Decatur Legal

Legal news and analysis, trusted referrals, legal fiction, sponsored by Radford Scott LLP

Chicago Company Takes Extreme Measures to Limit Employee Bathroom Breaks

In an effort to curb the amount to time employees spend in the bathroom during working hours,  Water Saver Faucet Company has implemented a new “bathroom use” policy for its union workers. The faucet company installed a tracking system in which employees are required to swipe their ID cards in order to enter and leave the bathroom.

According to this recent NY Daily News article , since the policy’s implementation, nineteen workers have been disciplined for exceeding the six minutes per day as allowed by the policy. Union representative Nick Kreitman, “The company has spreadsheets on every union employee on how long they were in the bathroom. There have been meetings with workers and human resources where the workers had to explain what they were doing in the bathroom.”

Company owner Steve Kersten stated that in May, 120 hours of production were lost due to the amount of time workers spent in the bathroom. As part of the policy, employees that do not take any bathroom breaks in a given day, are awarded $1 for that day.

If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced unlawful employment practices, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help.   Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.

 

 

 

 

Strippers File Lawsuit Against San Diego and Law Enforcement Officials

Thirty strippers employed at Cheetahs Gentlemen’s Club and Club Expose filed suit this past week against the city of San Diego and Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman. As detailed in this article, the suit alleges violations of the strippers’ rights and seeks an unspecified amount in damages for emotional distress and pain.

As part of the requirement that nude establishments maintain a permit, police make routine inspections to deter illegal activity. Workers are required to show their ID cards and according to police spokesman Lt. Kevin Mayer, photographs taken, such of those to illustrate workers’ tattoos, are routine. “The San Diego code mandates we make these inspections. This is not a criminal matter, this is a regulatory matter,” Lt. Mayer.

The suit alleges that during inspections that took place in 2013 and 2014,  vice squad officers took photographs of nearly nude strippers and made demeaning remarks to them, intimidating and detaining the workers for an unnecessary amount of time. Attorney for the strippers, Dan Gilleon stated, “Either the officers acted maliciously, knowing they were violating claimants’ civil rights or SDPD’s failure to train the officers amounted to deliberate indifference to the the claimants’ rights.”

If you or someone you know thinks their civil rights have been violated, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help.   Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.

 

 

Newspaper Editor Terminated After Blogging His Religious Beliefs

A  former newspaper editor has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming that the he was terminated from his job due to his religious beliefs. During his employment as editor of the Newton Daily News, Bob Eschliman earned seven journalism awards, and a total of seventy awards throughout his career.     According to this recent article, despite his accomplished career, Eschliman has had difficulty finding employment since his controversial departure from the Newton Daily News.

In April of this year, Eshliman authored a personal blog post criticizing a website that is focused on rewriting the Bible to make it more gay friendly. Eshliman accused the “Gaystopo” of attempting “to make their sinful nature right with God.” As a result of the blog post, Eshliman’s former employer at first suspended him without pay and ultimately terminated his employment.

In the paper’s editorial addressing the editor’s termination, John Rung stated, “Last week, he expressed an opinion in his personal blog that in no way reflects the opinion  of the Newton Daily News or Shaw Media.” Further stating, “While he is entitled to his opinion, his public airing of it compromised the reputation of this newspaper and his ability to lead it.”

Former U.S. Attorney and attorney for Eshliman,  Matt Whitaker stated,  “No one should be fired for simply expressing his religious beliefs. In America it is against the law to fire an employee for expressing a religious belief in public.”

If you or someone you know thinks they have been wrongfully terminated or their civil rights have been violated, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help.   Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.

 

Florida Judge Rules the State’s Ban on Same-sex Marriage is Unconstitutional

Aaron Huntsman and William Lee Jones have been together 11 years. The couple’s suit is one of three that is currently making its way trough Florida’s judicial system in the fight for marriage equality.

In his ruling issued July 17, 2014 regarding the couple’s right to marry, Monroe County Circuit Judge Luis Garcia stated, “This court is aware that the majority of voters oppose same-sex marriage, but it is our country’s proud history to protect the rights of the individual, the rights of the unpopular and the rights of the powerless, even at the cost of offending the majority.   Whether it’s the NRA protecting our right to bear arms when the City of Chicago  attempted to ban handguns within its city limits; or when nazi supremacists won the right to march in Skokie, Illinois a predominantly Jewish neighborhood; or when a black woman wanted to marry a white man in Virginia; or when black children wanted to go to an all-white school, the Constitution guarantees and protects ALL of its citizens from government interference with those rights.”

Beginning Tuesday, same sex couples in Monroe County, Florida will be able to marry. Although this ruling is only for that of Monroe County, the precedent it sets  for future decisions in Florida is undeniable.

“The court holds that the plaintiffs have established animus by the proponents of FMPA and that the plaintiffs have also established that there is no rational basis for the unequal treatment of homosexuals by FMPA and Florida Statute 741.04(1),” Judge  Luis Garcia.

Miner is Terminated After Voicing His Safety Concerns

Three years after his brother was killed by a piece of mining equipment, Richard Coots was terminated from his mining job after pointing out potential dangers. Mines use the Automated Temporary Roof Support System (ATRS) to help prevent cave ins. The ATRS is to be used in conjunction with roof bolting machines.

As detailed in this Huffington Post article, after he was hired to repair old roof bolts at Lone Mountain, Coots was told by a manager to stop using the ATRS. The manager explained that the work would take too long if he continued to use the system.  Even though he had concerns regarding his own safety, Coots continued to work as directed.

During a staff meeting, a supervisor asked if anyone had  any safety concerns.Coots voiced his concerns and was told by the mine foreman to see him after the meeting, at which time the foreman told Coots that they did not have time to use the ATRS. Coots’ employment with the mine was terminated the next day.

An application to temporarily place Coots back into his job with the mine has been submitted by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission. In its application, the Labor Department alleges that Lone Mountain disciplined and discharged Coots for expressing his safety concerns.

“What happened to Richard Coots never should have happened,” stated Coots’ attorney. In reference to the death of Coots’ brother,  “You can imagine why safety would be so important to you as you continued to work in the mines.”

If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced retaliation due to a protected activity, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help.   Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.