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Discrimination / Harassment

Pregnancy & maternity leave: A legal guide and sample policy

09/11/2007
White Paper published by HR Specialist, copyright 2007 _________________________________ When an employee announces she’s pregnant, her employer better be able to deliver more than just congratulations. You need legally sound, consistent policies and practices to ward off potential pregnancy complications of your own. It’s important to know what you must do—and what you can’t do […]

Judge slams brakes on new ‘No-Match’ enforcement rules

09/04/2007

A U.S. District Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order that stops the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing new rules on how employers must respond to no-match letters. A groups of civil liberties and labor organizations filed a lawsuit charging that the agency doesn’t have the authority to use Social Security records to crack down on illegal immigration.

Warn supervisors: Don’t comment needlessly on race

09/01/2007

The selection process is over, and the newly promoted employee has begun work. Now is not the time for those involved in the hiring process to pontificate on racial balance in the workplace. That’s especially true if the applicants were all qualified for the position and a member of a majority class was selected over minority candidates …

Making light of complaints adds dollars to damages

09/01/2007

If an employee says he or she is being sexually harassed, it’s management’s job to take the complaint seriously. Those who don’t may have to pay dearly—because a jury may order that the victim receive punitive damages, too. The quickest way to earn those punitive damages is to make light of complaints. As the following case shows, that can mean an extra payment of three times the actual damages—or even more …

Strippers at golf fundraiser land Dem Party boss in the rough

09/01/2007

Lucas County Democratic Party Chairman John Irish is in hot water after holding a golf fundraiser that featured female strippers. Employees of Scarlett’s Cabaret in Toledo and Club Diamonds in Oregon staffed the drink carts, and at least one woman raised her top and dropped her shorts for a group of golfers …

Cleveland Clinic hit with sex assault whistle-Blower suit

09/01/2007

Scott Graham, a surgical assistant in the heart unit of the renowned Cleveland Clinic, filed suit against the clinic—plus affiliated Lakewood and Fairview hospitals—for retaliating against him after he reported alleged sexual assaults by head surgeon Dr. Baldev Sekhon …

State agency to learn whether ‘Preselection’ is discrimination

09/01/2007

An energy specialist with the Ohio Department of Development filed a race-discrimination complaint with
the Civil Rights Division, arguing the department passed him over for promotions to two positions because he is black. The department acknowledged it had created the positions specifically with two other men in mind to keep them from leaving …

Religious objection to union dues not limited to a few

09/01/2007

An Ohio public employee collective-bargaining law exemption that allows workers to forgo paying union dues because of religious beliefs has been applied too narrowly, the U.S. District Court, Southern District, has decided …

Save on tuition aid by managing colleges like vendors

09/01/2007

Tuition-aid budgets currently account for 10% to 12% of overall training costs, says Jeanne Meister, a corporate learning consultant and former vice president of market development at Accenture Learning. “That (increase) could grow out of proportion unless employers put the brakes on and manage tuition assistance,” says Meister. “It will be a big issue in five years.”  Here are six practical tips to help you manage tuition-assistance programs like your vendor relationships …

Will pregnancy become a ‘Super-Protected’ class in Ohio?

09/01/2007

Employees seeking relief from on-the-job discrimination on the basis of their race, sex, age, national origin or religion can typically pursue their claims under federal law, Ohio law (Ohio Revised Code Section 4112.02) or both. In most cases, it doesn’t matter whether the employee sues under state or federal law—the court will apply the same cases and reasoning. The same is not true in pregnancy discrimination cases. That’s because the Ohio Civil Rights Commission interprets pregnancy discrimination quite differently than does its federal counterpart, the EEOC …