Posts by alyssa
What is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
What is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage? This coverage, often referred to as UIM/UM is a type of insurance that has to be offered with any liability policy you purchase. In Alabama, you must sign a disclaimer that you DO NOT want the coverage in order to not have it. Spoiler: You should ALWAYS have UM/UIM and…
Read MoreAmazon Liable for Defective Products Sold On Its Website
A California appeals court recently held that Amazon is liable for defective products sold on its website. The California Fourth District Court of Appeals found that Amazon could be sued for injuries caused by defective products sold by 3rd parties on its website. The Plaintiff, Angela Bolger, was injured when a laptop battery purchased from…
Read MoreCristian Fernandez, 13-Year-Old Florida Boy Charged With Brother’s Murder, Had Life ‘Punctuated by Violence’
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A decade before he was charged with murder, a 2-year-old Cristian Fernandez was found naked and dirty, wandering a South Florida street. The grandmother taking care of him had holed up with cocaine in a messy motel room, while his 14-year-old mother was nowhere to be found. His life had been punctuated…
Read More10 Tricks Employers Use to Cheat Workers Out of Overtime
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor recovered over $274 million in back wages for more than 163,000 workers. As an employee in Alabama, understanding the tactics some employers use to avoid paying overtime is crucial for protecting your rights and ensuring fair compensation. Overtime pay is a fundamental right for many workers, designed to…
Read MoreWhen Must Employers Pay Overtime?
Federal and state laws require most employers to pay overtime. The overtime premium is 50% of the employee’s usual hourly wage. This means an employee who works overtime must be paid “time and a half” — the employee’s usual hourly wage plus the 50% overtime premium — for every overtime hour worked. These laws contain…
Read MoreHow Do I Prove I’m Paid Less Than My Male Co-Workers?
A recent article in Newsweek discussed the continuing pay gap between men and women, and suggested some reasons why women still make less than their male colleagues. Another recent story discussed how female doctors are paid less than male doctors. I’m not going to argue here whether or not the pay gap is real. Instead,…
Read MoreLate To Work? These Excuses Could Get You Fired
According to a survey by CareerBuilder, more than 1 in 4 workers in America arrive late to work at least once a month, with traffic being the most common excuse. In Alabama, where at-will employment laws give employers significant leeway in termination decisions, that tardiness could cost you more than just a warning—it could cost…
Read MoreNorfolk Southern Forced To Pay Two Whistleblowers $932,000
HICAGO — The U.S. Department of Labor has found Norfolk Southern Railway Co. violated federal whistleblower protections in the dismissals of 2 employees who reported workplace injuries. The Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered the company to pay the workers more than $932,000 in damages. An assistant secretary of labor, David Michaels, said Tuesday…
Read MoreGovernment Cracking Down On Workplace Racism
WASHINGTON (AP) — It started with allegations of hangman’s nooses, graffiti and racist comments targeting a handful of black workers at a trucking company warehouse in Chicago Ridge, Ill. Four years later, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had turned the case into a major class action lawsuit alleging more than 170 employees of Yellow Transportation…
Read MorePregnancy Discrimination In The Workplace Target Of New EEOC Crackdown
WASHINGTON — During the past week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed four pregnancy discrimination related lawsuits and settled a fifth — just weeks after the government’s workplace discrimination law enforcement arm announced a plan to target employers who illegally discriminate against pregnant women. On Sept. 20, a California security guard company, Quest…
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