Category Archives: Discrimination & Harassment

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Employees Behaving Badly II: Did He Really Say That?

Ver la versión en español aquí I am not a fan of reality TV. However, in this reality TV election season, it is hard to tear my eyes (and ears) away from the barbs being exchanged primarily between the Republican candidates. Whether you support him or not, you have to admit that Donald Trump says things … Continue Reading

My Top Ten Ways to Avoid Being Sued in 2016

I love this time of year. For some magical reason, everyone’s mood changes and smiles appear. Perhaps it’s their pending vacation or the chance to spend quality time with friends and family. So, in the spirit of the holidays, here is my gift to all our readers.   Drum rolls please . . .  TEN WAYS TO AVOID GETTING … Continue Reading

Facebook “Unfriending” – A Form of Workplace Bullying?

Employers in Australia may be scrambling to update their social media and anti-bullying policies in light of a finding by the Fair Work Commission (FWC), Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal, that Facebook “unfriending” may constitute workplace bullying. The FWC was tasked with analyzing whether Rachael Roberts — a real estate agent sales administrator — was … Continue Reading

Beer & French Fries – The Perfect Game Day Snack or Important HR Reminders?

Ver la versión en español aquí It may be 2015 but sexual harassment and religious discrimination are alive and well. Just ask the potato packers at Smokin’ Spuds, Inc. and the beer truckers at Star Transport. The EEOC just announced successful resolutions in cases against these companies. Perhaps more interesting than the spuds and the … Continue Reading

First Monday in October Promises Important Rulings in Employee Cases

Ver la versión en español aquí Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh were gifted actors.  But the new term of the Supreme Court, which opens today, promises to generate some drama of its own as well. Somewhat lost amid the understandable attention received by the historic same-sex marriage and Obamacare rulings last year were several important Supreme … Continue Reading

Why Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Wasn’t Fired

Ver la versión en español aquí For the past several weeks, the country has been enthralled by the controversy surrounding Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis, who spent five days in jail after she refused to comply with a federal court’s directive to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis, an Apostolic Christian, says that … Continue Reading

Who Needs Congress When We Have The EEOC?

Ver la versión en español aquí Legislative efforts have failed repeatedly at the federal level to add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the list of protected classifications under anti-discrimination laws. That has not deterred the EEOC in its quest to protect the LGBT community from employment discrimination. On the heels of the Supreme Court’s … Continue Reading

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It! New FMLA Forms are Here!

Ver la versión en español aquí I have good news for you! The U.S. Department of Labor has finally released revised notices and forms for use with employee leaves under the Family and Medical Leave Act.  More good news: the new docs have a new expiration date – May 31, 2018.   The revised notices/forms include … Continue Reading

Proving Emotional Harm: Using One’s “Head”

Ver la versión en español aquí Stress. Anxiety. Paranoia. Anger. Fear. Depression. Angst. These are the types of words you would expect to hear from a plaintiff seeking compensatory damages (damages for alleged pain and suffering) in a discrimination or harassment case. How does a plaintiff prove the existence of pain and suffering? Often times, … Continue Reading

Common ¢ent$, Glass Ceilings, and a 9-Year Old Girl

Ver la versión en español aquí Women may not yet have achieved equality in the corporate boardroom, but women have broken through the glass ceiling to take-on the CEO position in a handful of the largest U.S. companies, including General Motors (Mary Barra), Xerox (Ursula Burns), Yahoo! (Marissa Mayer), Hewlett-Packard (Meg Whitman), PepsiCo (Indra Nooyi), … Continue Reading

6 Words That Cost an NBA Star $25,000

Ver la versión en español aquí Another sports blunder creates another blogging opportunity. In the 3rd quarter of the Los Angeles Clippers/Cleveland Cavaliers NBA game last Thursday night, the Clippers’ All-Star guard, Chris Paul, received a technical foul after he questioned a rookie referee. The referee happened to be a female, Lauren Holtkamp. Do you … Continue Reading

EEOC Decides to Peel the “Onionhead” on Religious Discrimination

Ver la versión en español aquí Why would an employer force its employees to tell each other “I love you” or require employees to “thank God for their employment”? According to a lawsuit filed by the EEOC in New York federal court, the owners of United Health Programs of America and Cost Containment Group subscribe … Continue Reading

Gender Identity/Transgender Discrimination: A New Federal Enforcement Priority

Ver la versión en español aquí Title VII does not protect against sexual orientation discrimination (though many state and local laws do). The battle to amend this most prominent of employment laws to protect sexual orientation has been waged for years, unsuccessfully. Yet, seemingly overnight, issues of gender identity or transgender discrimination have leapfrogged to … Continue Reading

With Hiring on the Rise, Employers Should Review and Update Old Job Applications

Ver la versión en español aquí Earlier this month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent, the lowest it’s been since July 2008, and employers added 248,000 new jobs to their payrolls. Given the uptick in hiring, it is a good time for employers to review their … Continue Reading

True Colors – Can Naming a Paint Color Be a Discriminatory Act?

Ver la versión en español aquí Benjamin Moore & Co. is an American paint company. A former Benjamin Moore Manager, Clinton Tucker, alleges that the Company is marketing paints with racially insensitive names – his two names as a matter of fact. Tucker claims that Benjamin Moore’s Clinton Brown and Tucker Chocolate paint colors refer to … Continue Reading

Religious Discrimination: The Balance Between Protecting Customer Relations and Making Employee Accommodations

Ver la versión en español aquí A bank teller in Kentucky recently sued her employer claiming that she was fired from her job for telling every customer she met to “have a blessed day.” She was just being polite, right? Well, the bank alleges that several customers were offended by the teller’s comment. The teller also … Continue Reading

Encore Performances from Our Annual Labor & Employment Law Seminar to Start in the Fall

Ver la versión en español aquí May 1, 2014, was not a typical day in the office for us. We left our offices from across the state and headed to the Trump National Doral Hotel to join over 380 attendees at our 24th Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar. Thanks to all the private and public … Continue Reading

EEOC Shines Spotlight on Employers’ Dress Code Policies That Interfere With Religious Practices

Three cases brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) highlight the importance of employers considering religious accommodations for their dress code policies.  Pursuant to the law, a religious accommodation must be made as long as it does not impose an undue hardship to the employer. Two of the cases brought by the EEOC are … Continue Reading
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