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Employees in New York have clear legal rights. Along with rights under federal laws like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), employees in New York have rights under state laws (and, in many cases, local laws) as well. As an employee, understanding your legal rights is important.
Companies routinely use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to protect their confidential and proprietary information. Along with requiring contractors and vendors to sign NDAs, companies frequently require their employees to sign NDAs as well. If you have been asked to sign an NDA (or if you have already signed an NDA), what do you need to know?
In New York, employees have the right to equal pay for substantially similar work. While employers are allowed to make pay-related decisions based on seniority and certain other factors, they are not allowed to pay employees less simply because they are members of a minority group or another “protected class.” As a result, if you are being paid less than your coworkers and there isn’t a clear (and legal) reason why, you could have an equal pay claim. New York’s equal pay protections are significantly broader than those afforded by the federal Equal Pay Act, and this means that more employees in New York can file equal pay claims under more circumstances.
If your employer has discriminated against you in violation of New York or federal law, you are entitled to remedies for your employer’s violation. Laws like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the New York State Human Rights Law (SHRL) all entitle employees to remedies for discrimination in the workplace. But, what specific remedies can (and should) you seek?
As an employee, it can be difficult to know when you should consider taking legal action against your employer. If you believe that you have been treated unfairly, you don’t want to make your situation worse, but you also don’t want to let the issue go. So, when is it time to hire an employment lawyer?
If you have received (or are expecting to receive) a severance agreement from your employer, there are several important factors you should consider before you sign. Ultimately, while you can (and should) review your severance agreement yourself, you should also hire an experienced employment lawyer to review it for you. Severance agreements often include a variety of unfavorable provisions for employees, and employees who don’t take the necessary steps to protect themselves can end up facing unfavorable circumstances that they could (and perhaps should) have avoided.