Are you searching for an employment attorney in the Jacksonville area? Or perhaps your job hunt is being hampered by a non-compete clause you signed with your previous job. Whatever your issue, a good employment lawyer can guide you through the legal web you ‘ll likely be facing.
The employment regulation issues tackled by Jacksonville employment attorneys include anything from contract disputes and wrongful job discrimination to sexual harassment and non-compete requirements, among others. Whether you are the worker seeking safeguards from your companies illegal acts, or a job needing assistance in a worker dispute, you can find the help you need.
A number of federal and state laws protect workers from illegal job discrimination. Some forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on personality differences, facial hair, weight, and other elements, are allowed in most areas. But discrimination that is based on an employee’s membership in any one of several protected classes– race, national origin, sex, religion, age, citizenship, impairment, pregnancy, military status, bankruptcy, HIV\/AIDS situation, or genetic information– is barred in Florida by federal and state law.
The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 prohibits discrimination against any individual based on age. Other classes, such as race, sex, ethnicity and religious affiliation are protected by the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA) and federal Civil Rights regulations. Disability discrimination is covered by both the Florida Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Various protections exist for those affected by HIV or the AIDS virus.
In Florida, state regulation prohibits some additional types of workplace discrimination not covered by federal regulation, including discrimination on the basis of marital situation. A great employment attorney in Jacksonville is equipped to steer you through these laws.
There are two offices that manage worker grievances of illegal career discrimination in Florida: the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR). An staff member claiming discrimination must record a grievance with either of these offices ahead of taking any action in court. Your employment attorney in Jacksonville can help you figure out the requirements of these filings, and any deadlines or processes you require to be aware of.
Once the office has ended its investigation, the applicant can pursue a suit, or seek remedy directly from the involved department. Both avenues can lead to hirings, back pay, reinstatements and monetary damages, but in contrast to the two offices, the civil courts can award unlimited damages.
If you are subjected to undesirable, repeated harassment or abuse by another worker based on your gender, you are protected under the regulation. These types of conducts are banned under both state and federal regulations. Even if the behavior to which you are subjected is not openly sexual in nature, if you are being victimized based on your sex, you are entitled to protection and reparation under the regulation.
In many actions, a Jacksonville employment attorney can help you with contract concerns as well as discrimination or harassment. Although many workers in the state of Florida do not work under a contract, there are some cases where an employee might be constrained by a non-compete or a collective bargaining agreement. Instead, staff members are “at will,” meaning they can be terminated for any reason, so long as it’s not unlawful discrimination.
Breach of contract problems come up when the employer and former staff member disagree on the cause for the firing, or the legitimacy of the cause. If you find yourself handling a contract you feel has been breached, you should speak to an employment lawyer to make sure your interests are represented.
Florida law allows the institution of non-competition agreements, which may keep an employee from seeking other work in their field after they have terminated employment with their current company. Although Florida courts have instructed that these clauses not be too far-reaching or too hard to enforce, they’ve embraced the overall concept more than most other state courts. A professional attorney will be able to review your contract, and supervise you on its enforceability and legality.
No matter what side of the table you’re on, employment law is a perplexing and involved subject. A good Jacksonville employment attorney will know the regulation and how to use it your advantage.
