In March of 2015 the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), the federal agency tasked with the enforcement of our country’s anti-discrimination laws, filed what could become a historic lawsuit. The EEOC asserted that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act’s (“Title VII”) provision against sexual discrimination. U.S. EEOC v. Scott Medical Health Center involves a gay male employee who was subjected to negative comments about his sexual orientation by his supervisor. The complaint alleges Continue reading →

Are you having a problem at work? Should you call an attorney now or should you just wait and hope that things will get better? Many times employees choose the latter and call an attorney after it is too late. We often get calls after someone has been terminated and already signed a severance or separation agreement, in which case it’s too late and there is nothing we can do for you. The exception to that situation is for employees over the age of 40 Continue reading →

Employers are increasingly using criminal background checks as another tool in deciding whether to hire employment applicants. This can be a problem for an employee with a criminal background regardless of the nature of the crime or how much time has elapsed since it was committed. In Pennsylvania, employers must abide by the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA) in deciding whether to hire an applicant based on their criminal background. Employers are permitted to require a criminal background check but they can consider felony Continue reading →

What Nonprofits Need to Know Ezold Law Firm answers the 11 key questions you’ve been asking about how new federal regulations expanding overtime benefits will impact nonprofits.* To view our fact sheet, click here. For more information, call Philadelphia employment lawyers at Ezold Law at 610-660-5585 or contact us online. *As referenced by The Nonprofit Center at LaSalle University’s School of Business  

Protection for Employees in Pennsylvania Who Are Discriminated Against Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Expression and Gender Identity On April 7, 2016, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed two Executive Orders in an attempt to further combat discrimination in Pennsylvania. The Executive Orders prohibit discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity. Executive Order 2016-04 prohibits State agencies under Governor Wolf’s authority from discriminating against state employees based on sexual orientation, gender expression and/or gender identity. Executive Order 2016-05 expands that prohibition Continue reading →

In what can been seen as a victory for some Pennsylvania employees, Governor Tom Wolf recently signed an executive order setting the minimum wage for state government employees at $10.15 per hour. With the current minimum wage at $7.25 per hour, this is an almost $3 per hour raise. The Governor’s order applies to employees who work for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and employees who perform services or construction for the Commonwealth. The Order will take effect on or after July 1, 2016. Unfortunately, this Continue reading →