Enter your search terms Submit search form
Powered by Google™

What is Employment Law?

Employment law deals with the relationship between employers and employees. It covers a broad range of issues, including things like:

Wage and Hour-Employers are required to fairly compensate employees for time worked; this includes overtime pay for hourly employees who work over 40 hours in a week and providing wages that at least meet the minimum wage. If you have not received adequate pay for time worked, or have not received legally mandated time off for breaks, you may be able to take legal action against your employer.

Sexual Harassment-Employees have a right to work in an environment free from harassment. Sexual harassment can come in the form of sexual jokes or innuendos, unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate touching, and sexual favors in exchange for promotions or other job benefits. Employers must make sure they provide employees with a safe work environment. If you have been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace by a superior or fellow employee, an employment law attorney can tell you what kind of legal recourse may be available to you.

Discrimination-Discrimination takes place whenever someone is not given a job, promotion or raise based on the color of their skin, age, national origin, religion, or sex. When job performance and experience are not the sole criteria for career advancement, discrimination may have taken place. If you suspect your employer of discriminatory hiring practices, contact an employment law attorney.

Whistleblowing-Whistleblowers are people who alert the authorities to the illegal or unethical practices of their employer. Oftentimes, whistleblowers lose their jobs or suffer other serious consequences for taking action against their employer. Such retaliatory action from an employer is generally prohibited in most cases of Whistleblowing. If you believe your employer is participating in illegal activity, it is important to speak with an employment law lawyer to make sure your rights are protected.

Wrongful Dismissal-Wrongful dismissal occurs when a person loses his or her job in a way that breaches the terms of his or her contract. This area of law can be tricky, so it is important to have an attorney on your side who understands employment law at both the state and federal level.

Workplace Safety-The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces workplace safety and health standards in businesses operating in the United States. When workplaces fail to comply with OSHA regulations and put employees at risk of undue harm, they may be held legally responsible for their willful or negligent disregard of the law.

Employment Law Articles

• Employment Laws Every Business Owner Should Know About - As a business owner you need to be aware of the various employment laws and how they affect your employment practices and procedures.
• Employer Use of Lie Detector Tests - Employer use of lie detector tests is limited by the Employee Polygraph Protection Act.
• When the Victim of Identity Theft is Your Employee - All across America, the fastest-growing white-collar crime in the nation has been identified as "identity theft" -- and it's affecting individuals and employers alike in insidious ways.
• Employee or Independent Contractor - How do you know if a worker is an employee that you must withhold taxes for or an independent contractor who is responsible for his own taxes?

Employment Law Forms

• Application for Employment
• Direct Deposit Authorization
• Employee Non-Compete Agreement
• Payroll Deduction Authorization   
• More Employment Forms

Employment Law Links

• Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center Statute, regulations, guidelines, tech sheets and other assistance documents
• Background Information Service, Inc. Provides background checks and pre-employment screening for employers.
• Legal Information Institute - Civil rights Public health and welfare
• American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Publications, discussion groups, news, links
• Employee Handbook, Vacation, Eeoc, hiring, dress code, attendance policies, Personnel Policy Manuals. Legally researched HR Policies including Hiring, Vacation, EEO, FMLA, Leaves of Absence, Rest Breaks, Employee behavior, Employee Handbook template.
• ERI's Employment Laws and Definitions  Summary of terms, practices, and laws that affect compensation for all U.S. states, Canadian provinces and international countries
• Hire~Safe Employment Background Screening, Drug Testing, Integrity Assessment Profile
• Legal Information Institute - Equal Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities Public health and welfare
• Lawgic Combining research, analysis, and drafting into one process
• Legal Information Institute - Age Discrimination in Employment Labor
• Legal Information Institute - Black Lung Benefits Discrimination prohibited
• Legal Information Institute - Civil rights Public health and welfare
• Temp Law Online Provides workplace professionals with employment law-related information
• Workplace Fairness A non-profit organization that provides information, education and assistance to individual workers and their advocates nationwide and promotes public policies that advance employee rights

Employment Attorneys By State

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia

Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts

Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York

North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas

Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming   Puerto Rico

Featured Employment Attorneys

Spray, Gould & Bowers concentrate in employment law cases, elder abuse, brain injury, wrongful death and more. Serious personal injury lawyers located in Orange County California. Please view a list of all our practice areas.