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Discrimination / Harassment

Tech Data Corp. makes ‘Best Places to Work for GLBT’ list

11/01/2007

Tech Data Corporation, a global IT products provider based in Clearwater, made the list of “2007 Best Places to Work for GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) Equality,” a ranking of employers’ policies toward GLBT employees …

Transgender firing catalyzes civil rights movement

11/01/2007

South Florida has become the epicenter of the transgender civil rights movement following the firing of Largo City Manager Susan Stanton. It was too much for city leaders to take when Stanton transitioned from male to female. She was dismissed despite a good job performance …

Spirit of anti-Harassment policy more important than details

11/01/2007

Chances are your anti-harassment policy includes instructions for reporting any problems. That’s not enough—you also must make sure the policy is implemented. But don’t worry if circumstances require you to veer slightly from the policy …

Even consensual affair with supervisor can spell trouble

11/01/2007

When a supervisor enters into a sexual relationship with a subordinate, chances are things won’t go well for the company. That’s one reason you should put in place strict limits on dating for supervisors and subordinates. You can prohibit such relationships altogether, or insist that anyone contemplating dating a subordinate must notify HR first so he or she can be removed from the supervisory role before the relationship starts. Otherwise, you risk a sexual-harassment lawsuit, especially if the supervisor later punishes the subordinate …

Warn managers: When attitude’s the problem, document

11/01/2007

Every now and then, you hire a dud. Someone who looks like he has the skills you need comes with an attitude, too. And the employees he’s supposed to inspire and lead wind up rebelling. You know it’s time to cut him. Before you do, start documenting the problems. Be specific. Nebulous complaints about “bad attitude” and “poor ability to get along with subordinates” can look like empty excuses to discriminate …

You’d think they’d know better

11/01/2007

It seems everybody’s a comedian at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), where off-color e-mails have been flying. Unfortunately for ODOT, not everyone in the audience is laughing. One incident involved an equal employment opportunity officer in the department’s Lima office, who sent an e-mail to a number of ODOT employees featuring a picture of a woman with large breasts and a caption …

Principal says he was fired for questioning pay scales

11/01/2007

Lake Ridge Academy, a private K-12 school in North Ridgeville, has been hit with two lawsuits claiming it fired James Whiteman, head of the elementary school, for inquiring about the differences between female and male teachers’ pay …

Columbus cop quits following furor over YouTube tirade

11/01/2007

A Columbus patrol officer resigned after coming under fire for a series of hostile homemade videos she broadcast on the web site YouTube.com. In the videos, the officer and her sister called blacks, Jews, Cubans and illegal immigrants “filthy” and “scumbags” …

Ohio employers make ‘Best Places to Work for GLBT’

11/01/2007

Five Ohio employers made the 2007 list of “Best Places to Work for GLBT Equality,” a ranking of employers’ policies affecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) employees …

As ye ask, so shall ye receive

11/01/2007

It’s OK to pay employees more if they negotiate harder during an interview, an Ohio court recently affirmed in a lawsuit against the Grande Pointe residential care facility in Richmond Heights …