Workplace Safety & Protections
Covid-19 Protections
Your employer is required to provide a safe workplace that protects you, and customers, from Covid 19 transmission. Federal and State laws also provide protections for employees who need Covid-19 leave. If you have questions about whether your employer is complying with the law, or you have been retaliated against for asking for Covid-19 protections, we can help. Call us for a consultation about your rights and Covid-19.
Workplace Safety
You have a right to a safe and non-toxic workplace. If you need to report an unsafe workplace or if you have reported an unsafe workplace and have been retaliated against, our attorneys can help.
Employee Rights
Family Medical Leave
Federal law protects employees who need medical leave to care for themselves or family members. Federal law also requires employers to provide maternity and paternity leave for new parents. If you have been denied medical leave, retaliated against because you have taken medical leave, or fired because you asked for medical leave, we can help.
Federal Employees
Federal employees are protected by a web of statutes, rules, regulations, and union agreements that can make protecting your rights complex and confusing. We specialize in assisting Federal employees through the quick MSPB process and lengthy EEO process and litigating cases at the EEOC and in the Federal Courts. Attorney Charlotte Croson wrote the book in Michigan on representing Federal employees. Whether you’re at the VA, the TSA, the FBI, the CBP, or the DHS, we can help protect you and your career with the Federal government.
Licensing Appeals
Your license to practice medicine, social work, nursing or another State-licensed profession is your greatest asset. Accusations of negligence, violations of the Public Health Code, failure to meet the standard of care, or other licensing complaints by LARA or an employer can derail careers and cause significant harm. We are experienced in defending professionals wrongly accused or overcharged in every forum in Michigan, including at LARA, before the Administrative Law Judge, and in the Courts of Appeal.
Whistleblower
We help whistleblowers protect their rights and protect themselves. Do you believe your employer is violating the law? Have you already reported your employer for violating the law? Stand against corporate fraud and abuse and protect your rights with our experienced whistleblower attorneys. We have experience representing whistleblowers in state and federal court, along with administrative agencies, including OSHA and MiOSHA.
Unpaid Wages & Overtime
Minimum Wage
Under federal and state law, employees are entitled to a minimum hourly rate for all hours worked. Sometimes employers fail to pay the minimum wage or even pay workers at all. If your employer fails to pay you the minimum wage, even for a single paycheck, you may have legal claims that could provide for extra damages and attorneys’ fees. This includes employers who force you to work through lunch without pay, clock out while still requiring you to perform services, or perform services before punching in. If this has happened or is happening to you, contact CTM for a consultation today.
Overtime
Unless you are paid a salary, wage and hour laws require employees be paid time-and-a-half for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a week. Many employers come up with excuses for why they should not pay overtime, but those excuses may have no basis in the law. Many workers are misclassified as salaried exempt to avoid paying you overtime. This can include paying people a salary who do not classify for the exemption based on job duties or failing to pay salaried workers their full salaries in weeks that they work under 40 hours in a week. Other employers play games with timekeeping to avoid paying the overtime premium. CTM has experienced attorneys who will fight to get you your unpaid overtime.
Employee vs. Independent Contractor
One of the main tools that employers use to avoid paying workers minimum wage and overtime is misclassifying them as independent contractors. Independent contractors are not subject to most wage and hour laws and are permitted to enter into arrangements where they are not paid minimum wage or overtime. There are numerous factors considered when determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor, including the employer’s level of control, the worker’s ability to share in profit or loss, the expertise required to perform the work, and whether the worker supplies his or her own tools. If you believe you have been misclassified as an independent contractor, call CTM for an evaluation.
Tip Pooling
Many restaurants pay servers at a minimum wage much lower than the standard for other workers. While federal and most state laws permit them to do so, many then institute illegal tip pools to require servers to supplement the pay of other workers who are not permitted in the tip pool. This includes managers and chefs who are typically paid salaries. If you believe that you are subject to an illegal tip pool, call CTM today.
Unpaid Commissions
Michigan law provides that employers must pay commissions in accordance with their policies. Nonetheless, many companies illegally change these policies retroactively to avoid paying workers commissions that have already vested. If this has happened to you, you may be entitled to relief, up to treble damages. Contact an experienced CTM attorney for a consultation.
Discrimination & Harassment
Disability Discrimination
CTM understands that having a disability doesn’t mean you have an inability. We help employees seek reasonable accommodations from their employers, stand up to harassment and discrimination, and seek compensation for being wrongfully terminated and discriminated against.
Discrimination
Federal and State laws protect you from discrimination at work because of who you are, how you look, how you worship, or what your disabilities are. If you have been fired, demoted, lost a promotion, been denied a reasonable accommodation, or lost pay or benefits because of discrimination against you, our attorneys can help. From EEOC and MDCR charges, to employer negotiations, to bringing lawsuits, we are experienced and successful in representing our clients.
LGBT Discrimination
If you are LGBT, you are protected by Federal anti-discrimination laws. As a long-time member of, and activist in, the LGBT community, Charlotte Croson is well-positioned to protect your rights to the full extent of the law. Whether you’re being harassed at work or have been wrongfully terminated, CTM can help.
National Origin Discrimination
CTM supports diversity and wants to help you ensure that a diverse workplace is a fair workplace. If you are being harassed because of your national origin, if you’ve been fired because of stereotypes about your national origin, or if you’re being discriminated against because of assumptions about your national origin, we’re here to help.
Pregnancy Discrimination
Women should not fear for their employment simply because they are pregnant. Whether your employer is pushing back against reasonable accommodation or pregnancy leave or retaliating against you for disclosing your pregnancy, CTM is here to help you.
Race Discrimination
Don’t let race discrimination destroy your job or your career. If you have been discriminated against because of your race, we can help. Our committed and experienced attorneys fight racist policies and employers and fight for justice for you.
Religious Discrimination
Is your employer discriminating against you because of how, when, or where you worship? Does your employer retaliate against you or deny you opportunities because of your religious beliefs, dress, or needs? We fight religious discrimination, and we fight for your right to worship and follow your religious beliefs.
Sex Discrimination
If you have lost a promotion, been paid less, been required to do more than your job, or been fired because of your sex, CTM can help. We have decades of experience representing employees who have been discriminated against on the basis of their sex by their employer. We’re ready to help you get the justice you deserve.
Harassment and Bullying
Nobody should have to work in a hostile environment. Whether you are experiencing sexual harassment, racial harassment, anti-religious harassment, or other workplace abuse because of who you are, how you dress, how you look, or how you worship, our attorneys can help. We have decades of experience representing employees who are ready to stand up to their harasser and say No More!
Sexual Harassment
#MeToo was just the start. No woman should have to work in a workplace where she is sexually harassed, propositioned, called names, or treated differently because of her sex. CTM provides empathetic and aggressive legal representation for victims of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Racial Harassment
Racial harassment ruins careers and hurts employees. Whether you are being called racial names in the workplace, losing pay or promotions, getting the worst assignments or no overtime, our attorneys can help.
Retaliation
Sometimes standing up to your harassers or the people who discriminate against you can cost you. Michigan and Federal laws protect you from retaliation because you have reported or complained of harassment or discrimination. If you think you’ve been retaliated against because you stood up for yourself, we can help you get the justice you deserve.
Contracts & Agreements
Employment Contracts and Non-Compete Agreements
You have been offered an employment contract or a non-compete agreement and want to know what it means, or you want to get a better deal. You’ve been served a cease and desist letter or are being sued because you signed a non-compete. You’re owed severance pay, but your employer is not paying. Our attorneys are experienced in evaluating, negotiating, and litigating employment contracts and agreements. We will give you an honest assessment and transparent information about risks and rewards.
Severance Agreements
Being terminated is a traumatic event. And the multi-page severance agreement offered by your employer which asks you to waive your legal rights may be vaguely written, confusing, or not in compliance with the law. If you’ve been terminated and offered a severance agreement, we can help you understand, and make informed decisions about, your rights and options.