» Kansas City Employment Lawyer Blog
Multiple State and Federal Agencies Join Forces to Battle Wage Theft
October 13th, 2011
The Labor Department is cracking down on employers who cheat their employees out of wages. In so doing, the Department is entering agreements whereby information will be shared between the Department, several states, and the Internal Revenue Service.…
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Tyson Pays $32 Million to Settle Donning and Doffing Lawsuit
September 22nd, 2011
On September 15, 2011, a class action wide settlement was approved on behalf of workers at 41 Tyson poultry plants. More than 17,000 Tyson employees had participated in the lawsuit in which plaintiffs claim they had not been properly paid for putting…
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Fair Pay to Resolve Economic Woes
September 8th, 2011
The New York Times published an editorial during the Labor Day weekend of 2010, written by former Labor Secretary, Robert Reich. The article addressed the issues this country continues to endure one year later. Specifically, Mr. Reich states that, …
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Home Care Workers Fight for Minimum Wage and Overtime Protection through FLSA
July 28th, 2011
In 1974 Congress added domestic workers to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), however, those employees that provided “companionship services” were exempted. At that time, the business of providing home care was barely a cottage industry…
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Do Republicans Want to Diminish Overtime Protection in the Fair Labor Standards Act?
July 21st, 2011
The Fair Labor Standards Act or “FLSA” is a federal statute, enacted by congress that protects many workers’ rights to fair pay. Under the FLSA, covered employees have minimum wage protections as well as rights to receive overtime c…
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Women of Wal-Mart Lose - Supreme Court Rules
June 23rd, 2011
The allegations were too vague and the evidence too weak to make a case for common injury, which was essential to include all female employees employed since 1998 in a sweeping sex discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart. So said the Supreme Court Mo…
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Categories: Discrimination
Supreme Court Rules: Employers Can be Held Liable for Unlawful Discrimination under USERRA Using Cat's Paw Theory of Liability
June 9th, 2011
“Cat’s paw” theory is used to describe a situation where in one uses another to accomplish his or her purpose. It is based on a 17th Century French fable, “The Monkey and the Cat,” about a devious monkey persuading an un…
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Categories: Discrimination
Are You Entitled to Be Paid For Time Spent Hauling Equipment From Home?--Federal Appeals Court Says "Yes"
May 12th, 2011
In 2006, a federal appeals court whose decisions are binding precedent for the United States District Court of Kansas (as well as lower federal courts in several other States) examined whether oil riggers were entitled to be paid overtime for certain…
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FCRA: Revenge of the Gossip Chain Victims
April 28th, 2011
In the information age, not all information is benign. For example, you probably don’t want people to think you are a convicted felon, especially if you are not. In fact, most employers are reluctant to hire convicted felons–some simply w…
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Categories: Fair Credit Reporting Act
Wage Lawsuit Filed Against Creekstone Farms
April 21st, 2011
Unpaid wages and overtime are sought by employees at a Kansas slaughterhouse, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef. The federal lawsuit seeks class-action status for the 700 individuals employed by the Arkansas City plant. Workers at the plant are seeking m…
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