• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Discrimination / Harassment

Go ahead and fix flawed system–that’s not an admission of discrimination

02/07/2017
Employers should improve their hiring and promotion systems if they discover problems that can be fixed. Doing so after an employee has filed a discrimination complaint isn’t tantamount to admitting guilt.

5th Circuit: ADEA doesn’t allow damages for pain and suffering

02/07/2017
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has concluded that employees cannot obtain “pain and suffering” awards from employers that violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

Badgering older employee to retire backfires

02/07/2017
Constant badgering about retirement can backfire badly, especially if a supervisor also makes potentially ageist comments about the employee’s appearance, work habits or other characteristics.

Snapshot: EEOC charges of religious bias, 2006 – 2016

02/07/2017
Complaints of religious discrimination filed with the EEOC have increased by 50% since 2006 and 80% since 2001.

Flu shot: Erie hospital pays to settle religious bias suit

02/01/2017
St. Vincent’s Health Center in Erie has agreed to settle charges it failed to provide a religious accommodation for six employees who refused to take influenza vaccines for religious reasons.

Misogyny alone may not support distress lawsuit

02/01/2017
Pennsylvania courts are willing to let workers recover damages resulting from intentional infliction of emotional distress. However, the conduct must be “extreme and outrageous.”

Ignore sexual harassment? See you in court!

02/01/2017
Employers that don’t immediately address allegations of sexual harassment—and stop it—will have a hard time defending themselves in court.

Settlement in Central Valley, Calif. harassment, retaliation case

01/30/2017
South County Support Services and its sister company, Southwest Transportation Agency, have agreed to settle EEOC sexual harassment and retaliation charges leveled by a former employee.

Carefully track exactly who applies for jobs

01/30/2017

If you advertise job openings and someone does not apply, they’re going to have a hard time proving that you discriminated against them.

Court: Schedule change can be an adverse action

01/26/2017
Something like a schedule change that really affects an employee can be seen by a court as serious enough to warrant litigation.