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Discrimination / Harassment

Employees can’t be fired because they are gay

06/16/2020
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 15 that discrimination based on an employee’s status as a gay or transgender person is prohibited by the sex discrimination provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Most think workplace racism is a problem—elsewhere

06/11/2020
Three-quarters of American workers (76%) think racism and discrimination is an issue at workplaces in the U.S., but only 44% think it’s an issue at their own workplace, according to a new survey by Clutch, a service that matches B2B suppliers and clients.

Texas firm pays to settle discrimination charges

06/04/2020
A Texas company has paid a seven-figure sum to settle an EEOC lawsuit that accused managers of “pervasive use of racial slurs” and “circulating racist social media posts.”

Always review supervisors’ firing recommendations

06/04/2020
HR should insist on reviewing every discharge decision before it is carried out. Thoroughly analyze past discipline to ensure consistency and fairness. It’s the best way to prevent a biased manager from triggering a losing lawsuit.

2 upcoming court decisions affect employers

05/28/2020
The 2019–2020 term of the U.S. Supreme Court ends June 29. Between now and then, big questions for employers and HR hang in the balance.

Coming to a court near you: covid-19 lawsuits

05/27/2020
In just a few weeks, dozens of federal lawsuits have been filed alleging some workplace wrong related to the coronavirus or covid-19.

Is that harassment, or just a social media spat?

05/21/2020
Sometimes, employees bicker back and forth on social media. That can lead to accusations that someone was representing the employer and used online postings to harass or retaliate. Unless the employee can prove that the posting was done on behalf of the employer, he won’t win.

Staffing companies must stand up for their workers

05/14/2020
Staffing companies that provide workers for other employers have an obligation to stand up for the workers they send on assignments when the client employer violates anti-discrimination laws such as Title VII and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

Review pension plan for age discrimination

05/07/2020
Here’s a $5.4 million reminder that discriminating on the basis of age when administering employee benefits violates federal law.

Root out all demographic hiring preferences

04/30/2020
We all know hiring managers shouldn’t discriminate against some candidates because of protected characteristics. It’s just as unlawful for them to favor certain candidates because they belong to a particular ethnic group or nationality.