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Discrimination / Harassment

Obscure federal law breathes new life into reverse-discrimination lawsuits

10/20/2025
White employees who believe they have been discriminated against because of their race are using Section 1981 to sue because it doesn’t have the tight limits Title VII has.

Senate confirms EEOC commissioner; quorum restored

10/14/2025
On Oct. 7, the U.S. Senate confirmed over 100 Trump administration nominees, including Brittany Panuccio as a EEOC commissioner. Her appointment restores a quorum to the commission, creating a Republican majority and allowing it to again fully function.

How not to handle a religious accommodation request

10/14/2025
Yes, you can ask for basic information about a request. That includes having the employee explain what particular religious belief the request is based on. But no, you can’t inquisition the employee on that belief beyond a few basic questions.

DOJ says religious accommodations include remote work: 3 steps to take

10/06/2025
According to the Department of Justice, employers must allow remote work as a religious accommodation even if they have switched back to a full in-office schedule or never allowed remote work at all. That’s the gist of the DOJ’s Sept. 18 internal guidance for federal agencies that are supposed to be bringing all federal workers back to the office.

Proposed law seeks to protect older workers

10/06/2025
There’s a bipartisan effort in Congress to protect older applicants from age discrimination. The Protect Older Job Applicants Act is aimed at providing older applicants with stronger protections in hiring than currently exist under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

EEOC stops handling disparate-impact cases

10/06/2025
Effective Sept. 30, the EEOC has closed its processing of cases where the basis for the complaint is an allegation that an employer’s practices or policies have a disparate impact on members of a protected class.

Are you liable for third-party harassment? Maybe, maybe not

10/06/2025
For decades, the EEOC has taken the position that employers can be liable for sexual harassment by third parties like customers and clients if they knew or should have known that the harassment was taking place but didn’t take steps to stop it. Now, a recent federal appeals court has ruled that the EEOC’s position isn’t valid.

$43 million pay-equity settlement against Disney shows need to audit

09/29/2025
A judge has approved a settlement in a long-running case against the Disney Corporation. The case shows how crucial it is to fix pay-equity problems before unequal pay spurs a class-action lawsuit.

$80K payday for requesting Sundays off during interview

09/29/2025
An applicant filed an EEOC complaint, alleging failure to accommodate his religious needs and failure to engage in the interactive process designed to determine whether a religious accommodation was possible.

Older employees, rising complaints: What HR needs to know about age bias

09/29/2025
A Resume Now survey of nearly 900 employees found that older workers frequently feel disrespected, underpaid compared to younger colleagues, passed over for promotions and pressured into retirement or layoffs. These experiences increase legal risk for employers while weakening workplace morale and productivity.