Employment Law
Workers' rights, discrimination law, wrongful termination, labor regulations, and the legal relationship between employers and employees.
61 articles
ADA Workplace Accommodation: Rights, Process, and Limits
The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations unless they cause undue hardship. Learn about the interactive process, ADAAA 2008 expansion, and direct threat defense.
ADEA Age Discrimination Law: Protections for Workers 40 and Over
The ADEA protects workers 40 and older from workplace age discrimination. Learn about disparate impact claims, EEOC charges, severance traps, and mixed-motive cases.
Arbitration Clauses and Consumer Rights: Class Actions, FAA, and CFPB
Mandatory arbitration clauses eliminate class actions and force private dispute resolution. Learn about AT&T v. Concepcion, FAA preemption, the CFPB's 2017 rule reversal, and California AB 51.
Employee Benefits Law: Health Insurance, Retirement Plans, and What Employers Must Provide
A comprehensive overview of employee benefits law, including what employers are legally required to provide, how ERISA governs health and retirement benefits, and workers' rights when benefits are denied.
Employment At-Will Exceptions: Public Policy, Implied Contracts, Good Faith
Most U.S. employees are at-will, but three major exceptions limit an employer's right to fire without cause: public policy, implied contract, and the good faith covenant.
Employment Discrimination Law: Protected Classes and Your Legal Rights
A guide to federal employment discrimination law covering Title VII, the ADA, ADEA, protected classes, filing EEOC charges, and available remedies for workplace discrimination.
ERISA Explained: Employee Benefits Law and Fiduciary Duty
ERISA governs most private employer benefit plans. Learn fiduciary duties, PBGC insurance for defined benefit plans, vesting schedules, SPD requirements, and preemption.
FMLA Explained: 12 Weeks of Leave, Covered Employers, and Abuse
The FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave. Learn which employers are covered, what counts as a serious health condition, and how intermittent leave works.
Forced Arbitration and Employee Rights: ERA 2022, PAGA, and Epic Systems
Mandatory arbitration clauses limit employees' court access. Learn how the 2022 ERA carves out sexual harassment, PAGA survives in California, and Epic Systems shapes labor law.
Gig Economy Worker Rights: Independent Contractor vs Employee and Legal Protections
A comprehensive guide to the legal rights of gig economy workers, the employee versus independent contractor distinction, how misclassification harms workers, and what legal protections exist across platforms.
Gig Worker Legal Rights: Benefits, Protections, and the Misclassification Battle
More than 59 million Americans perform gig work, yet most lack access to employer-provided health insurance, unemployment benefits, or paid sick leave. The legal battle over whether gig workers deserve employee protections is reshaping labor law across the United States and Europe.
How ADA Compliance Shapes Business Obligations and Access Rights
The ADA requires employers and businesses to provide accommodations for people with disabilities. Learn Title I and III rules, undue hardship, and website accessibility.
How Age Discrimination Laws Protect Older Workers
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers 40 and older from workplace bias. Learn about ADEA enforcement, BFOQ defenses, EEOC processes, and landmark court rulings.
How the FMLA Protects Workers Taking Medical and Family Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act entitles eligible employees to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for qualifying medical and family reasons. Interference is illegal.
How Minimum Wage Law Works: Federal, State, and Local Rules
A complete guide to minimum wage law in the United States, covering the federal floor, state and local variations, exemptions, tipped worker rules, and the ongoing policy debate about wage floors.
Minimum Wage Laws: Federal, State, and Local Rates Explained
The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, but many states and cities set higher rates. Learn how minimum wage laws work, who is exempt, and what tipped worker rules apply.
How Non-Compete Agreements Are Enforced and Legally Challenged
Non-compete agreements vary dramatically by state — some are fully unenforceable, others rigorously enforced. Courts examine scope, duration, geography, and legitimate business interest.
Non-Compete Agreements: What's Enforceable and What Isn't
The FTC attempted a nationwide non-compete ban in 2024. Courts blocked it. But many non-competes remain unenforceable for other reasons. Here's what you need to know.
How Non-Compete Agreements Work and When They're Enforceable
A comprehensive guide to non-compete agreements, explaining what they restrict, how courts evaluate enforceability, recent federal and state efforts to limit them, and what workers and employers should know.
How Overtime Pay Works: Who Qualifies and How It Is Calculated
Federal and state overtime laws require many employers to pay 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a week. Learn who qualifies, which exemptions apply, and how to calculate what you are owed.
How the Equal Pay Act Addresses Wage Gaps Between Men and Women
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 requires equal pay for equal work regardless of sex. Learn the four-factor test, affirmative defenses, the Ledbetter Act, and enforcement data.
How Whistleblower Protections Shield Employees Who Speak Up
Federal whistleblower laws protect employees who report fraud, safety violations, and corruption. Learn about Dodd-Frank bounties, qui tam suits, and retaliation defenses.
How Workers' Compensation Benefits Are Calculated by State
Workers' comp replaces lost wages and covers medical costs after a workplace injury. Learn how disability types, state formulas, and the claims process determine your benefit.
How Workers' Compensation Claims Work From Injury to Payment
Workers' comp covers 135 million U.S. workers but claim denials are common. Here's the full process from injury report to final payment, and what to do when claims go wrong.
How Workers' Compensation Works: Coverage, Claims, and Benefits
A complete guide to workers' compensation, explaining the no-fault system that provides benefits for workplace injuries, how to file a claim, what benefits are available, and the rights and obligations of workers and employers.
How U.S. Workplace Discrimination Law Protects Employees
Federal employment discrimination law prohibits bias based on race, sex, age, disability, and other protected characteristics. Disparate treatment and disparate impact are both actionable.
Workplace Discrimination Laws: Title VII, ADA, ADEA, and EEOC Enforcement
Federal workplace discrimination laws prohibit bias based on race, sex, age, and disability. Learn how Title VII, ADA, and ADEA work and how the EEOC enforces them.
How Workplace Safety Law Works: OSHA Rights and Protections
OSHA protects over 130 million workers across the U.S. Learn your rights under workplace safety law, how to file a complaint, and what employers must provide.
How Wrongful Termination Claims Work Under U.S. Employment Law
Most U.S. workers are at-will employees, but wrongful termination claims succeed when firings violate federal statutes, public policy, or implied contractual promises.
Independent Contractor vs Employee: The IRS Test and AB5 California Standard
Misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor is one of the most common—and costly—legal mistakes in business. The IRS, Department of Labor, and individual states apply different tests, and getting it wrong can trigger back taxes, penalties, and class-action exposure.
Non-Compete Agreement Enforceability: State Laws and Employee Rights
Learn which states ban or limit non-compete agreements, what courts look for in enforceability, the FTC's 2024 proposed rule, and how employees can challenge overbroad clauses.
Non-Solicitation Agreements: Customer, Employee, and State Rules
Non-solicitation agreements restrict recruiting clients and employees after leaving a job. Learn how California bans them, what the legitimate interest test requires, and enforceability by state.
FTC Non-Compete Ban 2024: What the Rule Change Means for Workers and Employers
In April 2024, the Federal Trade Commission issued a final rule banning nearly all new non-compete agreements in the United States—a sweeping change affecting an estimated 30 million workers. Federal courts blocked the rule before it took effect, leaving its legal fate unresolved.
OSHA and Workplace Safety Laws: Standards, Enforcement, and Employee Rights
A comprehensive guide to OSHA and federal workplace safety law, covering key standards, how OSHA enforces them, employee rights to a safe workplace, and how workers can report hazards without fear of retaliation.
Remote Work Legal Issues: Employment Rights, Tax Implications, and Jurisdiction
An in-depth examination of the legal complexities of remote work, covering employee rights, multi-state tax obligations, wage and hour compliance, data privacy, and the evolving regulatory landscape.
What Are Your Rights If Laid Off? Severance, WARN Act, and Unemployment
A layoff triggers a set of legal rights that many workers don't know they have. Learn when the WARN Act requires advance notice, how to evaluate a severance offer, and how to file for unemployment benefits.
At-Will Employment: What It Means and When Employers Can Fire You
At-will employment lets employers fire workers for any reason — or no reason — without notice. Learn the limits, exceptions, and your rights under this doctrine.
Overtime Pay Laws: FLSA Rules on Hours, Exemptions, and Calculation
The FLSA requires overtime pay at 1.5x for hours over 40 per week. Learn which workers are exempt, how to calculate overtime, and what violations look like.
Sexual Harassment Law: Quid Pro Quo, Hostile Work Environment, and Employer Liability
Sexual harassment is illegal sex discrimination under Title VII. Learn the two legal theories — quid pro quo and hostile work environment — and how employer liability works.
Employment Retaliation Claims: What Qualifies and How to File
Retaliation is the most common EEOC charge. Learn what employer actions count as retaliation, which activities are protected, and how to build and file a claim.
Whistleblower Protections: Federal Laws Shielding Employees Who Report Misconduct
Federal whistleblower laws protect employees who report fraud, safety violations, and corporate wrongdoing. Learn which statutes apply and how to file a retaliation claim.
What Counts as Wrongful Termination Under U.S. Law
A clear guide to wrongful termination in the U.S. — what qualifies, how at-will employment limits your rights, and what evidence you need to build a case.
Severance Agreements: What They Include and Whether to Sign One
Severance agreements offer pay in exchange for legal waivers. Learn what they typically contain, what you give up by signing, and how age discrimination rules apply.
What Is At-Will Employment and What It Means for Workers
A comprehensive guide to at-will employment in the United States, covering its definition, the important exceptions that protect workers, how it compares to employment with just cause protections, and what employees can do.
What Is FMLA: Family and Medical Leave Explained
A complete guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act, covering who is covered, qualifying reasons for leave, how to request it, employee and employer obligations, and how state laws may provide additional protections.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Who Qualifies and What It Covers
The FMLA grants eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. Learn who qualifies, what conditions apply, and how to file a claim.
What Is Wage Theft: Unpaid Overtime, Misclassification, and Legal Remedies
A thorough guide to wage theft, explaining the many forms it takes—from unpaid overtime to worker misclassification—and how workers can recover stolen wages through federal and state law.
Workers' Compensation: Benefits, Filing Process, and Employer Obligations
Workers' compensation provides medical and wage benefits after workplace injuries. Learn how the system works, what employers must do, and how to file a claim.
What Is Workplace Discrimination Law: Title VII and Protections
A thorough guide to workplace discrimination law, covering the major federal statutes, protected characteristics, types of discrimination, how to file a complaint with the EEOC, and employer obligations.
Workplace Sexual Harassment Law: What It Is, What's Prohibited, and Your Rights
An in-depth guide to workplace sexual harassment law, covering the two main legal categories, employer liability, the complaint process, and what workers can do when their rights are violated.
What Is Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and Your Legal Rights
Sexual harassment is illegal under federal and state law. Understand the two legal types, what constitutes harassment, how to report it, and what protections the law provides.
What Is Wrongful Termination: Legal Grounds, Exceptions, and How to Respond
A detailed guide to wrongful termination law in the United States, explaining the at-will employment doctrine, its exceptions, illegal reasons for firing, and what employees can do if they are unlawfully dismissed.
What to Do If You Face Workplace Discrimination
The EEOC received 81,055 discrimination charges in fiscal year 2023. Most victims never report. Here's a step-by-step guide to documenting, reporting, and taking legal action.
Whistleblower Protection Laws: False Claims Act, Dodd-Frank, and When Protection Applies
The False Claims Act's qui tam provisions have generated over $70 billion in government recoveries since 1986, with whistleblowers receiving 15–30% of funds recovered. But whistleblower protections are a patchwork of overlapping statutes with significant gaps that leave many reporters of wrongdoing vulnerable.
Workers Compensation Claim Process: From Injury to Settlement
A step-by-step guide to workers compensation: reporting injuries, filing claims, employer defenses, permanent disability ratings, settlements, and third-party lawsuit rights.
Workers' Compensation: How the No-Fault System Works
Workers' compensation replaces wages and covers medical costs after workplace injuries. Learn how the no-fault system works, disability ratings, and the exclusive remedy doctrine.
Workers' Right to Organize: How Unions Work and What Labor Law Protects
A comprehensive guide to workers' rights to form and join unions, how collective bargaining works, and the federal and state laws that protect organized labor in the United States.
Workplace Retaliation Claims: Protected Activity, Standards, and Proof
Retaliation is the most-filed EEOC charge category. Learn what protected activity triggers coverage, the Burlington Northern materially adverse standard, constructive discharge, and temporal proximity evidence.
Workplace Sexual Harassment Law: Title VII, Faragher, and #MeToo
How Title VII defines quid pro quo and hostile environment harassment, the Faragher-Ellerth defense, and the 2022 Ending Forced Arbitration Act's impact on claims.
Wrongful Termination Laws: When Firing an Employee Crosses a Legal Line
Understand wrongful termination laws: at-will employment exceptions, protected activity retaliation, WARN Act obligations, and how employees pursue wrongful discharge claims.
Employee Rights During a Workplace Investigation
Being investigated at work is stressful, but you have more rights than most employees realize. Here's what you can demand, what you should avoid, and when to get a lawyer.