New York Lawyer's Legal Updates
New York's Healthy Workplace Bill Addresses Bullying as Harassment
Author: discrimination lawyer Alena Shautsova Bullying has been a hot button in the news for some time, often providing detailed descriptions of the devastation that school children experience when they are victims of bullying. A particular bullying incident involving a Massachusetts high school student, Phoebe Prince, led to national media headli ...
Obama Administration Allows Work Rights for Young Undocumented Immigrants
Author: Law firm of Alena Shautsova The Obama Administration recently made a bold move by taking allowing thousands of young undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States. The implemented policy change takes away fear of deportation or procuring a driver's license and allows immigrants to work legally in the country ...
How Does the Family Medical Leave Act Protect Against Discrimination?
Author: discrimination lawyer Alena Shautsova As long as actions are not discrimination based, employers can fire, demote, discipline, or take any other legitimate employment action against employees who are on a Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) authorized leave. However, an employer cannot terminate you because you took an authorized FMLA leave. ...
Appellate Court Rules that DOMA Is Unconstitutional
Author: Alena Shautsova Marriage is a union of a man and a woman according to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law. However, the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston has just ruled that DOMA is unconstitutional. States have been divided on gay marriages for some time now with some states passing laws that allow gay marriage ...
Pregnant Women's Rights against Discrimination in New York
Author: discrimination attorney Alena Shautsova Many women are in the workforce today, and despite holding jobs, many also plan on having families. Is it fair for an employer to deny women the same rights as other employees when they become pregnant? The answer is "no." Various laws that protect women's rights in New York include: The Pregnan ...
ICE Heightens Actions to Deport Immigrants with Criminal Records
Author: Immigration lawyer Alena Shautsova Mid May, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reorganized its efforts to beef up ICE fugitive search teams all over the country. The focus is on locating and deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. According to an article in the L.A. Times the number of agents tasked to these te ...
What Happens When Undocumented Immigrants Obtain Law Degrees?
Author: Law Office of Alena Shautsova California must deal with an immigration issue that other states may soon face as well. An undocumented immigrant, who came to the United States with his parents when he was 17 is now 35 and has obtained a law degree in California. His name is Sergio C. Garcia. The State Bar of California certified Garcia base ...
Undocumented Immigrants with Higher Degrees and Career Goals
Author: Immigration attorney Alena Shautsova The purpose of any national law is to lay ground rules that safeguard its people and promote the country's growth and well-being. Current U.S. immigration laws have not kept up with the times. While proposed solutions for reform differ, politicians from both camps, the left and right, agree on the need ...
You Have the Right to Receive Equal Pay
Author: Law firm of Alena Shautsova The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy to create a work environment where women could earn the same pay as men for performing equivalent jobs. Despite the passage of this law, a large gender gap still exists between the pay that women and men receive in the United States. Acco ...
Discrimination Through Criminal Background Checks
Author: Alena Shautsova Freedom from discrimination based on race, color, nationality, religion, sex, age, or disability is an integral part of our civil rights laws. Most businesses are aware that such discrimination is illegal. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently updated a policy that affects how employers use cr ...