Common Forms of Employee Mistreatment
Federal and state labor law is supposed to ensure that employees are treated fairly by employers. Sadly, it doesn’t always happen. Contact a Phoenix employment lawyer right away if you have been on the receiving end of any of these common forms of employee mistreatment.
Common Forms of Employee Mistreatment | Workplace Discrimination
Workplace discrimination covers a wide set of actions. It can involve hiring or firing (although we’ll talk more about wrongful termination on its own), how job assignments are made, how much employees are paid, how promotions are given or denied, opportunities for training, and available fringe benefits. Discrimination can be a violation of federal and state law.
Another form of discrimination in the workplace is sexual discrimination. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 is a federal law that says employers may not discriminate against employees (including what they’re paid) based on the employee’s gender. Age discrimination is also prohibited by law. Employees who are 40 years of age or older are protected from being discriminated against in hiring, firing, or withholding of a job promotion.
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Common Forms of Employee Mistreatment | Minimum Wage Requirements
The state is scheduled to increase the minimum wage to $12.00 an hour by 2020. All employees are entitled to earn the full minimum wage set by state or federal law, regardless of whether they are entitled to tips. Federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour. Employees who are paid in tips can make as little as $7.50 an hour provided that they earn enough in tips to receive the state’s minimum wage of $10.50 an hour.
Failure for an employer to pay at least minimum wage is a violation of Arizona’s labor and employment law. Depending on circumstances, the employer may also be in violation of the FLSA. The FLSA sets the federal minimum wage.
Common Forms of Employee Mistreatment | Wrongful Termination
Arizona is an at-will state for employment. So, employers may fire an employee if they have good cause or no cause, but they can’t fire someone for a bad cause. A bad cause would be because they’re acting in a way that is discriminatory, retaliating for whistleblowing by an employee, because an employee refuses to break the law, or for other reasons. If you believe that you were wrongfully terminated, contact a Phoenix labor and employment lawyer to evaluate your potential claim.
If you have fallen victim to any of these common forms of employee mistreatment, contact a Phoenix employment lawyer right away to schedule a free consultation.