You’d like to leave your job, but your boss has made it very clear that you are required to give two weeks’ notice. In fact, maybe they’ve even stated that there will be ramifications if you don’t. For example, your boss may have told you that you wouldn’t get your final paycheck if you didn’t provide proper notice that you were quitting. Employees sometimes assume that their boss has a right to do this just because they are in charge of the company. But the truth is that they probably can’t require two weeks’ notice. They can only do this if you have an employment contract that you already si ..read more

In Rhode Island’s business environment, most companies strive to get ahead while still obeying the law. Ethical and legal conduct is the cornerstone of such enterprises, ensuring fair play and integrity. Yet, there are instances where individuals engage in illicit activities to either advance the company’s interests or their own personal gain. Crimes taking place in corporate boardrooms and manager’s offices often escape the notice of law enforcement. In many cases, justice will only be served if an insider steps up and reports it to the authorities. Protection under Rhode Island law The state ..read more

Workplace discrimination can be subtle or overt – but it’s always distressing to the victims (and, quite often, bystanders who see what’s happening).  Understanding how to react when you come face-to-face with discrimination on the job can help you assert your boundaries and stand up for your rights. Here’s what you can do: 1. Speak up If it feels safe to do so, address the discrimination directly, openly and clearly. Sometimes, especially in situations involving microaggressions or indirect discrimination, people may not realize the full impact of their words and actions. Bringing the di ..read more

An employer should know that they cannot just fire someone because they blew the whistle on them or filed a complaint of harassment or discrimination. To do so would open the business up to a wrongful termination lawsuit. The law protects employees from retaliation by employers for engaging in a protected activity like whistleblowing or reporting discrimination or harassment. So, some employers get cunning and try to persuade the employee they want rid of to leave of their own accord. Some call this quiet firing. There are many ways to force someone out the door Quiet firing can take many form ..read more

If your name “sounds black,” you may not receive an employment callback as frequently as Rhode Island job applicants with a “white-sounding” name. A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago expanded on a two-decade-old study that used fictitious names to demonstrate job discrimination. How your name affects your job chances The initial study from two decades ago showed that fictitious applicants with white names got 50% more callbacks for interviews than those who had ethnic black names. The more recent study took that employment disc ..read more

Age discrimination in the workplace can take multiple forms. It’s not always as obvious as people being mocked for how old they are or a lack of promotions for those over 40. Many employers are smart enough to avoid clear violations of the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (“ADEA”) and state law. One way the employers “weed out” older employees (who are often among the highest paid simply because of their longevity with a company is to offer them severance packages with monetary and other benefits that are difficult to pass up if they “retire.” If a middle-age or older ..read more

Workplace discrimination is a situation that negatively impacts not only individuals but also the overall productivity and morale of a company. It undermines the principles of equality and fairness, creating an environment where certain employees feel marginalized and unable to perform at their best. While discrimination in brick-and-mortar workplaces is widely discussed and is often easily recognized, remote workers may experience discrimination in subtler ways that can sometimes go unnoticed. Signs to be mindful of in remote workplaces include the following. Hostile work environment Hostilit ..read more

Workplace harassment can occur due to many different reasons and may take on different forms. Some people face harassment based on their age or race, while others experience sexual harassment in the workplace. A company’s inability or unwillingness to protect someone from harassment could constitute discrimination. Some workers have a hard time understanding when what they experience actually constitutes harassment. Even those who know that the conduct of their coworkers violates the law and their employment rights may feel frightened about the prospect of reporting the matter. Although people ..read more

Only about one in five of the people with a disability participate in the Rhode Island labor force. Among people without a disability, the work force participation rate is 67%. Employers are sometimes reluctant to hire disabled job applicants because they are worried that productivity will be negatively affected or that making the required reasonable accommodations for them would be expensive, but these opinions are not supported by data. If employers took time to learn the facts, they would find that most of the common reasons for not hiring disabled workers are based on myth. Improved produc ..read more

Despite all of the gains that have been made for workers in recent decades, on-the-job sexual harassment is still a pervasive problem. In general, workplace sexual harassment can be broken down into two categories: quid pro quo harassment and a hostile work environment. What’s the difference? In general, quid pro quo sexual harassment is always intentional and focused. The victim faces either reward or punishment for their responses. “Quid pro quo” is Latin for “this for that,” and can involve any situation where a victim is offered job benefits, such as a promotion or better working condition ..read more