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Gender inequality is a problem that the most responsible and ethical employers in the United States are trying to overcome. In fact, it’s vital for all employers to do everything they can to combat this problem, which — in many cases — is difficult to resolve.

Here are three things that every employer can start doing right now to dramatically increase equality among the genders they employ:

• Don’t ask for your employee’s prior salary: Asking for an employee’s prior salary and basing the new salary off that is a way for your employee to continue with prior gender-unequal pay. When hiring, it’s best to simply give the employee a good and fair offer considering the position and the value it brings to your firm.
• Put your managers through Unconscious Bias Training: There are ways that some managers unconsciously promote a particular position to men instead of women, or unconsciously offer men more jobs, more opportunities and higher salaries. Just telling managers to stop and “treat everyone equal” isn’t enough. However, with Unconscious Bias Training, managers can learn to overcome these subconscious tendencies.
• Do your interview loops offer gender diversity? If only men are performing the job interview, there’s a good chance that gender inequality will persist in the hiring process. However, when more women participate as interviewers, more women will be hired to equalize the balance.

These are just a few ideas that employers can implement to combat gender inequality at the workplace. You could also consider having mentorship software from somewhere like Together software in place. With mentoring software, potential employees could access support pools, and possibly even form connections that could lead to a more serious mentoring relationship once the person is hired. Female — and also male — workers who experience the ill-effects of workplace gender inequality may have viable legal actions they can pursue. If you’re experiencing gender inequality, learn about what the law has to say regarding your situation.

Source: Inc., “Want to Further Gender Equality at Work? Do These 3 Things,” Spencer Rascoff, accessed April 13, 2018

When you leave your job, you may assume you are free to do as you wish. However, your now former employer may have had you sign a non-compete agreement when you first started working there. But just because the language in your non-compete agreement sounds tough, that does not necessarily mean it is a valid legal document.

Many of these seemingly intimidating contracts are all bark and no bite. Not all of them are enforceable. Here are some possible ways you may be able to wriggle your way out of your non-compete contract.

1. Your employer breaches the contract

Chances are you signed more than just a non-compete agreement when you started your job. If your employer had you sign a more robust employment contract regarding conditions of employment, you should look over the entire contract with the help of an attorney. Your employer may owe you more compensation or insurance than you have. If your employer does not live up to his or her end of the bargain, then you may not have any obligation to adhere to the non-compete portion.

2. You did not have a specialized position

Non-compete agreements should enforce certain types of work. For example, if you had access to trade secrets, confidential business information or extraordinary training, it may be more difficult to throw out the agreement. However, if these things do not apply to your occupation, chances are you may be able to get out of the contract with some legal assistance.

3. The information is not confidential

Your employer may claim you must follow the non-compete provision because you had access to secret information. However, many businesses get sales leads and other helpful information from public sources, such as the internet, professional directories or phone books. If the information is readily available to the public, the agreement may not be as valid as it looks at first glance.

No one wants to have to deal with sexual harassment at their Florida workplaces; however, if employees don’t deal with it — and respond to it — swiftly and immediately, it could fester into a full-blown and job-threatening problem. Here are three excellent ways to respond to sexual harassment, which could serve to put a stop to it quickly and effectively without needing to report the issue to any superiors.

Appeal the self-interests of your abuser

If it’s a first-time offense, and you’re offended by the sexual harassment, consider that your “abuser” didn’t even know that you took it that way, or didn’t even know that what he or she did was sexual harassment. In this situation, you might want to ask directly what the person intended and what the person meant by a particular statement. This will clue the person in on your discomfort without causing the person to feel accused.

Tap into the abuser’s morality

After an abusive or harassing comment, you might want to address the comment and how you prefer interacting with people on a more decent, humane, fair and respectful way. This could serve to tap into the abuser’s sense of morality and he or she — if respectful as a person — will back down and stop the abuse.

Refuse to consent to the behavior

Say “no,” and say “move away from me” in any sexually harassing instance. You can be direct if necessary, or quiet about it. The behavior the person is engaging in is likely illegal or immoral and unethical, and therefore, you have every right to say no.

Were you sexually harassed?

If you were sexually harassed and the abuse would not stop, you might want to investigate the legal options available to you. Justice and restitution could be available if you pursue your matter in a legally appropriate way.

Source: Psychology Today, “A 10-point strategy for responding to sexual harassment,” Peter T. Coleman Ph.D., accessed March 30, 2018

A deputy employed by the Lee County Sheriff’s office has resigned after multiple sexual harassment accusations by his female coworkers. At least ten female employees of the sheriff’s office have accused the man thus far, saying that the male staff officer groped them, kissed them and talked dirty to them.

The sheriff’s office began an internal investigation into the matter following complaints from a female lieutenant. She claimed that the officer kissed her on her lips without her consenting to the action. Nine additional women have since spoken up about the officer’s abuses.

A pregnant woman working at the sheriff’s office said that the staff officer made sexual and intimate comments to her. In general, women said that they tried to stay away from him because he was touchy and inappropriate. The man was previously removed from working in gated communities because of complaints that he spent too much time hanging around the pool areas.

The staff officer has since denied all of the sexual harassment claims lodged against him. In his resignation notice, he claimed that people were accusing him of being the sheriff’s office’s version of Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer or other celebrities who have been revealed as sexual predators and sexual harassers.

When employees are empowered to step forward and make their voices heard about workplace sexual harassment, sexual harassers face consequences for their actions. No employee should ever have to put up with this kind of abuse.

Fortunately for victims of sexual harassment, the law is on their side. They have the right to fight back in court for financial restitution and justice when necessary.

Source: nbc-2.com, “Lee County deputy resigns amid sexual harassment allegations,” Nestor Mato, accessed March 23, 2018

Florida wage workers slave away at their jobs on a daily basis just to put enough food on their families’ tables. This is why, when they work more than 40 hours a week, the right to receive overtime pay can be so beneficial. Working overtime is one way for workers to boost their incomes considerably. It’s also a way to ensure that workers receive just compensation for the backbreaking achievement of working more than a 40-hour work week.

That said, certain Florida workers could be surprised by an employer who tries to tell them that they don’t have the right to receive overtime because of their employment classification. While it’s true that some Florida employees cannot receive overtime pay under Florida overtime laws, this only applies to the following occupations:

Railroad workers: Most railroad workers do receive overtime pay as a result of their union involvement and other rules governing their employment. However, these workers are exempt from coverage under Florida state overtime laws.

Truck drivers: Like railroad workers, truck drivers have different legal standards that apply to their jobs. They are also exempt from overtime rules.

Outside sales: These workers usually receive commissions for their sales and their working hours and schedules can be quite different from typical wage earners. They are also exempt from Florida overtime laws.

Managing supervisors: Those serving the role of supervisor in their jobs will also be exempt from the right to receive overtime pay.

Just because workers are employed in the above categories of jobs does not mean that they won’t receive overtime pay. As such, if you’re employed in such a job, you might want to negotiate the compensation terms associated with a 40-plus hour work week. That said, you may not be able to pursue a legal action under the Florida statutes that cover overtime laws.