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Federal law in the United States strives to honor the uniqueness of all individuals and prevent people from being harassed and/or discriminated against due to their external appearances, or due to other factors over which the person has no control.

The law offers protected status to different people under different categories, such as gender, national origin, race, religion and other factors. One of these protected statuses is the status of being a U.S. veteran. Life is already challenging for veterans, as shown by how difficult it can be to secure the right kind of veteran mortgage, without facing the wrath of inconsiderate individuals. By virtue of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, veterans cannot be harassed on the job.

Every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Considering the debt of gratitude we owe to veterans for their selfless acts of bravery to defend our freedom in overseas wars, veterans are especially deserving of — at the very least — fair treatment.

To be demeaned with derogatory treatment because of one’s status as a veteran is just as disrespectful and unlawful as any form of sexual harassment or racial discrimination. If you’re being treated badly on the job, feel you have lost advancement opportunities or feel that you’re being harassed or discriminated against in any way as a result of you being a veteran, the law is on your side. You can pursue justice and restitution in court.

Let’s say, for example, that you complained about being harassed due to your veteran’s status, and then you were let go from your job as a result. You may be able to pursue a wrongful termination claim to get back your job, or seek financial compensation for lost income, lost opportunity and other damages caused by your termination.

Source: FindLaw, “Understanding different types of harassment,” accessed May 31, 2017

If a Florida coworker makes an inappropriate comment, you might freeze up and be unable to respond. Part of the reason you freeze is that you might not have considered beforehand what the proper response should be. Read the following ways to respond to sexual harassment now, and you’ll be well prepared should you encounter such a situation:

— Responding to a one-time event: Responding quickly to a one-time sexual harassment event is often enough to quickly put the behavior to a stop. If someone makes an inappropriate comment or sends a harassing email, tell the person it made you feel uncomfortable, and not to say that to you again. Save the emails and texts for future reference should you need to make a complaint of repeat behavior.

— Responding to repeat behavior: Inform your manager of the behavior in writing and follow up in person. Tell your manager that it’s negatively affecting your ability to work. The harassers should be dealt with immediately.

— Your harasser is an ex-romatic partner: Do the same as above. Your history with the person doesn’t matter; it is still considered harassment.

— Your harasser is a manager: Review the employee manual for your company and identify who you should contact to report the harassment. If you can’t identify the contact, tell human resources or any senior person in writing and in person.

— If you’re afraid to report the harassment: Bring a work friend for support when you report the abuse.

— Management isn’t doing anything: Report the continued sexual harassment and the failure of management to a Florida employment law attorney.

You don’t have to be a victim of workplace sexual harassment. You can put the harassment to a stop by pursuing legal claims to seek justice and financial restitution. By discussing your sexual harassment with a Florida employment law attorney, you can learn about your legal rights and options in this regard.

Source: Cosmopolitan, “6 Ways to Respond to Sexual Harassment at Work,” Michelle Ruiz, accessed May 22, 2017

If you get laid off from your job, you can usually seek unemployment benefits to help you financially while you’re looking for new work or sustain your lifestyle in case you’re disabled due to an accident.

For instance, if you were injured at work and are disabled in some way, it’s likely you’ll not be able to work. You may have looked into a physical therapy and workers compensation clinic/service to see how you can be helped during this time, but you are still incapable to work due to the injury. If you have a leg job where you are always on your foot doing and managing tasks, such as in a factory or warehouse, you might have a higher chance of encountering injuries than those who do desk jobs. For instance, people who overuse their legs or sustain knee injuries may face issues like runners knee (Click here to read the entire article about knees related issues) where cartilage under the kneecap might get damaged. Such problems may require long-term medication and treatment, and can after daily tasks such as walking, sitting, squatting, etc.

Litigation in such cases has been known to drag on for years. And, in the meanwhile, your ability to work can diminish or cease altogether. Additionally, while your case is pending, you may not be able to sustain yourself without a steady income. It is in such cases that pre-settlement funding (look for reliable pre-settlement advances, if interested) can help you take care of your bills and maintain your lifestyle as well.

However, if your unemployment is due to an injury that was a result of corporate negligence, you may be entitled to seek compensation with the right help. Also, if your daily survival habits such as eating, movement, and others have been affected, the company may also be liable to provide legal monetary compensation. This compensation could entail reconstructive cosmetic procedures from a Dentist Fulham or another such dentist to bring you back to a position where you could resume the basic function of eating.

Following compensation, you could avail corresponding unemployment benefits should your injuries mark you as eligible for the same.

In some circumstances, however, you might not qualify to receive unemployment benefits.

Below is a list of the usual disqualifiers that prevent an employee from getting this vital financial assistance in such a desperate time of need. If you were fired for any of the following reasons, you might not be able to get benefits:

— Excessive absences: Did you get fired for not showing up to work without a valid excuse on a regular basis?

— Violation of workplace rules: Did you have trouble following the rules of your workplace?

— Excessive lateness: Being fired for excessive tardiness could disqualify you from compensation benefits.

— Causing injury to fellow employees or the business: This does not include accidents, but if you acted in a way that you knew would cause harm, you might not be able to get benefits.

— Sleeping on duty: Falling asleep during your job duties could be enough to immediately disqualify you from unemployment benefits.

— Being dishonest: It’s always best to be honest and accept the consequences if you want to safeguard your chances of getting unemployment benefits.

— Being insubordinate: This might manifest as regularly being disrespectful to the rules and managers.

— Sexual harassment: Sexual harassment is grounds for immediate termination, and it could prevent you from getting unemployment benefits.

— Non-Disqualifiers: This list of disqualifiers does not include reasons for firing like carelessness, unintentional errors, lack of skill, poor performance and other reasons.

Were you let go from your job, and are you having trouble qualifying for unemployment compensation benefits? You might be able to take legal action to get the benefits you deserve. By speaking with a qualified Florida employment law attorney, you can discuss the facts of your case to determine whether or not you have the legal right to receive unemployment compensation after being terminated from your job.

Source: FindLaw, “Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation Benefits,” accessed May 17, 2017

During the history of the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, we have seen virtually every single type of discrimination under the sun. However, even our experienced legal team can be surprised by the extent to which some Florida residents are victimized by discrimination in this day and age. In an effort to educate Florida residents further about discrimination, readers of this blog may want to be aware of lending discrimination. This pernicious form of discrimination is perpetrated by Florida financial institutions, and happens more frequently than you might care to believe.

We know that loans are ways to accumulate the necessary funds at once for fulfilling certain needs. Most people do not have the cash to pay a large sum to a client, so loans are the only viable option in those situations. In many cases, people have obtained loans to finance vehicle purchases, wedding expenses, business funding, or home purchases from builders (such as those available at waredesignbuild.com/upland-ridge-subdivision-new-berlin-wi). With loans being used for a variety of purposes, it seems that banks have a responsibility to provide loans without discrimination.

Lending discrimination occurs when a person goes to a bank and asks for a loan, but he or she is denied that loan due to his or her protected status. Perhaps you were denied a loan because you’re a minority, not because of your economic status. Alternatively, perhaps you were denied a loan because you have a disability, and not because you are unemployed. These, of course, shouldn’t be a reason for banks to deny loan applications. Although there are other reputable institutions (such as Pine Financial Located in Colorado, for instance) you can reach out to in order to loan out the required sum, such discriminating practices should be brought to a halt.

One of the most important tools that we have to combat discrimination in our state is education. The more citizens know about discrimination – and the various ways that it can manifest – the more they are able to recognize discrimination when it is happening. In fact, once they have realized it, citizens can take steps to avoid those institutes that take part in such unfair practices. They should try seeking funding for businesses from reputed and trusted sources. Application of Loans for small businesses should not be restricted due to discrimination from banks. Rather, the credit score and ability to return the loan amount and its corresponding interest should determine the sanctioning of loans. The continual discrimination in lending could lead to economic problems locally as well as nationally. This would be due to the lack of growth due to insufficient funds for business owners which would hinder production, employment, money circulation, and more. Eventually, it could lead to a drop in the economic prosperity of said societies.

The same would apply to obtaining a home loan only from a reputed organization, be it commercial building loans in florida they want or a residential home loan in Missouri.

If you suspect you were victimized by lending discrimination, you may want to learn as much as you can about this civil rights issue by speaking with a discrimination lawyer about the issue. Your lawyer can help you evaluate whether you have a viable claim to pursue financial damages relating to lending discrimination. By pursuing such an action, you will not only be helping yourself. You’ll also be helping to bring more awareness to lending discrimination until it is eventually eradicated from our communities entirely.

As a member of the Florida workforce, you are an at-will employee, which essentially means your employer can terminate you at any time and for almost any reason. There are several key exceptions, however, and they involve your protected rights.

For example, you have a right to “blow the whistle” about wrongdoing at your place of employment, and your employer and coworkers may not harass or otherwise retaliate against you for making the decision to do so. Workplace retaliation can take on many forms.

Verbal or physical harassment or abuse

Your employer, coworkers and even clients and customers of your place of employment may not harass or abuse you orally or physically because you acted as a whistleblower.

Demotions or changes in job duties

If you face a demotion or receive orders to perform undesirable tasks that are different than your typical work duties, this too may be a form of workplace retaliation.

Pay cuts

The law also does not allow employers to dock your pay or reduce your salary because you chose to exercise one of your protected rights.

Assigning an undesirable or conflicting schedule

If you have never worked at night because of conflicting parental duties, and then your boss suddenly starts scheduling you overnight shifts after your whistleblowing action, this can be considered an act of workplace retaliation in the eyes of the law.

Threatening to contact authorities

For example, if you have an undocumented family member, and your employer or a colleague threatens to expose this and alert immigration authorities in the wake of your blowing the whistle, that individual may face serious consequences for raising that threat.

While all of these examples could potentially constitute workplace retaliation, every situation is different and dependent on the specific facts of the case. If you believe you have been a victim of workplace retaliation, consider getting in touch with an attorney.

The days and weeks following a sexual harassment accusation are vital. Businesses need to act in an appropriate manner, not only to stop the sexual harassment that’s happening, but also to prevent other instances from happening in the future.

To completely eradicate sexual harassment from the workplace, though, businesses need to adopt a zero tolerance policy. According to a human resources professor from Villanova University, zero tolerance is the only way to end a long-term culture of sexual harassment in a work environment.

Whenever ambiguity exists regarding what constitutes sexual harassment, it can serve to promote negative behavior. Rather, what’s needed are clear definitions of sexual harassment and clear channels through which victims of sexual harassment can report instances. Finally, businesses must swiftly and consistently act when they receive reports of sexual harassment from abused employees.

For all of this to work, however, faith must be instilled in employees, so they know that when they complain, their complaints will be heard and acted upon. Otherwise, if employees don’t feel they will be heard, they will not make the complaints. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, only one out of four cases of sexual harassment are ever reported. The key is to convince victims and witnesses of sexual harassment to come forward and assert their legal rights.

When more Florida employees report instances of workplace sexual harassment, more harassers will stop their unconscionable behavior. Indeed, when a sexual harassment victimsteps forward by making a legal claim, he or she is not the only one being helped. The action of filing a sexual harassment complaint will assist countless other victims by gradually changing the perception of what society considers acceptable behavior.

Source: Christian Science Monitor, “O’Reilly and changing a culture of sexual harassment,” Harry Bruinius, April 21, 2017