Last month the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 2694, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) to eliminate discrimination and promote women’s health and economic security by ensuring reasonable accommodations to workers limited by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the PWFA would supplement the accommodation… Read More »
Employee Paid Leave Rights under Covid 19
To ensure workers do not have to choose between their paychecks and public health measures, the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, both part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), reimburses private employers with fewer than 500 employees with tax credits for the cost of providing… Read More »
Fired After Seeking Drug or Alcohol Treatment
Many employees avoid seeking treatment for drug or alcohol addiction because they are afraid of losing their jobs or that they will be subject to other adverse employment actions. However, it is important to understand that your choice to get help is protected by various laws and acts that provide a measure of job security… Read More »
Employer Retaliation Wrongful Termination
Repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, a back injury, or other conditions that result from performing the duties of a job sometimes require medical attention and days off from work to resolve the injury. Unfortunately, an employee may experience retaliation including wrongful termination when they file a workers’ compensation claim to take care… Read More »
Fired After Taking Drug and Alcohol Test
If you have been fired due to a positive drug or alcohol test, you may feel that your legal rights were violated. Although generally speaking an Iowa employer has the right to test an employee for substance abuse, they also have certain responsibilities they must fulfill prior to administering a drug or alcohol test. What… Read More »
Can My Iowa Employer Test Me for Drugs and Alcohol?
If you have been fired from your job because you failed a drug or alcohol test, you may wonder if there is any legal recourse. It is helpful to start by considering what rights your Iowa employer has to test employees for drugs and alcohol. In Iowa, private sector employers have the option to test… Read More »
Documenting Workplace Harassment or Discrimination
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII defines a hostile work environment to include situations where a person is harassed or discriminated against based on their sex, race, religion, national origin, age or disability. The law is not meant to protect against mere teasing or isolated situations that are not serious, but rather pervasive… Read More »