Appreciating Employees in the Workplace
At Forester Haynie, one of our favorite mottos is Work Shouldn’t Suck. It seems pretty obvious to us, but a lot of companies don’t seem to agree. This is why we started our #WorkShouldn’tSuck campaign. To us, this means a lot more than those three little words might suggest. It means employees’ rights should be protected and their interests should be considered. It means employers should treat their employees with respect and integrity every day. And it means everyone in the office should be appreciated for their hard work.
Unpaid Internships
Unpaid internships are common in many industries, and particularly so in the public interest legal area, where it has become the norm for those seeking public interest positions to work for free. Over the years, it has remained a consistent practice for many companies to not pay their interns. Partially to blame are the lax regulations and inconsistent case law. The Department of Labor uses a multi-factor test to determine whether interns are employees under the FLSA, thereby entitling them to be paid the minimum wage. This test turns on the unique circumstances of each case, though, making uniformity difficult.
Undeniably, the prevalence of unpaid internships has a negative effect on many graduates and students, particularly those with considerable student loan debt and those who may not be able to afford to take unpaid positions.
We Understand Your Value
From Day one, Forester Haynie has understood the value its law clerks, interns, and paralegals bring to the firm. In many ways, our law clerks are the backbone of our organization. Their work is a little more “behind the scenes” but they work hard to better the community and seek justice by personally speaking to our clients every day. Paying our interns, and providing them with the skills and insight they will need when pursuing their own careers, is just one way we show our appreciation for these critical members of our firm. We understand that #WorkShouldn’tSuck and that means starting with us.
Ways Employees’ Rights are Violated – and How Forester Haynie Stands Against Them
Respecting employee rights is essential to creating a workplace where everybody thrives. Sadly, many employees face violations of their workplace rights daily. Here are some of the most common ways we see these rights violated, and why we stand against them at Forester Haynie:
- Unpaid Overtime: Employees should be properly classified and paid for extra hours worked.
- Discrimination: Diversity and equal opportunity are fundamental rights.
- Unpaid Internships: We believe that interns deserve fair compensation for their work.
- Lack of Paid Leave: We support employees’ rights to paid family and sick leave.
- Retaliation: Employees who report illegal or unsafe workplace practices deserve full protection.
Every person deserves respect and fair treatment at work, no matter what. We are proud to stand for these values.
Pizza Delivery Drivers
Forester Haynie has recovered over 5 millions
dollars for pizza delivery drivers as of May 2020.
Fair Labor Standards Act
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was passed in an effort to set a minimum wage and maximum hour requirement for hardworking Americans.
Many wage violations are industry-wide and you may already be a member of a class action. If you are worried you may be being taken advantage of by your employer, please contact us below.
Whether you’re a waiter, pizza delivery driver, restaurant assistant manager, call center worker, or any other type of employee we want to help. You matter and you have rights.
Jay Forester of Forester Haynie oversees the firm’s unpaid wages and overtime practice and handles cases nationwide.
Your unpaid wage claim may be decreasing with each day’s delay so contact us via the form below to see if you may have a claim or call us at 844-999-WAGE (9243):