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Discrimination / Harassment

A hairy problem: Cut biased grooming rules

01/03/2014
Here’s a warning about general grooming standards and disciplining employees over their hairstyle choices: Make sure you apply the same standards to all employees and don’t end up forbidding members of a particular protected class to wear hairstyles that are OK for other workers.

Quick action key to preventing harassment lawsuits

01/03/2014
Here’s how to handle sexual har­­ass­­ment complaints: Investigate fast and fix any problems you find. Then don’t fear legitimate discipline afterwards.

Beware calling older employee ‘old man’

01/03/2014
Include ageism in your discrimination and hostile work environment training. And for goodness sake, remind bosses not to refer to older workers as “old man” or “old woman.”

Government employers: Section 1983 may mean liability for sexual orientation bias

01/03/2014
While Congress has not yet passed an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act that outlaws employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, public employers are increasingly being sued under Section 1983, which prohibits government from denying citizens their constitutional rights to equal protection of the law.

Deflecting Cupid’s arrow in an environment shaped by #MeToo

01/01/2014
With Valentine’s Day on the way, now is an excellent time to reexamine sexual harassment policies.

How to avoid age bias when talking retirement

12/31/2013

Supervisors and HR walk a legal tightrope when discussing retirement plans with aging workers. If it appears you’re pushing an employee out the door based on his age, you’ll be setting yourself up for an age discrimination lawsuit.

L.A. approves $1.5 million police harassment settlement

12/24/2013
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has approved a settlement payment of nearly $1.5 million to LAPD Officer Earl Wright, signaling the end of the city’s long legal fight with the veteran cop, who sued for racial harassment.

When employees help sick relatives, beware disability association discrimination

12/24/2013
Employers that discriminate against employees who “associate” with disabled individuals face potential liability under the Cali­­for­­nia Fair Employ­­ment and Hous­­ing Act (FEHA). This kind of discrimination comes in many forms.

How to prevent hostile environment claims

12/24/2013

Employers confronted with sexual harassment claims generally do one of two things: either ignore the problem and hope it goes away or face it head on. Ignoring it is, of course, the wrong decision.

Minnesota bans the box: What it means for employers

12/23/2013
Minne­sota is joining a number of other states in prohibiting em­­­­­­ployers from asking job applicants about their criminal records prior to a job interview. Here’s what you need to know about Minnesota’s new “ban the box” law.