Green Savits Employment Law Blog

Employment Attorneys Serving Northern and Central New Jersey

October 28, 2020

Employees who earn tips often have different sets of rights than employees who get an annual salary or hourly wages. The rights of tipped employees can be complicated and, unfortunately, are often violated by employers.

At Green Savits, LLC, our experienced attorneys have represented many employees in federal and state trial and appellate courts who have been denied minimum wages, overtime compensation, bonuses or commissions to which they were entitled. We understand the complex laws related to wage and hour violations, and we are prepared to fight vigilantly on your behalf to protect your rights and best interests.

Category: Wage and Hour Violations

Can I Collect Unemployment While on FMLA?

September 28, 2020

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a U.S. labor law that enables eligible workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for specific medical and family reasons, without jeopardizing their employment. Unemployment benefits are intended to help individuals who have lost their jobs.

If you are taking an unpaid leave of absence under FMLA, even though you are not working, you are still employed, and therefore ineligible for unemployment benefits.

How Does The Family and Medical Leave Act Work?

The Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to take up to 12 weeks off work for medical reasons or to care for a family...

Category: Family and Medical Leave

Can I Take Time Off to Care for a Sick Family Member?

August 26, 2020

Employees often call us about whether their employer is required to give them time off to care for a sick family member or newborn baby. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many are wondering if they can take family and medical leave to care for family members who have been affected by the virus.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Only certain employers are required to provide time off to care for sick family members. The experienced employment attorneys at Green Savits, LLC understand the complexities of these matters and can help protect your rights.

Understanding the Family and Medical... Read More

Category: Family and Medical Leave

Can I Sue My Employer if I’m Fired for Complaining about Work Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

July 22, 2020

The gradual reopening of society during the COVID-19 pandemic presents certain challenges for employers and employees to navigate. One of these involves the decision to bring employees back into the office rather than allow them to continue working remotely. Employers must be extremely diligent in following all state mandated health guidelines when bringing employees back to the office. Employees need to understand that they have rights in the event that they are terminated or retaliated against in any way for filing a whistleblower complaint about the safety of their work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Are My Rights... Read More

Category: Whistleblower Retaliation

Self Help: The Risks of Copying Documents to Support Your Discrimination Claim

June 23, 2020

Many potential clients enter our office to pursue their claims of discrimination with stacks of documents that they think support their cases. Some of these documents are merely their own performance evaluations or company policies that they were given to them at the start of their employment. However, sometimes, clients bring us copies of emails, company financial information, or other employees’ performance evaluations that they helped themselves to when they still had access to their employers’ documents. This always begs the question, “was their self-help legal?”

Self-help copying of documents is always a risk. While copying...

Category: Discrimination, Wrongful Discharge

Whistleblower Rights of Doctors and Nurses During COVID-19

May 29, 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many doctors and nurses throughout New Jersey have been forced to perform their duties in unsafe working environments. Not only do these front-line workers face increased risk for exposure to the novel coronavirus, they also fear losing their jobs for voicing concerns over equipment shortages and other safety issues.

In a recent New York Times article, Theresa Brown, a nurse, writer, and clinical faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, describes the challenges of publicly advocating for safer working conditions when many hospitals have instituted gag orders. In this...

Category: Whistleblower Retaliation

Taking Employer Documents Could Land An Employee In Jail

April 13, 2020

In June of 2015, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that an employee who takes an employer's confidential documents can face criminal prosecution. In the case, State v. Saavedra, a school board employee allegedly took confidential student files – some of which were the only copy – along with other documents that contained personal information about other individuals.

This ruling has clarified that it illegal for an employee to take:

An employer's original documents An employer's only copy of documents Documents that contain confidential information about other individuals Documents that an employee was not entitled to see while... Read More

Category: Discrimination, Employee Contracts, Whistleblower Retaliation, Wrongful Discharge

What to Do if You Experience Workplace Discrimination

March 19, 2020

A work environment free of discrimination and harassment is guaranteed by law. While we’ve come a long way towards achieving this goal in recent years, workplace discrimination still exists. For many men and women experiencing this mistreatment, it can lead to a feeling of powerlessness and an unpleasant working environment.

Individuals often experience workplace discrimination on the basis of:

Race Gender Age Religion Sexual orientation Disability Pregnancy (women often face discrimination when taking maternity leave after giving birth)

It’s important to understand that discrimination based on these factors is illegal. If...

Category: Discrimination

What is Forced Arbitration?

February 21, 2020

Forced arbitration is a tactic that employers use to suppress their employees' rights to sue them. The Supreme Court has found that companies can force workers to give up their right to file a class-action suit and require employees to arbitrate any disputes individually. Workers who don't comply can be fired.

At Green Savits, LLC, our Florham Park employment lawyers have decades of experience fighting for workers' rights. We recognize that forced arbitration is an unfair practice that puts workers at a disadvantage. If your employer is trying to force arbitration on you and your coworkers, we will represent you in arbitration to...

Category: Employee Contracts, Wage and Hour Violations

How to File a Whistleblower Claim in New Jersey

January 24, 2020

Whistleblower protection laws forbid employers from firing, demoting, or otherwise punishing an employee for disclosing or refusing to participate in illegal conduct. Without these laws, employees would have little ability to object to business activities they believe are illegal or dangerous. Whistleblower protection laws are essential to the functioning of our democracy.

However, even though these laws exist, blowing the whistle can be an incredibly scary experience. Even if you are confident that you are right, and that you would win a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit, potentially suffering consequences for listening to your...

Category: Whistleblower Retaliation

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