Little Rock Employment Lawyers

Navigating All Types of Employment Disputes

In Arkansas, all employees have certain rights protected by both state and federal laws. When employers violate employees’ rights, employees can take legal action and sue employers for damages.

If you believe that your rights as an employee have been violated, turn to Potts Law Firm for personal attention and dedicated legal representation. Our Little Rock employment lawyers have extensive experience protecting the rights of employees across a broad range of industries. We have handled all types of employment disputes and have a proven track record of success in achieving the results our clients needed to move forward with their lives.

Learn how the Potts Law Firm team can fight for you! Call our office in Little Rock at (501) 299-9270 or contact us online using our secure submission form.

Wage & Hour Laws in Arkansas

As in all states, employees in Arkansas must be paid at least minimum wage. While the federal minimum wage for 2022 is $7.25 per hour, Arkansas’ state minimum wage is $11.00 per hour for 2022 and into 2023. The law applies to all employers with at least four employees.

Additionally, Arkansas employers must pay non-exempt employees overtime for any hours worked beyond 40 hours in a single workweek. Overtime should be paid at a rate of one-and-a-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay.

Note that Arkansas allows employers to take a “tip credit.” This means that tipped employees can be paid a regular rate of $2.63 per hour, with the expectation that they will make up the remaining $8.37 per hour in tips. If an employee does not make up the difference between their regular rate and the state’s minimum wage, their employer is responsible for paying the difference.

Notably, Arkansas does not have mandated meal or rest breaks. However, if an employer does offer meal or rest breaks, they do not have to pay employees for breaks that last 30 minutes or more (in most cases). The employee may not be required to work or perform any work-related duties during an uncompensated meal break. Employers are generally required to pay employees for shorter rest breaks, typically those that last 20 minutes or less.

Understanding Workplace Discrimination & Harassment

In Arkansas, employees have the right to a discrimination- and harassment-free workplace. This means that an employer cannot discriminate against an employee when recruiting, interviewing, hiring, promoting, treating, accommodating, or firing/terminating employment based on any protected class.

Under federal law, protected classes include:

• Race
• Color
• National origin
• Religion
• Sex, including pregnancy
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Disability
• Genetic information
• Age (40 and older)

Employers may not treat any employee or potential employee unfairly based on these protected classes. Additionally, employers have a responsibility to prevent and put a stop to workplace harassment, including sexual harassment.

There are two main types of workplace harassment:

• Hostile Work Environment: A hostile work environment occurs when workplace harassment is “severe” and “pervasive” enough that it affects an employee’s ability to perform their job. To be considered a hostile work environment, harassment must be considered objectively abusive, rather than simply offensive. Most one-time instances of offensive conduct are not considered a hostile work environment.
• Quid Pro Quo Harassment: Quid pro quo harassment usually refers to sexual harassment cases in which an individual with authority over another employee seeks sexual favors from the employee in exchange for work benefits, such as a promotion or raise.

Workplace harassment can take many forms, including sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination, pervasive teasing, offensive jokes, slurs, offensive materials, and more.

How the Little Rock Team at Potts Law Firm Can Help

We offer highly personalized legal representation, reliable communication, and straightforward legal counsel to all clients. At our Little Rock office, we take the time to get to know our clients, listen to their stories, and share how we can help. Then, we work to develop innovative strategies aimed at maximizing the value of each individual claim.

As your legal team, we will be there to answer your questions and provide the one-on-one guidance you need during this difficult time. We provide free initial consultations and contingency fees in most cases. This means that you do not owe any legal fees or litigation-related costs unless/until we recover a settlement or verdict for you.

Learn more by calling us at (501) 299-9270 or by contacting us online using our free and secure case evaluation form. Hablamos español.