Over the last several decades, society has moved somewhat forward on the road towards addressing explicit, implicit, and systemic forms of discrimination. However, any belief that the journey has reached an end and that we are, at last, living in a culture (to evoke the timeless words of Dr. King) in which people are “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” is not just misguided, but it is categorically wrong. …
While some incidents of racial profiling have been under the spotlight recently — for example, in November, 2020 a black dentist in New York City alleged that officers from the New York Police Department accused him of breaking into his own office — the unfortunate fact remains that racial profiling (by a variety of labels) has been perpetrated explicitly, implicitly and systemically for centuries.
While there are multiple reasons and root causes for this particularly insidious form of discrimination — one that is both patently immoral and blatantly illegal — one of the main sources of fuel for racial profiling…
Racial profiling is a longstanding issue rooted deeply in the history of the United States. While various online communities have played a significant role in support of the recent Black Lives Matter movement, many social platforms have also revealed a disturbing new trend in racial profiling. White citizens calling 911 to report — and in some cases fabricate — an activity that they deem suspicious or illegal, exclusively because the alleged wrongdoer is not white.
“It is bad enough that racial profiling continues to be carried out on a daily basis by some individuals in law enforcement, as well as…
While complaining about work might be the country’s unofficial pastime, there are scenarios when a grievance is serious, such as those involving complaints about wages. The bad news is that these egregious violations are more prevalent than some people believe. What is more, reports have revealed that during the current recession that was triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the denial of wages or benefits rightfully owed to an employee — more commonly known as wage theft — has significantly spiked among minimum-wage workers who are more vulnerable than their higher-paid workforce counterparts.”
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) makes it against the law for employers to discriminate directly or indirectly against an individual who has a disability, which is defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. …
According to statistics published by the National Safety Council, which is America’s leading nonprofit organization safety advocate, every seven seconds a worker is injured on the job; everything from strains, sprains, tears and soreness, to cuts, lacerations, punctures, and the list goes on. Not only does this result in pain and suffering — including chronic ailments that can last for years — but it contributes to enormous productivity loss.
“What makes the widespread prevalence of worker injuries even more shocking and alarming, is that the vast majority of them — if not virtually all of them — are preventable,” commented…
In a landmark 6–3 decision on June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that the language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits sex discrimination also applies to sexual orientation and gender identity. The landmark ruling is hailed as a massive — and unexpected, given the court’s conservative majority — win in the decades-long movement for LGBTQ equality.
“Prior to this momentous ruling, it was still legal in most of the country to terminate an employee or otherwise discriminate against an employee because he or she is gay, bisexual or transgender,” commented a spokesperson from Faruqi &…
In a tip pool, employees combine their tips and share them with a group of colleagues. Essentially, the idea is to reward all staff who, overall, contribute to the delivery of tip-worthy service.
In the state of New York, wage laws (NY Admin. 146–2.16(b)) allow employers to implement a tip pool. However, there are rules that govern tip pooling that some employers neglect to heed — some due to their ignorance, and others due to willful disregard.
According to nationwide law firm Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, which focuses on complex civil litigation including securities, antitrust, wage and hour, personal injury…
A growing number of people in New York state are working as freelancers; some because it is more flexible than a full-time employee role, and others because they cannot find a full-time employee role in their respective career path. However, regardless of what motivates or obliges them to work in a freelance capacity, it is essential that they understand and protect their rights.
Defining Freelance Work
“Under New York’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act, a freelance worker is defined as any individual who is retained by a hiring party as an independent contractor, in order to provide services for compensation,” commented a spokesperson from…
During the coronavirus pandemic — and since the SARS outbreak in 2003 — people have been strongly urged, and in some settings mandated, to use hand sanitizers to help limit the community spread of viruses. Indeed, hand sanitizing stations have become basic staples throughout hospitals, shopping malls, airports, corporate buildings, and the list goes on.
However, a growing number of hand sanitizer brands are now being recalled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), because they contain an ingredient that could be harmful and potentially even fatal: methanol.
The Dangers of Methanol
“Methanol, which is also known as wood alcohol, can be toxic when…
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
At Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP we focus on civil litigation involving employee/employer non-compliance with federal employment law.
