Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Arkansas, the Natural State, is home to just over 2.8 million people, according to a 2008 census. The state’s economy brings in a GDP of around $87 billion annually. AR relies heavily on agricultural output. Key cash crops include soy, cotton, poultry, and sorghum. Arkansas also supports numerous industrial operations, including metal fabrication, mining, and paper products. In recent years, tourism to AR has proved a booming business as well. Business friendly tax regulations have attracted prominent employers, including Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart, and an array of foreign auto parts manufacturers.

Like Alabama, Arkansas has no state agency to handle employment discrimination, harassment, age discrimination, and retaliation claims. Instead, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) handles such matters. Yet just because Arkansas does not field its own state agency to protect workers does not mean that employees do not have vast protections. Quite to the contrary, in Arkansas, it is unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees on the basis of citizenship, disability, gender, religion, race, color, national origin, age, genetics, or citizenship status. Employers must strictly adhere to guidelines set forth by federal law. For instance, companies may not discriminate against workers who are 40 plus years old and must abide by Acts of Congress, such as the Equal Pay Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Age Discrimination and Employment Act.

Over the past decade, Arkansas has found itself at the eye of a storm of many high profile worker discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour cases. Bentonville, Arkansas-based employer Wal-Mart, in particular, has seen its fair share of high profile legal battles over wage and hour violations at franchises throughout AR and the rest of the nation. The battle over Wal-Mart’s alleged abuse of employees and spartan benefit packages prompted outrage from progressive activists and advocates of workers’ rights across the US. Pursuant to those legal battles, Wal-Mart has reformed its practices and remunerated many past and present employees per mandated settlements.

If your Arkansas based employer has denied you benefits unfairly or subjected you to harassment, age or race discrimination, or sex or gender discrimination, the lawyers here at Joseph, Herzfeld, Hester & Kirschenbaum LLP can help you strategize to respond effectively and appropriately. Connect with our firm today here at www.jhllp.com to find out more.