Glossary of Employment & Labor Law Terms Utah

department of Labor- The federal agency that enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act. The DOL investigates claims filed by employees for unpaid minimum wage and overtime pay.

medical malpractice- Negligence committed by a professional health care provider. This can include hospitals, doctors, dentists, or nurses.

trade secret - Confidential company information that an employee knows about only because the employee worked for the employer. For information to be a "trade secret," the employer must make sure that the information doesn't become generally available to the public.

qualified domestic relations order (QDRO)- A court order that satisfies the requirements of federal law and allows support payments to be made from an employee's retirement plan to the spouse or child to whom support is owed.

non-compete agreement- A contract between an employer and employee requiring the employee to agree not to start his own businesses or go to work for a competitor after he leaves his job with the employer.

notice of resignation- A written or verbal notice given by an employee to end employment with an employer.

notice of termination- A written or verbal notice given by an employer to end a worker's employment. Also known as "notice of discharge".

outside salesperson- An employee who is exempt from federal laws requiring overtime pay because his main responsibility is to sell products away from the company's offices or showroom and the amount of time he spends on other types of work (such as deliveries or servicing) is small.

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