• What Deductions Can Your Employer Make from Your Salary?

    Unlike a non-exempt employee, an exempt employee works for a salary. This means that an employer pays an exempt employee the same amount every week. Even though employers can make deductions from the salary of an exempt employee in San Jose, these deductions are limited to very specific circumstances.

    In this video, an employment attorney outlines the reasons why an employer may be able to deduct an exempt employee’s salary. For example, if an exempt employee has exhausted or has not accrued enough sick leave, then the employer does not need to pay for a full day taken off of work. However, the key to this deduction is that the exempt employee must take the entire day off of work. An employer may also suspend an exempt employee without pay if the employee commits a serious violation, such as disregarding a major safety rule or instigating sexual harassment.

  • A Look at Wrongful Termination

    If you think you may be the victim of wrongful termination, consult an employment lawyer in San Jose quickly. A wrongful termination attorney can explain the specific circumstances under which you may be able to file a wrongful termination claim against your employer . For example, you cannot be fired for whistleblowing, which refers to reporting your employer for unethical or unlawful practices. You also cannot be fired in retaliation for exercising a legal right, such as filing a discrimination claim.

    You can hear more about other types of wrongful termination by watching this video. This legal expert explains the other wrongful reasons for termination, such as on the basis of gender, age, race, and national origin. She also urges wrongfully terminated employees to seek the help of an experienced employment lawyer in their area as soon as possible.

  • Understanding Wrongful Termination and Your Rights

    Attorney in San Jose If you’ve recently been fired and you feel the action was unjust, you may wish to consider consulting an employment lawyer to determine whether you were the victim of wrongful termination. As your labor law attorney near San Jose can explain to you, most jobs are based on at-will employment. This means that as long as an employee is not fired for an illegal reason, an employer may fire him or her without having a good reason or even having a reason at all. Your employment lawyer can identify exceptions to this rule and file a complaint on your behalf if you were indeed wrongfully terminated.

    1. Contracts
    You may not be an at-will employee if you signed a written contract when you took the job. Your wrongful termination lawyer can review your contract to determine if there is a clause that spells out legitimate reasons for the firing. However, even if you lack a written contract, you may be able to prove wrongful termination based on an implied contract. An implied contract occurs when your employer says something or acts in a manner so as to make you believe that you can continue your employment for a certain period of time.

    2. Good Faith
    You may have grounds for a wrongful termination complaint if your employment lawyer determines that your employer may have breached the duty of good faith and fair dealing. For example, your employer may have fired you to prevent you from collecting sales commissions. Or, you may have been repeatedly transferred to dangerous or undesirable assignments in an attempt to force you to quit before you could collect benefits.

    3. Public Policy
    Violations of public policy can vary from state to state. For example, you might be protected from being fired because you volunteer as a firefighter. You are also protected from termination because of whistleblowing, taking time off to vote or serve on a jury, and serving in the military or National Guard.

    4. Discrimination
    Wrongful termination because of discrimination is another reason to consult an employment lawyer. If you feel you were fired because of your gender, religion, age, disability, race, color, national origin, or pregnancy status, your lawyer can file a complaint with the appropriate agency and then help you file a lawsuit against your employer.