Nashville Labor and Employment Attorney

Employment Law Attorney

Thompson Burton’s labor and employment attorneys represent companies and individuals in resolving work-related disputes. We thoroughly understand all details of Tennessee labor laws as well as federal employment laws, including the Family Medical Leave Act, Equal Employment Opportunity Laws, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. We provide clients with litigation defense or avoidance, whether they are employees or business executives. Our attorneys also review employment contracts and other documentation to ensure business owners meet all legal requirements.

Employee Discrimination Cases

If you face discrimination from your employer, contact us. We are dedicated to defending Tennessee employees who experience wrongful treatment at work. Employee discrimination is illegal as stated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, whether it is due to gender, race, religion, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, or age discrimination in the workplace. You are entitled to your employee rights, including the right against discrimination.

Family Medical Leave Act Violations

The Family Medical Leave Act protects covered employers and eligible employees who provide and receive family medical leave. Employees who qualify for the Family Medical Leave Act receive up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off with the continuation of group health benefits. Upon returning to work, individuals resume their job or begin an equivalent role. Violating these policies, whether as an employer refusing benefits or an employee wrongly obtaining leave, is illegal and will result in repercussions.

Fair Pay Disputes

The Fair Labor Standards Act is in place to ensure that all employees receive correct pay. When employers fail to pay overtime compensation, wrongly classify individuals as exempt, or do not provide agreed-upon wages, they violate the Fair Labor Standards Act and can face lawsuits. If you believe you’re receiving unfair pay, our labor and employment attorneys will proudly represent you.

Contact Us for Labor and Employment Law Services

Our employment lawyers at Thompson Burton serve residents throughout the state of Tennessee. If you have any questions about your employee rights, state or federal employment laws, or need representation for litigation, don’t hesitate to contact our law firm. We have extensive experience in labor and employment law and are dedicated to serving our community.

Do the DOL’s Proposed Revisions Apply to My Employees?

By Jennifer Lankford, September 16 2015

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If you read my recent article, then you already know that the Department of Labor is proposing revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime exemptions applicable to white collar employees, i.e., those subject to certain exemptions from the federal minimum wage and overtime requirements. You also understand that the salary threshold for an employee to remain “exempt,” i.e., not entitled to overtime for hours worked over 40 per week, will likely be raised from $455 per week ($23,660 annually) to $970 per week ($50,440 annually) in 2016. In other words, you understand that the proposed rule changes more than double the annual salary required for an employee to be exempt from the FLSA’s requirements. What is less certain – are your employees among those “white collar” workers to whom this salary change will apply? Short answer: if you have any employees who you currently consider exempt from the FLSA, this rule touches […]

Don’t Be Trigger Happy: Law Prohibits Employee Discipline for Storing Firearms in Vehicle

By Jennifer Lankford, July 30 2015

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You may recall that in 2013, Governor Haslam signed into law “Guns in Trunks,” which allowed Tennesseans with valid handgun carry permits to store and transport firearms and ammunition in their privately owned vehicle while on public or private property, subject to certain exceptions, such as areas otherwise prohibited by federal law, i.e., school zones, or in single-family dwellings. When the law first went into effect, a key concern for me was whether the statute would be interpreted to permit employer’s to continue to terminate employees in violation of a “no guns on company property” policy. As of April 6, 2015, the answer is officially “No.” On April 6, 2015, Governor Haslam signed into law a provision that adds to the protections previously provided by “Guns in Trunks.” Under the new provision, Tennessee law prohibits employers from terminating employees solely because they have a firearm or firearm ammunition stored […]

The Proposed DOL Rule Changes – What You Need to Know & How to Prepare

By Jennifer Lankford, July 17 2015

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The Department of Labor’s proposed rule changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) has enveloped the blogosphere of late. Here, I am breaking the changes down to their most basic for business owners – giving you the information you need to know and suggestions for appropriate response. First, the basic background – what you should already know: The FLSA establishes minimum wage and overtime pay for employees in the private sector and in Federal, state, and local governments. Some employees are “exempt” from the FLSA, meaning that they are not entitled to overtime pay for hours worked over forty (40) per week. Covered non-exempt employees are entitled to minimum wage of not less than $7.25 per hour. Covered non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime of at least one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for any hours worked over forty (40) in a given workweek. The FLSA does not require employers […]

Welcome, Interns? Revisit Your Summer Workers’ Job Classification

By Jennifer Lankford, July 10 2015

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Last week, the Second Circuit joined the Sixth Circuit (which covers federal courts in Tennessee) in rejecting the Department of Labor’s six-factor test for classifying workers as interns versus employees. With this decision, and given that it is the season of interns throughout our state, let’s review whether your business is using lawfully unpaid interns or failing to pay workers that should be classified as employees minimum wage and overtime as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. In the Sixth Circuit, and now the Second Circuit, courts apply the “primary benefit” test to determine whether a worker is truly an “intern.” As explained recently by the Second Circuit Court in its seminal decision of Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures, better known as the “Black Swan” case, “the proper question is whether the intern or the employer is the primary beneficiary of the relationship.” As the Sixth Circuit previously explained, “[f]actors such as whether […]

Avoiding an Uber Mistake: Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors

By Jennifer Lankford, July 1 2015

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These days, we can be connected with drivers, grocers, home cleaners, dog walkers, etc., with the click of an App. Aside from convenience and the comfort of a background check, consumers are little concerned with the mechanisms behind this business-worker relationship. Businesses, on the other hand, should be on high alert to avoid an uber misclassification (I know, punny). Most of us have “Ubered” by now – calling on the App to find us a fancy, black sedan or SUV for convenient transportation. With service in over 311 cities and 58 countries, Uber is gaining massive success. However, the company received unwanted attention when, on June 3, 2015, the California Labor Commission held that Barbara Berwick, a former Uber driver, was not an independent contractor with Uber, but rather, was an employee, entitled to all of the benefits associated therewith. As part of her claim, Ms. Berwick requested lost wages […]