Familial Status Discrimination: Protection for Parents and Caregivers

Familial status discrimination happens when employers treat workers differently because they’re parents, caregivers, pregnant, or planning families. This includes being passed over for promotions because you have young children, facing negative comments about “commitment” after taking maternity leave, being excluded from projects after announcing pregnancy, or receiving discipline tied to

What Is Fair Chance Act Compliance for Employers?

For millions of Americans with criminal records, finding employment is critical for stability and rehabilitation. Yet many face significant barriers during hiring, often being automatically disqualified based solely on past mistakes. Fair Chance Acts—also known as “ban the box” laws—remove these obstacles by requiring employers to evaluate candidates based on

Protected Activities: What Actions Are Legally Safeguarded

Protected activities are specific workplace actions that federal and New York state laws shield from employer retaliation. When you report discrimination, participate in an investigation, file a complaint with the EEOC or New York State Division of Human Rights, or exercise your workplace rights under laws like FMLA or ADA,

How Do You Prepare for a Section 75 Disciplinary Hearing?

Facing a Section 75 disciplinary hearing can be overwhelming for New York civil service employees. The preparation phase is critical – it determines whether you’ll effectively defend your job, reputation, and career against serious charges. You typically have 8 days to prepare after receiving charges, though you can request additional

How Does Gender Discrimination Affect Leadership Opportunities for Women?

Gender discrimination creates systematic barriers that block women from leadership positions through unequal pay (women in New York earn 82 cents per dollar compared to men), biased promotion decisions, limited mentorship opportunities, and workplace harassment that forces talented women out of advancement tracks. These discriminatory practices result in women holding

When Can Employers Legally Claim “Undue Hardship” to Deny Your Accommodation?

Employers can legally claim undue hardship to deny disability accommodations only when they can prove the accommodation would cause “significant difficulty or expense” relative to their company’s size, financial resources, and business operations. The bar is high – courts reject most undue hardship defenses because the average workplace accommodation costs

How Do You Negotiate Severance for Different Termination Scenarios?

Your negotiation strategy should fundamentally change based on why you’re leaving. If you’ve been laid off due to budget cuts, your approach differs completely from someone fired for alleged performance issues or someone facing discrimination. Understanding these distinctions determines whether you’ll secure two weeks of severance or six months—and whether

How Do You Prove Disability Discrimination at Work? Building Your Legal Case

To prove disability discrimination at work, you need four key elements: medical documentation establishing your disability under the ADA, evidence that you’re qualified for your position, proof of an adverse employment action (like termination or demotion), and documentation linking that action to your disability rather than legitimate business reasons. The

Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Provisions: What You Need to Know About Severance Agreement Speech Restrictions

Confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions restrict what you can say about your employer and your severance terms after leaving a job. These clauses aim to protect company reputation and keep settlement details private, but recent federal and state regulations have significantly limited how broadly employers can enforce these restrictions—especially when they