Employment Discrimination Blog

Can my employer fire me for being transgender?

Recently, a federal appeals court held that transgender people are protected under civil rights laws that ban workplace discrimination based on sex. The decision, which arouse out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, could bring significant protections to transgender employees across the nation. Our Atlanta employment discrimination lawyers at Pankey & Horlock, LLC...

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Is my Company's Non-Compete Agreement Enforceable?

Non-compete agreements have become a source of much controversy in recent years.  Some view non-compete agreements as an infringement to a worker’s ability to find jobs in the free market.  For the employer, however, non-competition agreements can prove essential for protecting the employer’s confidential information.  In many states, courts have limited the Read more . . .

How many disability based job discrimination claims are filed each year?

After a record 28,073 disability related job discrimination claims were filed in 2016, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is pleased to report that this figure has dropped significantly since 2017. Federal officials state that 26,838 discrimination claims based on disability were filed in 2017. Similarly, the agency saw a decrease in the number of job bias complaints.
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What is gender discrimination?

A female shareholder recently lodged a gender discrimination lawsuit against a law firm nationally known for defending employers against employment discrimination claims.  Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. is an employment law firm comprised of more than 850 lawyers in over 50 offices throughout the United States.  Now, the firm faces alarming allegations of systemically paying female shareholders less, denying women equal opportunities for advancement, and manipulating origination credits to the benefit of male employees.
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Can I sue my employer for pregnancy discrimination?

Pregnancy discrimination is unfortunately a common reality for female employees across the nation.   Roughly 75 percent of the over 72 million women in the workforce will become pregnant at some point.  Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) in 1978 in an effort to eliminate discrimination based on pregnancy in the workplace. While the Act has deterred some abhorrent practices, Read more . . .

What are my legal rights if I am discriminated against due to being Native American?

Native Americans today report experiencing high rates of employment discrimination across the country.  According to a new poll conducted by NPR, in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H.
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Will the Supreme Court hold that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act bans discrimination against employees based on their sexual identity?

Seventy-six businesses, including mega companies like Apple and Starbucks, along with several LGBTQ rights organizations and scholars are moving for the Supreme Court of the United States to make an official ruling as to whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ employees against discrimination in the workplace.  Lambda Legal has filed a petition with SCOTUS that it hopes the court will take up.  As more companies and individuals get behind the cause of plaintiff Jameka Evans, our Georgia employment rights lawyers offer an overview of the case and what it could mean for LGBTQ employees nationally.
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What changes could we see to employment laws in the coming years?

Employment law is an evolving, ever changing field.  Employers across the country must stay abreast of the most recent legal changes in order to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.  Our Atlanta management based employment law attorney at Pankey & Horlock, LLC discusses the top employment law issues you need to watch below.
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The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that establishes the national minimum wage, record-keeping requirements, overtime pay obligations, and child labor restrictions. While most states have a state version of this law, the FSLA affects every state throughout the nation. Employers are required to comply with both state and federal wage and employment laws, where they conflict, the federal law will “trump.
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What are my rights under the Equal Pay Act?

Employees in America are protected by numerous federal and state laws against discrimination. One form of discrimination involves paying employees different wages for the same work on the basis of an employee’s sex. While we consider ourselves to be a progressive and forward thinking society, the sad reality is that female employees working full time in the United States continue to earn just 79 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts.

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Does Title VII protect gay and lesbian people against employment discrimination?

Recently, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to rehear en banc the case of a skydiving instructor who claims his position was terminated because he was gay.  This New York case dates back to 2010 when Donald Zarda, a skydiving instructor, filed a lawsuit against his former instructor, Altitude Express, Inc.

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