Employment issue? Call us today at (512) 330-0017!

JP Morgan & Chase to pay almost $1.5M to settle sexual harassment lawsuit

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported on Tuesday, February 4 that multinational banking and financial services holding company JP Morgan & Chase will pay a settlement amount of nearly $1.5 million to 16 women who filed sexual harassment claims. The women were all employed in the bank’s call center in its Polaris Park office in Columbus, Ohio.

The lawsuit claimed the women were working in a hostile environment due to “sexist behavior” from the company’s other employees, such as people in supervisory positions and other mortgage bankers. It further alleged that the women were constantly receiving sexually-charged comments and were usually the subject of sexually-charged conversations.

If you are planning to file an employment lawsuit against your co-workers or supervisors in Austin, get in touch with our lawyers at The Melton Law Firm. It is essential that you have a team who is well versed in employment law and has experience handling such cases. Call our offices today at 512-330-0017.


Spousal benefits provided for same-sex marriages by more than 2/3 of Fortune 500 companies

According to a press release issued on Monday, December 9 by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies and 90% of all large employers are providing health insurance and other benefits to the same-sex partners of their employees. Among the corporations that are extending such benefits for the first time next year are Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Hormel Foods LLC, and Wendy’s International, Inc.

The organization’s 12th annual Corporate Equality Index, which conducts a rating of private companies’ adoption of policies affecting gay and transgender people, showed a record number of businesses incorporating policies that provide protection for discrimination against gay and transgender people in the workplace, including 61% of Fortune 500 companies.

When you are experiencing workplace discrimination in Austin, our lawyers at The Melton Law Firm, can help. We believe that no one should be unduly subjected to such mistreatment and, as such, do our utmost when an employee is treated unfairly. Call us at (512) 330-0017 to talk about your situation and legal options.


Appeals court agrees that businesses can negate class action arbitration by employees

In a 2-1 decision issued Tuesday, December 3, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Fort Worth, Texas-based homebuilder D.R. Horton and declared that the National Labor Relations Board was in violation of the federal law when it tried to hinder the former from making employees sign employee contracts agreeing not to file a class action lawsuit against the company.

Horton started requiring new and existing workers in 2006 to sign a contract saying they are waiving their rights to trial by jury in case of a job-related dispute and are agreeing to settle cases through arbitration.

Michael Cuda and other Horton employees in 2008 filed a complaint with the NLRB, saying that their employer wrongly classified them as exempt employees, that they were denied overtime pay, and that the class action waiver violated the National Labor Relations Act. In 2012, the NLRB ruled that the class action waivers were a violation of the deferral labor law.

The case was monitored by attorneys, headhunter and human resource organizations, and major Texas-based corporations, such as AT&T (telecommunications), J.C. Penney (upscale department stores), and RadioShack (electronic retail stores).

If your rights as an employee have been violated by your employer, get the skilled, experienced, and compassionate attorneys of The Melton Law Firm, to help you. We are dedicated to helping any Austin residents who have been treated unfairly by their employers, so call us today at 512-330-0017 to further discuss your situation and what legal action may be available to you.


Wells Fargo expected to layoff 925 employees

Banking giant, Wells Fargo, cited “changing market conditions” as the primary reason for laying off 125 employees in two Irving, Texas mortgage fulfillment units.

A Wells Fargo spokesman reported that 55 employees were informed of their impending  job termination within the last few months, while the remaining 70 were informed just last week. The layoffs, which were confirmed with the Texas Workforce Commission, are part of a nationwide plan that will cut 925 jobs.

Unfortunately, in the current economic climate, layoffs are not an uncommon phenomenon. However, should a person be terminated for unfair reasons, a competent and experienced employment lawyer can advocate for them. If you think your employee rights are being infringed upon by an Austin employer, contact the attorneys of The Melton Law Firm at (512) 330-0017 to find out what we can do for you.


Wal-Mart to add 55,000 workers for the holiday season

Multinational retail corporation Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced on Monday, September 23 that it will hire 55,000 seasonal employees for this year’s holiday season in a bid to increase staffing to accommodate the influx of shoppers during the busiest shopping time of the year. The retail magnate said it will also move 35,000 part-time employees to full-time and transfer more than 35,000 full-time employees to a part-time position.

Wal-Mart is hiring more people this year than it did last year when it employed over 50,000 seasonal workers.

Last Monday’s shares were trading six cents lower at $75.77 with stocks increasing by 10.9% so far this year.

Sometimes an employer doesn’t practice proper conduct in dealing with his or her employees, treating them unfairly or even harassing them. If this has happened to you, our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm, might be able to help you take action against your employer. Call us at 512-330-0017 to discuss your case with us today.


Federal Reserve to pull back on stimulus program despite lukewarm job market performance

In spite of a lackluster jobs report Friday, September 6 that questioned the country’s economic stability, analysts are of the opinion that the Federal Reserve will be pulling back on its stimulus program that helps secure the job market in a matter of weeks.

Economists said Fed governors would make light of the Labor department’s August report that showed a meager addition of only 169,000 jobs to the employment market, and still justify dwindling their monthly purchase of long-term Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities – initiatives that help push down long-term interest rates – after their next assembly on September 17 and 18.

Pantheon Macroeconomics chief economist Ian Shepherdson said Fed governors should postpone making such an action, as “the risks posed by Syria and the impending fiscal chaos in Washington” are at hand, with Shepherdson referencing Congressional debates over debt limit and spending measures.

Unfortunately, regardless of the job market, many people are treated unfairly by their employers. At The Melton Law Firm, our attorneys are dedicated to helping Austin residents who have suffered through such mistreatment, from unpaid overtime to workplace discrimination. Call us at 512-330-0017 to discuss your case with us today.

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