Your rights in the workplace

The most complete handbook on workplace laws ever published -- a must-have for every employee.

Your Rights in the Workplace covers everything from rules for hiring and getting paid through losing a job and unemployment benefits -- all in plain English. Get the facts on:

- illegal firings and layoffs
- challenging a job loss
- wages and hours
- privacy on your email and voice mail
- family and medical leave
- on-the-job safety and health
- health insurance and retirement plans
- workplace testing
- sexual harassment
- discrimination
- unemployment, disability and workers' compensation insurance

This edition is completely updated to provide the latest legislation and case law that affects employees in all 50 states, including changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), new rules on COBRA continuation of health insurance, and the new Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). This book also addresses HIV/AIDS, privacy rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• 1 Your Rights in the Workplace p. 1
• Analyzing Your Options p. 2
• Talking Over With Your Employer p. 3
• Documenting the Problem p. 4
• Considering Legal Action p. 6
• 2 Wages and Hours p. 7
• The Fair Labor Standards Act p. 8
• Rights Under the FLSA p. 12
• Calculating Your Pay p. 22
• Calculating Work Hours p. 24
• Time Off Work for Civic Duties p. 29
• Payroll Withholding and Deductions p. 32
• Enforcing Your Right to be Paid Fairly p. 36
• Filing a Complaint or Lawsuit p. 36
• Violations of State and Local Laws p. 39
• 3 Health Insurance p. 81
• Coverage for Current Employees p. 82
• Coverage for Former Employees p. 86
• State Laws on Insurance Continuation p. 88
• Utilization Review p. 88
• 4 family and Medical Leave p. 101
• The Family and Medical Leave Act p. 102
• State Family and Medical Leave Laws p. 108
• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act p. 111
• Work/Life Balance p. 114
• 5 Privacy Rights p. 125
• Your Personnel Records p. 126
• Workplace Testing p. 132
• Surveillance and Monitoring p. 143
• Searches and Seizures p. 150
• Clothing and Grooming Codes p. 151
• Conduct Codes p. 153
• 6 Health and Safety p. 189
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act p. 190
• Enforcing OSHA Rights p. 193
• Criminal Actions for OSHA Violations p. 203
• State and Local Health and Safety Laws p. 203
• Tabacco Smoke in the Workplace p. 205
• Pesticide Laws p. 208
• Hazardous Substances Laws p. 209
• Violence in the Workplace p. 209
• 7 Illegal Discrimination p. 227
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act p. 230
• The Equal Pay Act p. 236
• The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act p. 240
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act p. 244
• The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act p. 245
• The Americans with Disabilities Act p. 248
• Discrimination Against Workers With HIV or AIDS p. 256
• Discrimination Against Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, and Transgender Workers p. 257
• State Laws Prohibiting Discrimination p. 258
• 8 Sexual Harassment p. 275
• The Effects of Sexual Harassment p. 275
• Federal Law p. 281
• State Laws p. 282
• Taking Steps to End Sexual Harassment p. 283
• Where to Get More Information p. 287
• 9 Losing or Leaving a Job p. 289
• The Doctrine of Employment at Will p. 290
• When a Firing May be Illegal p. 291
• Employees' Rights p. 302
• Finding Out Why You Were Fired p. 303
• Getting Documentation p. 305
• Waiving Your Right to Sue p. 310
• Taking Action Against Your Dismissal p. 311
• Plant Closings p. 312
• 10 After a Job Loss p. 333
• Your Final Paycheck p. 334
• Severance Pay p. 334
• Getting References p. 336
• Collecting Fringe Benefits p. 338
• Outplacement Programs p. 339
• Replacing Your Income p. 341
• Agreements Not to Compete p. 344
• Blacklisting p. 346
• 11 Unemployment p. 355
• Who is Covered p. 356
• Being Disqualified for Benefits p. 357
• Calculating Your Benefits p. 360
• Filing a Claim p. 361
• Appealing Benefit Decisions p. 365
• 12 Worker's Compensation p. 369
• Who is Covered p. 371
• Conditions Covered p. 372
• The Right to Medical Care p. 375
• Filing a Worker's Compensation Claim p. 376
• Calculating Benefits p. 377
• Related Lawsuits Work Injuries p. 379
• 13 Social Security Disability Insurance p. 381
• Who is Covered p. 383
• Disabilities Covered p. 384
• Filing a Social Security Claim p. 386
• Appealing a Denied Claim p. 391
• Collecting Other Benefits p. 392
• 14 Retirement Plans p. 395
• Social Security Retirement Benefits p. 396
• Private Pensions p. 399
• 401(k) Deferred Compensation Plans p. 404
• 15 Labor Unions p. 409
• Federal Laws p. 411
• State Laws p. 414
• The Bargaining Unit p. 414
• Types of Union Work Situations p. 415
• Union Elections p. 415
• The Right to Unionize p. 416
• The Right to Deunionize p. 417
• Where to Get More Help p. 420
• 16 Immigration Issues p. 421
• Federal Law p. 422
• Documentation Required to Work in the United States p. 423
• Illegal Discrimination p. 424
• English-Only Rules p. 425
• 17 Lawyers and Legal Research p. 427
• Mediation and Arbitration p. 428
• small Claims Court p. 429
• Class Action Lawsuits p. 430
• Hiring a Lawyer p. 430
• Legal Research p. 436
• Appendix
• Resources p. 443
• Advocacy, Generally p. 444
• AIDS-HIV p. 444
• Civil Rights p. 445
• Disabled Workers p. 445
• Discrimination p. 446
• State Agencies That Enforce Laws Prohibiting Discrimination in Employment p. 447
• Gay and Lesbian p. 451
• Immigration p. 452
• Labor Departments p. 452
• State Labor Departments p. 452
• Legal Referrals p. 457
• Mediation and Arbitration p. 457
• Older Workers p. 457
• Retirement Plans and Pensions p. 458
• Safety and Health Issues p. 458
• Unions p. 459
• Women's Issues p. 460
• Work/Life Issues p. 461
• Index p. 463