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Discrimination / Harassment

Single crude incident doesn’t warrant lawsuit

12/03/2012
Sometimes, supervisors say stupid things. But unless a statement or action is outrageously offensive and clearly related to an employee’s race, ethnicity, sex or other protected category, it isn’t grounds for a harassment and discrimination lawsuit.

Ask EEOC to keep employee info confidential

12/03/2012

If you ever have to face off against the EEOC in court, watch out! The commission has great discretion to expand a case that may have begun with just one employee. In doing so, it may demand a long list of information about your employees, past and present. Before turning over employee information to the EEOC, ask the court to order confidentiality.

Curb harassment with policy, prompt action

12/03/2012

You can’t control everything that happens in the workplace. Despite your best efforts, a supervisor might still harass your employees. That doesn’t mean you’re defenseless. A good sexual harassment policy, thorough training for everyone and prompt action can save the day.

Workplace romance gone bad? Don’t hesitate to terminate if you perceive danger

12/01/2012
Not every romance ends happily ever after with a storybook wedding. But with the passage of time, most breakups don’t leave a lingering mess. That’s not necessarily true of workplace romances gone sour, where the former love birds may remain in regular contact with each other.

Go ahead and trim the tree–while keeping your party liability-free

12/01/2012

The holiday spirit is spreading! A new survey shows that more than 83% of employers are planning year-end holiday parties this year, up from 68% in 2011. But for us worrywarts in HR, all that good cheer means more fretting about alcohol-fueled liability. Here are 12 tips for making spirits bright without having to call a lawyer — plus a rundown of the 10 worst workplace party fouls.

Winston-Salem DQ not so sweet to teenage worker

11/30/2012
YS & J Enterprises Inc., operator of the Dairy Queen at the Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem, will pay $17,500 to a former employee who was fired after she complained about sexual harassment by a male co-worker.

EEOC bias complaints near record high in 2012

11/30/2012
U.S. employees filed 99,412 charges of job discrimination with the EEOC in fiscal year 2012, which ended Sept. 30. That’s just 535 fewer than were filed in 2011, when the commission handled the most bias complaints in its 47-year history.

Employee is own lawyer? NC law on your side

11/30/2012
North Carolina’s employment and discrimination laws would appear to give em­­ployees many ways to sue their employers. Fortunately, each has specific requirements, which means employees who act as their own lawyers will have a hard time using them to sue you.

Track all discipline just in case employee sues

11/29/2012
Not every terminated employee sues, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared. If you fire someone for breaking a rule, note which one.

Discovered unsuspected wrongdoing? Fire away!

11/29/2012
Sometimes, internal investigations pull back the curtain on performance problems that have nothing to do with the original inquiry. Even if it turns out that the initial reason for the investigation was unfounded, you don’t have to ignore other issues you may uncover.