Shared Visions of Thought Leaders at Workplace Fairness Help Those in Need in the Workplace
Volunteer Attorneys and Employment Experts Help Enhance Others’ Lives in the Workplace
SILVER SPRING, Md. (April 12, 2017) – People don’t usually think about their rights in the workplace until something goes wrong. When that happens, they need easy-to-understand information about what their legal rights are and how to enforce them. Workplace Fairness fills that need by maintaining the most comprehensive online resource of free information about workers’ rights and remedies at WorkplaceFairness.org.
As a non-profit organization working to preserve and promote employee rights, Workplace Fairness is supported by a volunteer board of attorneys and other experts who have a passion for ensuring workers are treated fairly in the workplace. Here’s an inside look at the individuals who make it possible to assist the 4 million plus annual website visitors to WorkplaceFairness.org.
About the Staff, Board of Directors and Founders: www.workplacefairness.org/board
Staff and Advisors
Senior Advisor
Paula Brantner
Paula Brantner served Workplace Fairness as Executive Director from 2008 to 2016 and as Program Director from 2003 to 2007. Paula was the Program Director for Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, and the Working America Education Fund from 2007-2008. An employment lawyer for over 25 years, Paula has degrees from UC-Hastings College of the Law and Michigan State University's James Madison College. She continues to advise the organization on website strategy and content and to oversee WF's 0.1.2.3 Content Licensing for Legal Websites program through PB Work Solutions, LLC; and she also serves as the organization’s primary press contact and expert on a variety of employment law topics.
Acting Executive Director
Shannon Elka Rusz
Shannon Rusz has been associated with Workplace Fairness since 2009. Since 2014 she has worked as a Content Manager. Shannon is also a manager and attorney practicing in the Annapolis, Maryland, area. She received her undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and her Law degree from The George Washington University Law School. She has recently expanded her role with Workplace Fairness as Acting Executive Director overseeing operations and working with the board and advisors to execute Workplace Fairness’ mission.
Advisor
Grant P. Thompson
Grant P. Thompson is an experienced non-profit executive with extensive experience both chairing and serving on numerous boards. He has served as Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of the United States and of Libraries for the Future. His board service includes chairing the board of Sidwell Friends School. Professionally he works as an executive coach. He holds law degrees from Oxford University and Yale Law School and is the author of a number of books dealing with energy policy.
Board of Directors
President
Wayne Outten
Outten & Golden LLP
New York, NY
212-245-1000 Ext. 9810
wno@outtengolden.com
Wayne N. Outten is one of the founders of Workplace Fairness, and he has remained involved in various capacities since 1994. Wayne has committed himself, through Workplace Fairness and many other organizations, to advocating for workers’ rights nationwide. He is a founding and managing partner of Outten & Golden LLP. His practice focuses exclusively on representing employees. He co-chairs the firm’s Executives and Professionals Practice Group. Wayne’s recognitions include Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year for Labor and Employment and Litigation, and Lawdragon “Legend”. Wayne has played an active leadership role with the National Employment Lawyers Association and its New York affiliate, the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section (Chair, 2015-2016). More at http://www.outtengolden.com/lawyer-attorney/wayne-n-outten
Wayne can be contacted by the press for comment or discussion on a variety of employment law topics including employment agreements, severance/settlement agreements, expatriate agreements, executive compensation, negotiation and mediation of employment disputes, arbitration of employment disputes, whistleblowers and retaliation, and gender discrimination.
Vice President
Darnley D. Stewart
Outten & Golden LLP
New York, NY
212-245-1000
dstewart@outtengolden.com
Darnley D. Stewart has served as Vice President for Workplace Fairness since 2013. She is a partner at Outten & Golden LLP in New York, Co-chair of its Discrimination & Retaliation Practice Group, and Co-chair of its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer (LGBTQ) Workplace Rights Practice Group. Darnley is admitted to practice in New York and is a member of the American Bar Association and the National Employment Lawyers Association (“NELA”) and its New York affiliate (“NELA/NY”). More at http://www.outtengolden.com/lawyer-attorney/darnley-d-stewart
Darnley can be contacted by the press for comment or discussion on a variety of employment law topics including discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and LGBTQ rights in the workplace..
Vice President
Frederick Gittes
Gittes Law Group
Columbus, OH
614-222-4735
fgittes@gitteslaw.com
Frederick M. Gittes is Vice President of the Board of Workplace Fairness and has been with the organization for 16 years, lending his expertise in both employment law topics and board leadership. He is former president of the National Employment Lawyers Association and the Ohio Association for Justice. He was appointed Chair of the Civil Rights Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association for five years and elected Chairperson of the OSBA's Labor and Employment Law Section. He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for over twenty years, in areas of practice including Employment Law, First Amendment Law and Communications Law. Fred has been honored in Ohio Super Lawyers for over a decade, as one of the top 100 lawyers in Ohio and top 50 in Columbus. More at http://www.gitteslaw.com/frederick-gittes
Fred can be contacted for comment on a wide range of employment law topics including privacy, defamation, whistleblower laws, medical leave, discrimination, harassment, severance agreements, and employment contracts.
Secretary
Walt Auvil
The Employment Law Center, PLLC
1208 Market Street
Parkersburg, WV 26101
304-485-3058
auvil@theemploymentlawcenter.com
Walt Auvil is another long-time member of the board and supporter of Workplace Fairness. He is the current Managing Attorney of The Employment Law Center, PLLC, since 1989. His practice is focused on representation of employees in employment-related litigation. He was Law Clerk at the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals from 1981 to 1983. Publications include Employment at Will, A State-by-State Survey. Mr. Auvil is also Chair of the Employment Law Committee of the West Virginia State Bar. More at https://www.linkedin.com/in/waltauvil
Walt represents litigants in individual employment cases and can be contacted for comment on the topics of discrimination based on disability, gender, age, race, national origin, and religion, as well as workers’ compensation, wage and hour, non-compete agreements, severance agreements, and terminations in violation of public policy.
Treasurer
Connie McGuire
Washington, DC
Connie McGuire currently serves as the Treasurer for the Board of Workplace Fairness, lending her financial expertise to assist the organization in realizing its’ goals and mission with the best use of revenue and donated funds. After a career working as the head of accounting and finance departments for both non-profit and for-profit organizations, Connie has most recently taught in the Business and Economics Department of Montgomery College in Maryland. She also serves on the board of another community non-profit.
Heidi M. (Alexandra) Allison
President & CEO
Allison & Taylor, Inc.
Rochester, MI
Allison@AllisonandTaylor.com
Heidi Allison currently serves as a board member for Workplace Fairness, lending her expertise in public and press relations. One of her passions is assisting job seekers with ground-breaking advice and discussion about career advancement. Currently Heidi & Martin Yate facilitate the Career Center at WorkplaceFairness.org, offering expert advice and assistance to job-seekers and those seeking career advancement. More at https://www.allisontaylor.com/blog/alexandra-allison-ceo-allisontaylor-reference-checking/
Shireen Mitchell
Digital Sisters, Inc. and Stop Online Violence Against Women
Washington, DC
Shireen Mitchell offers Workplace Fairness her expertise as a non-profit board member, as well as in digital communications and social media. She is an award winning technological woman of color, founder, author, speaker, social entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, advocate, diversity analyst, and a political, digital & social strategist. Shireen is a native New Yorker who spent time playing video games and designing BBS boards and gopher sites before the Web went worldwide. Shireen has served as a nonprofit board member for over a decade. She is currently on the boards of Workplace Fairness and the Center for Partnership Studies and is Chair of National Council of Women's Organizations. More at https://about.me/digitalsista
Fran L. Rudich
KLAFTER OLSEN & LESSER LLP
Two International Drive, Suite 350
Rye Brook, NY 10573
914-934-9200 ext. 305
Fran Rudich servers on the board for Workplace Fairness, lending her unique expertise in employment law, particularly in the class action arena. Fran concentrates her practice in complex litigation and class action matters, with a particular emphasis in representing employees in all aspects of employment law, particularly sexual harassment, various issues of discrimination, and cases involving violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state wage and hour statutes. Fran has been the lead attorney in numerous multi-million dollar employment discrimination jury verdicts against major national entities and corporations. More at http://klafterolsen.com/attorneys/fran-l-rudich/
Fran can be contacted for comment on the topics of wage and hour law, DOL overtime regulations, and DOL wage and hour enforcement actions.
Jasmine Sante
Sante Strategies
Washington, DC
Jasmine Sante serves on the board for Workplace Fairness and provides expertise in technology and web strategy. She has a passion for connecting people – whether through the internet, social media or in person. She founded the Web Content Mavens, a DC networking group with the intent of building relationships within the tech and content communities. She previously started a mentoring program for a DC networking group as well. Jasmine has taught workshops on networking and career development. Her professional experience runs from government to private industry to six years as web manager and director with the American Association of Museums. She currently runs Sante Strategies, an independent consultancy focused on the intersection of social, mobile and web strategy. More at https://generalassemb.ly/instructors/jasmine-sante/3935
Douglas Scherer
Touro Law Center
Huntington, NY
Douglas Scherer has served on the board of Workplace Fairness since 1994. He is a member of the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center since 1983. He is a Professor of Law since 1984 and Founder and Director of the Legal Education Access Program (LEAP Program), the Law Center’s academic support and mentoring program for students of color, since 1990. He is Founder and Co-Chair of the Law Center’s Annual Employment Law Trial Practice Conference, conducted jointly with the National Employment Lawyers Association. More at https://www.tourolaw.edu/AboutTouroLaw/uploads/faculty_cv/Scherer_Douglas_2.pdf
Those interested in finding out more about workplace rights and other related news stories can sign up for the WorkplaceFairness E-Newsletter. The newsletter includes stories covered in Today’s Workplace Blog and In the News sections of the website. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like our Facebook page to find out more about workplace news.
For more information on a multitude of topics relating to workplace rights, laws and legislation, see our website, filled with over 400 pages of substantive legal information at www.workplacefairness.org.
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About Workplace Fairness
Workplace Fairness is a nonprofit organization that provides information, education and assistance to individual workers and their advocates nationwide and promotes public policies that advance employee rights.
Our goals are that workers and their advocates are educated about workplace rights and options for resolving workplace problems and those policymakers, members of the business community and the public at large view the fair treatment of workers as both good business practice and sound public policy.
Workplace Fairness works toward these goals by:
Making comprehensive information about workers' rights – free of legal jargon – readily available to workers and to advocates and organizations that assist workers;
Providing resources to support the work of legal services organizations, community-based organizations, law schools and private attorneys that provide free legal information and services to low-income workers;
Presenting the employee perspective in publications, policy debates & public discussion.
The award-winning Workplace Fairness website, www.workplacefairness.org, has newly updated information throughout the site, as part of the web's most comprehensive resource educating workers about their legal rights in the workplace.
Media Contact:
Paula Brantner
Senior Advisor
240-772-1205
paula@workplacefairness.org
www.workplacefairness.org