Author: Joyce Smithey

Request Consultation

Articles written by Joyce Smithey

Joyce Smithey, a seasoned employment and labor law attorney, has over 22 years of experience representing both employers and employees in Maryland and D.C. Her practice, rooted in a deep understanding of employment law, spans administrative hearings to federal litigation. Joyce's approach is comprehensive, focusing on protecting client interests while ensuring legal compliance. A Harvard graduate, her career began in Fortune 500 companies, transitioning to law after a degree from Boston University School of Law. Joyce's expertise is recognized by numerous awards, including Maryland’s Top 100 Women. At Smithey Law Group LLC, which she founded in 2018, Joyce continues to champion employment rights, drawing on her rich background in law and business.

How to Win an Age Discrimination Case in Maryland

Workplace shifts don't always scream “age discrimination.” If your situation feels off, trust that instinct, but ground it in facts and documentation. To win an age discrimination case in Maryland, you need more than suspicion. You need a clear legal...

Read More

How to Win an Age Discrimination Case in Maryland

Time stops for no one, and aging can be a source of anxiety for many people in the workplace. If you believe your employer pushed you out, passed you over, or treated you differently because of your age, you have...

Read More

Maryland Lunch Break Laws

Surprisingly, Maryland lunch break laws do not require employers to provide either lunch or rest breaks. Unlike states with mandated meal periods, Maryland leaves most break decisions to employers. The key factors governing breaks are limited exceptions and significant wage...

Read More

How Can I Tell If I Have Been Wrongfully Terminated?

Termination alone does not signal a legal violation. Questions arise when a firing follows a complaint, medical leave, a wage dispute, or another form of protected activity. In those situations, employees often wonder, How do I know if I was...

Read More

Can My Employer Refuse to Pay Overtime in Maryland?

Overtime disputes rarely start with a policy memo. They start with a longer shift, a quiet expectation to stay late, or a paycheck that looks lighter than it should. When extra hours stack up without extra pay, employees begin wondering...

Read More

Maryland bill seeks to ban Trump’s ICE agents from joining state police

Lawmaker says people who join the president’s federal immigration enforcement should be barred from future public safety work. Outraged by the Trump administration’s escalating immigration enforcement tactics, a Maryland lawmaker proposed banning agents recruited and hired to carry out the...

Read More

What to Do After Wrongful Termination

Jobs end every day. But sometimes an ending isn’t just business at all; it’s punishment dres sed up as policy. When that happens, you need to know what to do when wrongfully terminated, so your employer doesn’t control the story....

Read More

How To Report Workplace Discrimination?

Reporting discrimination isn’t a mystery. It’s a legal process with forms, deadlines, and agencies that read every line you write. The problem is that most people don’t learn that process until the damage is already done. Knowing how to report...

Read More

Requirements of the OWBPA in Settlement Agreements

When an employer offers a severance package to an older employee, they often wrap the agreement in dense and intimidating legal language. Fortunately, the law does not permit those agreements to strip workers of their rights without adhering to strict...

Read More

Non-Solicitation vs. Non-Compete Agreements: What’s the Difference?

Among the most confusing employment contract clauses are those that blur the line between freedom and limitation. For example, the differences between non-compete vs. non-solicitation agreements and how each one can shape your next career move. In a nutshell, both...

Read More
👋 Questions? Ask anything...