Employees who want to bring a discrimination claim against their employer under New Jersey law can file a lawsuit in court or file a complaint with a state agency. Federal law, on the other hand, requires employees to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before going…
The New Jersey Employment Law Firm Blog
New Jersey Federal Lawsuit Alleges Religious, Disability, and FMLA Discrimination
New Jersey’s antidiscrimination statute protects workers from discrimination on the basis of multiple categories. Federal law supplements these rights, and also protects the right of qualifying workers to unpaid leave for medical purposes. Employers may not take adverse actions against employees or job applicants on the basis of a protected…
U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Members File Equal Pay Lawsuit Against Soccer Federation
On July 7, 2019, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) won its fourth Women’s World Cup title, defeating the Netherlands 2-0. This victory also brought attention to the controversy regarding the players’ wages. Twenty-eight members of the USWNT filed suit in March 2019 against the United States Soccer Federation…
New Jersey Governor Signs Bill that Takes on Wage Theft by Employers
The days of wage theft in New Jersey are coming to an end, thanks in large part to S1790, a bill passed by the Legislature in June 2019 and signed by the governor on August 6. “Wage theft” refers to the wrongful failure by an employer to pay wages or…
New Jersey Court Rules the NJLAD’s Ban on Associational Discrimination Can Apply to Out-of-State Residents
Many statutes that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability also prohibit discrimination because of a person’s relationship or association with a person with a disability. For example, an employer would engage in an unlawful employment practice under one of these statutes if they terminate or otherwise take adverse action…
U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Two Cases Alleging Sexual Orientation Discrimination Under Title VII
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) offers extensive protections against discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere. This includes factors like sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, which are not explicitly identified as protected categories under federal law or laws in many other states. Title VII of the Civil…
National Labor Relations Board, Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division Rulings on Classification of Rideshare Drivers Contrast with New Jersey Law
The “sharing economy” has brought significant changes, both good and bad, to many aspects of the job market. Rideshare companies, for example, give drivers flexibility in terms of when and how long they work, but this has come with disadvantages. Some rideshare drivers have sought the protection of employment statutes…
Court Affirms Class Action Status in New Jersey Misclassification Lawsuit
When a large number of individuals have similar claims against a defendant, federal and state law allow them to consolidate their claims into a single lawsuit. This is known as a “class action” in most circumstances. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows a claimant to bring a “collective action”…
NLRB Rules on Successorship of Employers in Collective Bargaining Disputes
A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a contract between a labor union, which is legally authorized to negotiate on the employees’ behalf, and the company that employs the union’s members. When ownership of a business changes hands, the new owner is only subject to all of the terms of an…
U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill Adding Employment Discrimination Protections Already Found in New Jersey Law
Federal employment anti-discrimination law identifies five protected categories: race, color, religion, national origin, and sex. Court decisions have added nuance to these categories, particularly with regard to sex discrimination. Most courts, in interpreting federal law, have been unwilling to extend the law’s prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sex…