard...