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Discrimination / Harassment

Universities ban caste bias; a lawsuit follows

12/13/2022
Brown University has added caste discrimination to its nondiscrimination list, joining other universities that now include caste among protected categories such as race, religion, sex and gender identity.

Supreme Court hears employer’s free speech versus anti-discrimination case

12/09/2022
The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in a case that pitted a state’s anti-discrimination law against the free speech rights of a business offering its services to the public. The Court will answer whether a business can discriminate against gay customers by refusing services based on the business owner’s religious beliefs.

Bill would ban caregiver discrimination

12/06/2022
The Protecting Family Caregivers from Discrimination Act would prohibit employers from firing, demoting, mistreating, refusing to hire or taking other adverse employment action against workers who are caregivers for their loved ones.

Avoid expensive pregnancy bias mistakes

12/06/2022
Give up your seat on a train or bus to a pregnant or disabled person—please do so. Provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant or disabled people at work—in these instances, you better comply. In the case of Circle K, the penalty was $8 million.

New year, new laws: Update your compliance!

11/29/2022
States have new laws about human trafficking reporting, hair discrimination, family leave, wage transparency, artificial intelligence and surveillance.

Could affirmative action cases affect you?

11/29/2022
The Supreme Court is pondering two cases questioning affirmative action in university admissions.

Eli Lilly defeats age-discrimination claim

11/29/2022
A sales representative who alleged age discrimination did not produce enough evidence to show a pattern of age-based harassment at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co.

Who needs a drink? The EEOC is devout about religious accommodations

11/22/2022
With the holiday season fast approaching, be alert to religious accommodation requests.

Identical interview questions key to surviving rejected applicant’s suit

11/22/2022
The hiring process is a common lawsuit trigger for candidates not selected for the job they’re interviewing for. Lawsuits alleging race or other forms of discrimination may focus on individual questions, the hiring committee’s demographic composition or some other perceived discriminatory action. The best way to counter this is with a carefully crafted interview process.

Netflix beats harassment claims—for now

11/22/2022
A California judge dismissed allegations of harassment and emotional distress against a supervisor at Netflix. The plaintiff, a former business and legal affairs director at the streaming service, sued for race and gender discrimination and wrongful termination, alleging a supervisor failed to stop a male subordinate’s racist and misogynistic comments.