» EMPLOYMENT LAW
Beware the Arbitration Agreement
September 28th, 2023
I remember the excitement that comes with getting the offer letter on that job you really wanted. You can leave that dead-end job you are in, start making some real money and start enjoying life again. Yeah, the Employment Agreement includes an Arbitration Clause. And it’s kinda weird but the Arbitration Clause says the case has to be arbitrated on the o…
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Tags: Arbitration
The Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act - a good start.
August 12th, 2019
So – can an employee be fired for supporting perfectly legitimate organizations on her personal time? I represent a nice young woman who it appears, was fired from a large big box store on the basis of race. That’s an easy one. But it also appears she was fired for her support of legitimate organizations through various well-recognized social media…
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Categories: EMPLOYMENT LAW
Mediators, much like facts, matter. As do cookies.
July 16th, 2018
I recently resolved a wrongful/retaliatory discharge case through mediation. I wasn’t particularly enthralled with the idea of a mediation as only limited discovery had been completed. But my opponent said his client was genuinely interested in resolving the case early. We agreed to use Retired Judge Hollis Webster of Hollis Webster Mediations. While I b…
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Categories: EMPLOYMENT LAW
Chipotle wrongfully accuses worker of theft and fires her. Then Chipotle pays dearly.
May 29th, 2018
I saw this online story by Rachel Seigel of the Washington Post a couple weeks ago. Jeanette Ortiz worked at a California Chipotle for 14 years. She had moved up to a General Manager position and was making around $72,000 a year. Chipotle’s practice going back several years, was to have armored cars swing by and swap out large bills for smaller bills. On…
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Hurt on the job while hooping? Might be a Workers Comp case.
May 22nd, 2017
Great decision out of the First District Appellate Court last year on an interesting Workers Comp issue. In Calumet Sch. Dist #132 v Ill. Workers’ Comp. Comm, Jonathan Jordan[ironic this guy was named Jordan] was a science teacher at Calumet Middle School. Teachers at that that school were expected to attend and participate in afterschool activities whic…
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Regus gambles at trial and loses - badly.
August 23rd, 2013
Saw an interesting article online the other day – involving a VERY large wrongful discharge verdict out of California. The verdict was against Regus the nationwide office space provider. Denise Steffens, sued back in 2010. Steffens was a long-time manager for Regus. She claimed that she had a meeting with Regus management personnel and complained that Re…
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Categories: EMPLOYMENT LAW
Illinois Appellate Court carves into restrictive covenants.
July 16th, 2013
The Illinois Appellate Court issued an opinion last week that dramatically impacted an employer’s ability to keep former employees from going to work for competitors, or even potentially disseminating corporate information. In Premier v. Fifield, Eric Fifield was in employment negotiations with Premier Dealer Services[“Premier], a developer and mar…
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