Employment Representation Spotlight Archives

U.S. Department of Labor Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits, Including Workers Who Refuse to Work in Unsafe Conditions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers have made the difficult choice not to return to an unsafe workplace or to decline a new offer of unsafe work to avoid the risk of catching the virus. On February 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance announcing that individuals in these situations, in addition…

Levy Ratner Champions the Rights of Low‑Wage Workers in Alabama Wage Law Litigation

This case began in 2015 when the Alabama state legislature passed a bill to block the Birmingham City Council’s attempt to raise the minimum wage in Birmingham to $10.10. The wage increase would have made Birmingham the first city in the South to raise its minimum wage. The legislature’s decision to block the wage increase,…

Black and Latino Electricians Fight Racial Discrimination by the City of New York….And Win a Settlement

The City of New York agreed to pay $155,000, plus attorneys’ fees, to five black and Latino electricians in their claims of race discrimination and retaliation against the FDNY. They were represented by Levy Ratner’s Dana E. Lossia and Robert H. Stroup.

Restaurant Workers Awarded $400k in Wage Violation Case

When seven restaurant workers sued their employer for claims of unpaid overtime and minimum wage violations, Levy Ratner’s Allyson L. Belovin reached a settlement of more than $400,000 on their behalf. Judge Ronnie Abrams of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, awarded the plaintiffs’ recoveries ranging from $15,700 up to $85,650 each,…