Wisconsin employees may not realize that there is no law protecting them from general bullying or harassment in the workplace. Nearly 30 states have tried to pass the Healthy Workplace Bill, which protects employees from a hostile work environment, but only Tennessee has managed to put in on the books, and it only covers government workers. This means that workers sometimes make the mistake of reporting harassment to human resources without documenting the events in a way that legally protects them, leaving themselves open to retaliation.
After medical school, women surgeons face discrimination
Wisconsin medical professionals might be interested in the results of a new Canadian study that shows that female surgeons employed at university medical centers affront more gender discrimination than they did when they were residents or medical students. However, overall, female surgeons report feeling highly satisfied with their careers.
Uptick in wage-and-hour cases
In both Wisconsin and the rest of the country, 2015 saw a large number of wage-and-hour cases filed in federal court. Just through September, around 9,000 cases were filed in federal court, with several thousand more also being filed in state courts around the U.S. Over the last 15 years, the number of filed wage-and-hour cases has increased by a dramatic 450 percent.
Muslim physicians report high workplace discrimination
National surveys conducted by Zogby and the Pew Research Center have indicated that Americans have negative views of Muslims more than any other religious group. For Muslim physicians in Wisconsin, this could translate into workplace discrimination, according to a University of Chicago study that collected responses from 255 Muslim American physicians about their perception of religious discrimination on the job.
The legality of required overtime in the health care industry
Medical professionals in Wisconsin and around the country understand that the nature of their work is somewhat unpredictable, and they appreciate that hospitals must be able to provide health care during emergencies and other unforeseen events. Vacations or sickness can sometimes leave medical facilities dangerously understaffed, and this may lead to employers asking or requiring nurses and doctors to work overtime.
Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA
The Fair Labor Standards Act was established in 1938 and outlines federal laws that are ultimately used to protect employees in Wisconsin and throughout the United States. This legislation establishes a minimum wage for all workers, as well as overtime pay, and also sets standards for keeping records and youth employment. Employment as a minor is very important to many young individuals in the country and their protection is a priority.
Supreme Court upholds class action suit
Some workers in Wisconsin may have heard about a class action suit that employees of Tyson Foods are bringing against the meatpacking company. On Nov. 10, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments regarding Iowa workers from a pork-processing plant who are suing for unpaid overtime.
Employee rights and wrongful termination
Knowing your employee rights in the state of Wisconsin is an important part of having a successful career. Too many are unaware of federal laws that protect them against harassment, retaliation and uphold their fair labor standards while they are in the workplace. Certain guidelines must be met for all employees, but some are given even further or specialized protection—such as those with disabilities.
Wisconsin Ban the Box campaign aims to protect applicants’ rights
Over the last few decades, employment law has evolved to restrict discrimination on many factors: sex, age, religion, color, natural origin and, more recently, LGBT issues. But another area of discrimination has been getting increased attention across the country. The issue is whether and how much a prospective employer can investigate an applicant’s criminal history.
Mirror, mirror: can discrimination be based on my appearance?
Since laws forbidding employment discrimination were passed, they have been expanded to include other forms of discrimination as society has progressed socially. Obesity and sexual orientation can now be recognized as forms of discrimination. Obesity discrimination is closely related to another form that seems to be increasingly recognized by the courts: lookism.
