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Discrimination / Harassment

Turnabout is fair play: Employers may be able to sue for frivolous lawsuits

02/01/2008

In an interesting Supreme Court of Ohio case, the high court has ruled that a lawsuit by an employer against an employee who filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against it is not automatically retaliation. The court’s decision overturned a long-held view of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission …

Female police officer says drunken male cops treated better

02/01/2008

Christina Johnson, a police officer for Olmsted Township who was fired for crawling into a stranger’s car while highly intoxicated and then passing out, will have the chance to convince a jury that she suffered discrimination. Johnson was off duty during the episode, but was wearing her uniform sweater …

Changes to Ohio’s pregnancy discrimination rules now in question

02/01/2008

In the fall of 2007, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission’s proposed revisions to the rules governing pregnancy discrimination became a hot political topic. Due to some unusual political wrangling, the future of the proposed rule revision is very much in question …

HR pros: Do you know what your supervisors are saying?

02/01/2008

It’s easy to become isolated in the HR office, especially if you are physically separated from the shop floor or other work locations. So it should come as no surprise that some things that go on outside your limited view may mean trouble. That’s why you need to keep open lines of communication between HR and the field. Make sure all employees know how and where to report sexually or racially hostile language or actions …

Maintain HR oversight on all termination decisions

02/01/2008

The only thing between your organization and a discriminatory discharge verdict is the HR office. An impartial and cool-headed HR professional must oversee the process every time an employee is terminated. Keep careful track of exactly how the decision-making process moves forward in every case, and insist that HR have the final word on termination …

‘Ad hoc’ leave benefits are a discrimination trap

02/01/2008

Sometimes, employers may want to maintain some flexibility to handle unique leave situations. For example, what would your organization do if a valued, loyal and long-term employee developed a terminal disease? Would you allow him a “leave of absence” with continued insurance coverage until his death to save his family from financial ruin? You can, if you are careful about exactly how you go about it …

Even small changes in job status can be retaliation

02/01/2008

Employers that give in to the temptation to punish a troublemaker for complaining about alleged discrimination set themselves up for a retaliation lawsuit. The irony, of course, is that often the underlying discrimination complaint will amount to nothing, while the retaliation case snowballs out of control. Even minor changes to an employee’s work schedule, routine or tasks may mean a large retaliation jury verdict …

Clean up workplace, or risk class-Action suit

02/01/2008

When a group of women all experience the same sort of harassment, it takes just one to find an attorney. She will then try to persuade the others to join in, making for a much more compelling story in court. The best approach is to take every complaint seriously …

Pregnancy suit seeks $5 million for former Chicago teacher

02/01/2008

Kathleen Williams, a former teacher at Sauganash Elementary School in Chicago, is suing the city school district and the Chicago Board of Education for $5 million, claiming she was fired for being pregnant …

EEOC doesn’t have to give much warning or detail in lawsuit

02/01/2008

According to a recent Northern District of Illinois federal trial court ruling, the EEOC doesn’t have to give employers more than a modicum of information when it files a federal discrimination lawsuit. Apparently, it’s enough to start a lawsuit with only general allegations that an employer “engaged in unlawful employment practices” …