Vaughn explains employee rights to job seekers

Attorney Nancy Washington Vaughn

A job networking group in Madison recently learned about employee rights from local attorney, Nancy Washington Vaughn.

Vaughn presented her workshop, “Employee Rights 101 – Your Employment and the Law” to the St. Joseph the Worker Job Club. This group meets on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church parish center, 1055 Hughes Road.

The job club includes not only unemployed workers but individuals looking to change jobs, learn about leads and hear tips for job searching.

Vaughn discussed an employee’s legal rights in the application process, interview and after being hired. When applying for work, an individual may encounter “unlawful questions on applications, unlawful interview questions and unlawful pre-employment mental and physical screenings,” she said.

The Equal Pay Act requires employers to pay male and female employees the same wage for performing the same job, Vaughn said.

More recent federal legislation, the Immigration Reform & Control Act mandates a company to confirm its employees’ immigration status and lawful right to work in the United States. This law “makes it illegal for employers to knowingly recruit and hire unauthorized persons,” Vaughn said.

During her presentation, Vaughn discussed the Family Medical Leave Act, which applies to businesses with more than 50 employees. “Employers must permit employees up to 12 weeks of leave (unpaid unless personal paid leave is available) in a single 12-month period for certain medical conditions of the employee or his/her family member,” she said.

“There is no ‘code of civility in the workplace,'” Vaughn said. “Employees must comply with employer policies and procedures.”

However, “employees may not be retaliated against for filing or testifying in complaints of unlawful employment,” she said.

St. John’s Catholic Church is located at 1055 Hughes Road. For more information, visit stjohnbchurch.org and click the Job Club link.

Vaughn owns Legal Advantage Human Resources Solutions LLC. To contact Vaughn, call 256-289-9782, send email to nvaughn@legaladvantagehrsolutions.com or visit legaladvantagehrsolutions.com.