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Employment Law FAQ's

Q: What is Employment-at-will?
A: Employment at-will is a policy that states that either the employee or employer can terminate the professional relationship at any time for any explanation. There are however, restrictions on an employer's actions regarding an employee. In certain situations, termination, firing, or other opposing employment action particularly violates an employee's legal rights.

Q: Are there any laws that protect me for reporting a law violation that my employer is guilty of?
A: Yes, there are various laws—including specific state laws—that offer protection for whistleblowers.


Q: What Is a Qui Tam Action?
A: Qui Tam Actions can be enforced under the federal False Claims Act and are based on an individual who informs the law officials about a law violation. These regulations typically permit an eligible informant to receive a portion of any penalty and/or recovery imposed upon an individual or group of people that violates the law. Certain states also have laws comparable to the federal False Claims Act.

Q: What is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act?
A: This act offers protection against discrimination in the workplace and specifically is tailored to individuals that meet certain specifications.

Q: What Is the Family Medical Leave Act?
A: The Family Medical Leave Act, also known as the FMLA, offers job protection and unpaid leave for employees that need to take a leave an absence for medical reasons—whether it be medical reasons related to themselves or family members.

Q: What about a corporate officer? If he or she is discriminated in the workplace, is there a law that offers protection against that type of mistreatment?
A: Yes, various laws offer protection for corporate officers that are discriminated in the workplace. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII, and various federal laws and regulations and specific laws in your state exist to protect all employees against discrimination of all types. This includes gender, race, age, disability, national origin, pregnancy, and religion.

Q: What is vicarious liability?
A: Vicarious liability is a policy that makes an employer accountable for damage that one employee may inflict upon a fellow employee.

Q: What is the ADEA?
A: The ADEA is an acronym for the Age Discrimination Employment Act. This is federal law that offers protection for age-related discrimination in the workplace.

• Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against UCSD Medical Center for Employee Discrimination - The Department of Justice filed a claim against UCSD Medical Center for discrimination against workers who are not citizens of the United States.

• Worker Sues For Benefits and Monetary Compensation - A third law enforcement official in Fair Lawn this year has recently filed a lawsuit for supposed "unlawful employment practices."

• Hawaii to Receive Grants To Help Workers with Disabilities - The state of Hawaii will receive $2,923,674 to develop services at two one-stop career centers that offer training, job opportunities, and education for unemployed individuals with disabilities

• Employee Discriminated Against For Weighing 600 Pounds - The United States federal government has filed a lawsuit against BAE Systems Inc. claiming that the corporation terminated a worker for being extremely overweight.