Milwaukee Wisconsin Legal Blog

Of all the activities that people participate in, working is the activity that most people participate in the most. Therefore, having a positive, enjoyable work environment is important.

For some positions or work environments, stress may be common. However, there are certain things one may do to reduce stress in the workplace.

In certain industries, teenage employees comprise a large and valuable portion of the workforce. This often includes jobs in retail or fast food, where teens can work after school or on the weekends to earn some extra cash and learn important on-the-job skills. Sadly, Wisconsin employers do not always respect the fact that teenagers are still children, and violations of employment law are perhaps not as uncommon as most would like to think.

The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division recently slapped Shadowlake Enterprises -- a company that operates four Subway franchise locations in Wisconsin -- with a rather hefty fine for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. Ordered to pay $47,657, the company allegedly committed both record keeping and child labor violations. As part of its penalty, Shadowlake agreed to move to a computerized scheduling system.

Business owners spend months and years developing and growing their businesses, and they want to make sure that their interests are protected. Employee contracts are a good solution to these concerns as they generally provide important protections for both employers and their workers. A well-worded noncompete clause can also ensure that sensitive business interests are safeguarded. However, it is important to make sure that these agreements fall within the confines of Wisconsin employment law.

There are three main requirements for noncompete agreements to be considered valid. For the first requirement, an employee has to receive something in exchange for promising to not work for a competitor. When signed before the start of employment, then the job itself is usually considered to be sufficient. If a boss wants an already established employee to sign an agreement, then something like a bonus or a promotion might be a more appropriate offer of value.

Being mistreated in the workplace can involve so much more than losing out on important opportunities and promotions. While these actions have a tangible, economic impact that is extremely difficult for victims, many also suffer significant emotional damage from acts of workplace discrimination. When a worker in Wisconsin is adversely impacted by such actions, pursuing compensation might not only be helpful, it could also be necessary to realizing a full financial and emotional recovery.

Activision Blizzard is a gaming company responsible for popular titles such as "Overwatch." Although the company recently created a LGBTQ+ character for that game, one former employee says the company is much less welcoming and accepting in real life. According to his claims, he was almost driven to suicide because of the frequent racial discrimination he suffered when working for Blizzard.