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Discrimination / Harassment

Prevention key to cutting harassment liability

08/29/2019
The best way to avoid liability for sexual harassment is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. That’s why it’s so important to educate supervisors on your sexual harassment policy.

Tapioca Express settles EEOC sex harassment suit

08/23/2019
Asian tea and snack chain Tapioca Express and two of its franchisees have agreed to a 30-month EEOC consent decree.

Offer to ‘help’ doesn’t equal quid pro quo harassment

08/23/2019
A supervisor’s offer to “help” someone reach their career goals in exchange for romantic involvement isn’t enough to support allegations of quid pro quo harassment. To make the employer liable, the supervisor must have had the power to actually “help” and then deny that assistance.

Warn bosses: They may be held personally liable for hostile environment harassment

08/23/2019
Warn supervisors: If they insult and abuse employees based on protected characteristics, they’re not just putting the company at risk. That kind of misbehavior may mean punitive damages against them personally.

Feel free to set tougher rules against harassment than the law requires

08/23/2019
Employers can create rules to prohibit and prevent sexual harassment that go beyond the standards laid out in Title VII, state or local laws.

Warn supervisors: No vulgar name-calling

08/23/2019
Here’s a reminder for HR professionals in charge of training programs for managers and supervisors: Warn bosses to refrain from name-calling that could be perceived as sexist or hostile.

Track every disciplinary action in detail

08/14/2019
Document all the details when you discipline or terminate. That way, you can review past discipline and compare it with currently proposed action. Similar conduct should result in similar punishment.

Axed Goldman Sachs exec sues for anti-gay bias

08/07/2019
A former executive at Goldman Sachs has sued the investment banking giant, claiming he was fired in retaliation for reporting anti-gay discrimination.

Isolated comments don’t make hostile environment—yet

08/07/2019
A federal court has dismissed a hostile work environment lawsuit that was based on just a few isolated co-worker comments.

Court won’t allow anonymous sexual harassment suit

08/07/2019
A federal court has refused to let the alleged victim of workplace sexual harassment sue her former employer as “Jane Doe.”