Federal law requires that you be paid at least minimum wage for all hours worked. So, if your employer's withholding $100 from your check results in your hourly rate falling below minimum wage, this is not permissible.

The answer to this question is going to be governed by the terms of your severance agreement with the company. If there is a provision in the agreement that states you will need to repay your severance if you become re-employed with the company within a certain timeframe, and your re-hire date... View More

While your situation seems unfair, there is nothing inherently unlawful about this. Since you live in an at-will employment state, that means you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all (as long as the reason isn't discriminatory).

Unfortunately, an offer letter is not a contract, meaning it is not legally binding. While it is inconvenient for you, your employer is permitted to push your start date back and issue a new letter with updated terms.

To be eligible for unemployment benefits, the general rule is that the individual must be physically able to work. Thus, during your husband's surgery and post-operative recovery period, he would unfortunately not be eligible to receive unemployment benefits if he was not physically able to... View More

Federal law only requires that you be paid time and a half for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek (regardless of which days you work). While your employer may offer time and a half or increased pay on weekends as an incentive to work these days, they are not required to do so.

If your boss fires you, demotes you in either pay or job responsibilities, or refuses to allow you to return to work following a medical leave, then you may have a claim for pregnancy discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The close time proximity between notifying your... View More

Assuming you work less than 24 hours per day during your sleep shifts (i.e. normal shift + sleep shift = less than 24 hours total), then your employer must abide by the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the FLSA. The federal and Utah minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, so your pay for the sleep... View More

While your employer's conduct in demoting you is not unlawful in and of itself, you'll want to consider why your employer has chosen to do this. Do you think they had any kind of discriminatory motive for demoting you (i.e. based on your race, sex, age, disability, or religion?) If so,... View More

Most likely. Whether an individual is properly classified as an employee or independent contractor is based on numerous factors, but the most important factor is the alleged employer's ability to control the manner in which you perform your work. Since the owner controls both how much you can... View More

While your situation sounds unfair, there is nothing unlawful about your employer's actions, at least from a wage standpoint. If, however, you think you were passed over for the position based on a discriminatory reason (i.e. because of your race, sex, disability, religion, or age if... View More

In some states, an individual can establish they have "good cause" for refusing to return to work from an unemployment standpoint (thereby rendering them eligible for unemployment benefits) if they can prove they are at a higher risk of severe illness if exposed to COVID-19 and the... View More

While this situation seems unfair, employees in at-will employment states can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, as long as they are not fired for a discriminatory reason (i.e. based on their sex, race, religion, age, or disability).

While there are numerous factors courts consider for this type of situation, from what you've described, it sounds like your training sessions should be paid. If training sessions are made mandatory by the employer and directly relate to the job duties you perform, then you should be paid for... View More

As long as you are being paid for the extra hours you're working (and if you are paid by the hour, overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a week), your employer is allowed to add on job duties and change your schedule at any time. While your situation sounds unfair, there is nothing unlawful... View More

In at-will employment states, employees can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, as long as the reason isn't discriminatory (i.e. based on your race, sex, age, religion, disability). While your situation seems unfair, your employer's actions are not unlawful.

Your husband can request a schedule change, but his employer is not required to grant the request. While employers are required to offer reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA only applies to the individual's own medical conditions, not the medical... View More

Generally speaking, in at-will employment states, employees can be terminated for any reason or for no reason at all. However, an exception to this rule exists if the employee is terminated for a discriminatory reason. For example, if other employees WITHIN the company have treated your friend... View More

While this policy change seems unfair, there is nothing unlawful about it. Employers are not required to offer paid time off such as vacation time, so as a result, they have a lot of discretion regarding the rules and policies they create for using vacation time.

The answer to this question will depend on (1) whether you're paid on an hourly or salary basis, and (2) the total hours you work per week. If you're properly paid on a salary basis, then your employer can require you to work extra hours. If, however, you're paid by the hour, and you... View More