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Discrimination / Harassment

When interviewing, when is it OK to ask applicant about her sexual history?

01/29/2013

We all know that hiring managers are supposed to avoid personal or intrusive questions when interviewing job applicants. However, under some limited circumstances, getting answers to such questions may be relevant and necessary to the hiring process. Make sure hiring managers know the line before they step into any interview.

Sex bias suit airs law firm’s allegedly dirty laundry

01/25/2013
After the EEOC concluded that a female partner in the Philadelphia office of the Greenberg Traurig law firm had been underpaid by $50,000, she decided to get even.

Awkward: Bias suit reveals state troopers’ Asian sex trips

01/25/2013
A race discrimination lawsuit filed in 2011 by a former Pennsylvania State Police corporal got complicated late last year when allegations of other troopers’ overseas sexual hijinks surfaced.

Track special requests for changes in hours, work

01/25/2013
Sometimes, an employee asks for schedule changes, extra hours or even permission to work from home now and then. If you grant such requests, track them carefully.

Ordinary argument about job duties doesn’t add up to hostile environment

01/25/2013

When a new supervisor arrives and makes changes, criticizes work performance and otherwise challenges old ways of doing things, thin-skinned employees may complain about working in a hostile environment. But just complaining about workplace unpleasantness doesn’t make a winning lawsuit.

Training, strong policies key to keeping workplace harassment-free

01/25/2013
No doubt your company has a sexual harassment policy in place. However, it may have been drafted long ago and may have been long ignored by supervisors and subordinates alike. If you suspect this is the case, it’s time to dust off the document, review it and start making sure all your supervisors and managers take it seriously.

Boring job? That’s no basis for a bias lawsuit

01/25/2013
Most people want to do meaningful, satisfying work. But many jobs are just routine and not particularly inspiring. While it’s wise from an employee relations standpoint to keep employees engaged, employers have no legal obligation to provide a workplace in which everyone is satisfied and fulfilled.

Only employee–not his spouse–can sue for disability discrimination

01/22/2013
Only disabled individuals have the right to sue their employers for disability discrimination. A spouse or other family member, even if harmed by an employer’s discrimination, can’t bring his or her own claim.

Appeals court decision shows perils of pregnancy bias lawsuits

01/22/2013
A recent decision by the California Court of Appeal illustrates just how complicated and costly it can be to discipline an employee who is on protected leave.

New pregnancy protections ring in the New Year in California

01/22/2013

California employees now enjoy ex­panded pregnancy rights after new Fair Employment and Housing Commission regulations took effect Dec. 30, 2012. The regulations bar employers from discriminating against employees for virtually any pregnancy-related condition.