Category: Uncategorized

How Do I Join a Class Action and How Does it Work for Me?

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What is a Class-Action Lawsuit?

Class Actions can have many benefits for employees and consumers.  At its most basic, a class-action allows for one court to  decide together in one case issues impacting many people, usually when the amount at issue is too little to attract competent counsel for individual cases but the number of people impacted by the alleged illegal practice may be very large.  When addressed together, the claims are sufficient to support a lawsuit – whether a Federal Court Class action or sometimes in state court.

How can I Join a Class-Action Lawsuit?

Participation in a Class Action depends on court approval or “certification” of the class. If you think you are potentially covered by a class action lawsuit, Continue reading “How Do I Join a Class Action and How Does it Work for Me?” →

COVID-19 and Employment Law Practices – Q&A with Angela Walker

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Attorney Angela Walker on COVID-19, advising employees, and the practice of law. This article was originally prepared for the Institute for Continuing Legal Education March 27, 2020.  The original post can be found here.

Angela Walker is a founding partner at Blanchard & Walker PLLC. Angela handles severance negotiations and career strategies for her clients. She has extensive experience with equal pay, sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, and disability rights cases. Here, Angela shares some of her thoughts on practicing during this time, as well as her analysis of some of the biggest issues facing employees. Continue reading “COVID-19 and Employment Law Practices – Q&A with Angela Walker” →

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

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MDHHS: What should you do if you think you have been exposed?

Responding to the Coronavirus Outbreak as legal professionals means constant monitoring so that we can provide clients and callers with the most up-to-date information and advice possible.   The  Families First Coronavirus Response Act has temporarily expanded paid leave rights in two important ways: creating a paid sick leave benefit for certain workers affected by the outbreak and a 12 week paid caregiver leave for parents caring for minor children during school closures.  How does it work? Continue reading “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” →

Blanchard & Walker: Fighting Payroll Fraud for Independent Contractors

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Clocking overtime
Company’s Use “Independent Contractor” Agreements to Avoid Paying Overtime to Employees.

Blanchard & Walker lawyers have been fighting for over a decade to secure the rights of cable technicians and other laborers who have been deprived of overtime pay by the use of “independent contractor” labels.  Still, we are amazed by the depth of the problem and astonished to hear how extreme and widespread the abuse of “independent contractor” classifications has become.   Continue reading “Blanchard & Walker: Fighting Payroll Fraud for Independent Contractors” →

Blanchard & Walker Law PLLC: Ruling Provides Warning for Mandatory Handbook Restrictions

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Administrative ruling sends a warning shot for overreaching and oppressive employment contracts.

Blanchard & Walker clients win in case tried under the National Labor Relations Act. Trial verdict provides a warning for employers seeking to impose workplace communication restrictions.

The Motor City Pawn Brokers ruling confirms that oppressive handbook requirements banning everything from communications with former employees to social media postings violate the National Labor Relations Act, and firing people for Continue reading “Blanchard & Walker Law PLLC: Ruling Provides Warning for Mandatory Handbook Restrictions” →

Fighting for Independent Contractors

Posted on by Blanchard & Walker
Clocking ovvertime
Clocking overtime for independent contractors.

Blanchard & Walker lawyers have been fighting for over a decade to secure the rights of cable technicians and other laborers who have been deprived of overtime pay by the use of “independent contractor” labels.  Still, we are amazed by the depth of the problem and astonished to hear how extreme and widespread the abuse of “independent contractor” classifications has become.   Writing for Slate, author Virginia Sole-Smith has done an excellent job to document the scope and extent of predatory misclassification of employees.  Thank you to Virginia for explaining the human toll behind these practices.

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_grind/2016/04/more_cable_and_internet_installers_are_independent_contractors_and_the_hours.html

With one swift re-classification, the otherwise “employers” are able to reduce costs related to unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation, and even avoid obligations to pay overtime. Or so some would assume. In fact, the protections of the FLSA are not dependent on the company’s discretion in picking job titles. Persons designated as “independent contractors” and other workers wrongly deprived of overtime pay have a legal right to recover the wages stolen through illegal misclassifications by their employers. Continue reading “Fighting for Independent Contractors” →