Nebraska is an ‘at-will’ state, which means that your employer has the right to fire you for whatever reason or no reason at all.
The rights of both public and private employees in Nebraska are fully protected under various state and federal laws, but that does not mean some of them won’t experience problems in the workplace. This puts many people in an extremely difficult situation as they fear that complaining about whatever form of abuse they are subjected to will cause them to lose their job. What people fail to understand is that the law is on their side. Yes, the boss might retaliate, even fire you, but that’s all the more reason to talk to an experienced Nebraska employment lawyer. You shouldn’t put up with any form of abuse since the law allows you to get justice done and recover damages.
What sort of situations can an employment lawyer help me with?
There are many types of situations in which contacting a good employment lawyer in Omaha can be of great help. And, no, getting a lawyer doesn’t mean you’ll have to face your employer in court. Most employment law cases are usually settled out of court.
Discrimination
Many of the cases Nebraska employment lawyers have to deal with refer to discrimination in the workplace.
Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits any sort of discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, sex, religion and national origin. If you believe your employer is discriminating you by paying you less or by giving you the most difficult tasks based on one of the protected characteristics mentioned above, you might have a legal case. The same goes for being harassed on account of your race or ethnicity. If your co-workers use racial slurs, make derogatory comments or bully you, you should see a lawyer to understand what your rights are.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment falls under discrimination based on sex. The law defines two types of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Quid pro quo cases refer to those types of situations when a supervisor or manager asks you for sexual favors in return for a pay raise or promotion. Also, if you are threatened with termination if you do not comply, that’s also grounds for a sexual harassment complaint.
Hostile work environment refers to you being harassed by your coworkers. This type of sexual harassment can be of three kinds – verbal, visual and physical. This includes everything from sexually-charged comments, you being sent inappropriate images, or being subjected to unwanted touching, fondling or kissing. When you talk to a sexual harassment lawyer in Nebraska make sure to prepare an account of all the incidents, mentioning whether there were any witnesses present who could confirm your accusations.
Wrongful termination
Nebraska is an ‘at-will’ state, which means that your employer has the right to fire you for whatever reason or no reason at all. What they cannot due is fire you on account of a protected characteristic, such as race, color, sex, etc. Also, if your employer fires you when they learn you are pregnant this is a clear violation of your rights and a skilled lawyer can help you file a complaint in no time.
Unfair payment
If you think your employer is not offering you fair pay, such as giving you less than the legal hourly pay or not paying you overtime, you should consult an employment lawyer to understand what local and federal laws dictate.
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