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Age discrimination is a serious problem in American workplaces and it’s only getting worse due to the fact that more baby boomers are reaching retirement age. When these baby boomers need to keep working for financial reasons, they are finding it more difficult to retain their jobs as they grow older. What baby boomers need to know, however, is that federal law protects them from age-related discrimination.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects all workers in Florida and the rest of the United States who are 40 years of age and older. The law prohibits employers from making demeaning comments and harassing workers because of their ages. It also prevents employers from engaging in other age-related discrimination like:

• Employers cannot discriminate against employees because of their age during the application, interviewing, hiring, firing, laying off or termination states of employment.
• Employers cannot create help wanted ads that specifically target younger workers or discourage older workers from applying.
• Employers cannot discriminate on the basis of age when offering promotions and demotions, work evaluations, disciplining or giving assignments.
• Employers cannot specifically target older workers when laying people off for downsizing.
• Employers cannot force employees to take their retirement early.
• Employers cannot retaliate against employees who complain about age discrimination or support another employee’s claim of age discrimination.

It’s important for victims of age discrimination to speak up and call for it to stop immediately. If supervisors and managers do not take swift action to ameliorate the situation, however, employees injured by age discrimination may not have any choice but seek financial justice in court.

A former employee of the University of South Florida’s history department has sued the university over claims of sexual harassment and discrimination. The history professor alleges that while she was employed by USF, she was subjected to gender discrimination, sexual harassment and disability discrimination by one of her colleagues.

According to the historian, who filed her lawsuit in U.S. District Court, the department chair at USF Tampa spread untrue rumors about her and sexually harassed her. The department chair also told students about her previously undisclosed medical condition.

At USF, the ex-professor taught modern Jewish history, German history, historiography, European women’s history, gender theory and history and the history of eugenics and medicine. The lawsuit alleges that when the man who served as the historian’s department chair assumed his position of authority over her, he began to subject her to inappropriate and uncomfortable conversations of a sexual nature. Allegedly, the department chair told the historian that when she received glowing reviews from her students it was because of her “doll face.”

The historian further alleged that her department chair revealed to others that the historian had requested special rooms due to her medical condition. The department chair also spread rumors that she was faking her medical condition so that she could receive extra vacation time and other preferential treatment.

Florida teachers, professors and other workers who have had similar experiences to this woman’s story may want to reflect on the possibility that they have been victimized by sexual harassment. Sexual harassment at work is a serious violation of employment laws. Victims who successfully navigate their cases may be able to receive financial compensation for lost wages, lost opportunity, psychological turmoil, career damages and more.

National Beverage Corp. is the famed maker of the popular sparkling water beverage, LaCroix. Recently, the CEO of the company was accused of multiple instances of sexual harassment from more than one employee. According to the CEO, the sexual harassment claims are false.

The sexual harassment instances were filed between 2016 and 2017. In the suits, the victims stated that the LaCroix CEO touched them sexually while they were working for him. The claimants further stated that the sexual touching was unprovoked and unwanted. Last January, the CEO settled one of the suits. The litigants plan to settle the other suit by this September.

In the meantime, the Wall Street Journal published an article concerning the sexual harassment allegations, resulting in a 2 percent drop in stock value. The company has since attempted to respond to the news, stating that the allegations were false and that others familiar with the events disagree with what took place.

A negative response like this from someone accused of sexual harassment is to be expected. Especially when an entire company could face the dire financial consequences of public opinion turning against the brand, a complete denial of the sexual harassment charges is understandable. Such denial, however, should never discourage those who were harmed by sexual harassment from fervently pursuing justice and restitution in court.

If you were harmed by sexual harassment at your workplace, the law is on your side. Depending on the facts surrounding your case, you may be able to receive just compensation for the emotional, physical and financial damages the harassment caused.

Workplace discrimination can be prevalent and takes many different forms. Unfortunately, unless victims of discrimination report the behavior, it usually does not stop. That is why it is critical to speak up if you are a victim of workplace discrimination.

Oftentimes employees choose to remain silent because they fear negative consequences as a result of reporting discrimination. This could take the form of employer retaliation, such as threats of termination or actual termination, or further harassment. However, there are many valid reasons why reporting workplace discrimination is the right choice. Here are three of them.

1. Protect your rights

You cannot rely on others in your workplace to report discriminatory behavior. If you feel your employer has discriminated against you, then it is up to you to speak up. As an employee, you do have rights that protect you on the job, but the only way to exercise these rights is by taking action. You should not let fear of retaliation stop you.

2. Prevent others from experiencing discrimination

Conversely, if you speak up, you are doing something beneficial not only for yourself, but likely for many others who may avoid future discrimination as a result of your reporting. The forms of discrimination in the workplace are vast and varied, including discrimination based on race, age, gender and disability. Since this behavior can affect so many people at any workplace, your courage in speaking up can benefit many beyond just yourself, and serve as a concrete act of social justice.

3. Receive compensation for financial loss

If the discrimination caused you financial loss, you may be able to receive compensation through the courts. The only way to pursue a case, however, is to make the discrimination known through the proper channels. Speaking to the company’s HR department and filing a complaint through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are two steps you may need to take before you file a lawsuit.

Some Florida employers will ruthlessly terminate someone’s employment after the worker complains about sexual harassment or some other problem at work. Rather than appropriately investigating the matter, the employer will ignore the problem and show the employee the door. Other times, the employer will conduct a detailed investigation to determine what actually occurred and respond accordingly.

The latter scenario is certainly preferred. However, what if the employer determines that sexual harassment didn’t occur, and in response, the employer terminates the employee who allegedly made an untruthful complaint? Even worse, what if a judge agrees that no sexual harassment occurred after the employee files a complaint for employment retaliation and wrongful termination? Will the judge reject the claim for retaliation and wrongful termination?

The answer to the last and most important question is, “No.” Employees in Florida and elsewhere do not need to worry about accidentally making a false complaint about sexual harassment. Furthermore, employees don’t have to try to evaluate the legality of their current situation before reporting behavior that makes them feel uncomfortable. Ultimately, the courts will not expect a complaining employee to have the tools of legal analysis required to evaluate the viability of a potential complaint before bringing problematic behavior to light.

If you were fired after complaining about sexual harassment — regardless of whether your complaint holds water in court — you may have been wrongfully terminated; it could be as simple as that. Make sure you fully evaluate the facts and circumstances surrounding your termination to ensure that you pursue your claims for justice and restitution in a lawful and appropriate fashion.

As an employee, you have basic rights — like the right to receive fair compensation, the right to be free of discrimination and the right to your privacy. You also have rights as a job applicant to not be subjected to unlawful discrimination during the hiring process. These are basic guidelines that should be observed by everyone. To ensure that this is done correctly, each location would have a number of certificates. If you manage a firm in Australia, for example, getting an as nzs 4801 2001 australian certification might show that you care about your employees’ safety. Getting a credential such as this one could ensure that you are in a safer work environment. You may read further to know more laws regarding the same.

There are other important rights you can expect as an employee. These rights are protected under state and federal laws:

The right to work somewhere that’s free of harassment and discrimination: This relates to all forms of sexual harassment, racial discrimination, sex discrimination, national origin discrimination, disability discrimination and more.

The right to work in a place that’s free of unnecessary dangers and safety hazards: Many workplaces come with extreme dangers. For example, railroad industry workers, miners, roofers, and construction workers face numerous work-related risks. In such jobs, it can be the employer’s duty to ensure the safety of employees in the workplace by providing necessary protective gear made of flame retardant fabric and durable material. This can reduce the chances of staff getting injured in the workplace and work efficiently and effectively.

Moreover, workers or employees have the right to receive appropriate safety training and to work in areas with proper safety measures and equipment. The company can also consider hiring Safety consultant services that can help set up safety guidelines, provide training to employees, and aid businesses to follow OSHA compliance. It is an employer’s duty to ensure the protection of employees on the job site and while running errands for the company.

Of course, the job itself doesn’t have to be dangerous for an employee to get hurt. Businesses still have to follow safety guidelines whether they’re in the food, manufacturing, or real estate industry. For example, many businesses use the anti-slip mats available at Matting Solutions in order to prevent any falls from happening while they work. If a business doesn’t take precautions and an employee gets injured due to their negligence, the employee has the right to claim compensation.

The right to not be retaliated against if you file a complaint against the company that employs you: This applies to all forms of complaints. For example, if you notice that your employer is breaking the law or doing something unethically, you have the right to report your employer’s abuses and not fear the loss of your job. The same applies to reporting instances of sexual harassment or supporting another employees claims in this regard.

The right to receive fair and appropriate wages: You have the right to receive just compensation for the work you perform.

Employees who have had their rights violated by an employer can pursue legal claims to receive financial compensation for the damages these violations caused.