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Discrimination / Harassment

EEOC charges down, harassment claims jump

04/16/2019
The #MeToo movement reached the EEOC in a big way last year. Even as total EEOC charges declined dramatically in fiscal year 2018, sexual harassment charges soared.

Consistency is key when deciding how to discipline for excessive medical absences

04/15/2019
Employers don’t have to keep disabled employees on the payroll after they have exhausted all available leave and received a reasonable accommodation of taking more time off. That doesn’t mean you can arbitrarily pick and choose which employees you discharge.

Experience is a great teacher, but it’s not pay

04/11/2019
If you plan to welcome unpaid interns to your organization this summer, be careful. If they receive any benefits beyond educational credit, some states may consider them to be employees. Thus, they would be covered by state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

Class-action addresses H-1Bs and national origin bias

04/10/2019
A class of white, American former IT workers have been given the go-ahead to sue a company that employs large numbers of H-1B visa holders who are predominately from South Asia.

Prepare to prove discipline has been consistent

04/03/2019
If you need to fire someone for breaking a rule, document the exact rule he broke. Then check to see how you punished others who broke the same rule. Be prepared to show how their situations compared to the current case.

Threatening to reduce employee’s bonus isn’t enough to justify quitting

04/03/2019
A grieving husband has lost a lawsuit that claimed he had no choice but to quit after his employer threatened to reduce his bonus if he continued to take time off to recover from a tragic personal loss.

An expensive anti-bias lesson for Havertown, Pa. country club

04/02/2019
Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pa. just learned a $30,000 lesson: Don’t discriminate on the basis of age, and certainly don’t tell your older employees that’s what you’re doing.

Fired harasser can’t collect unemployment

04/02/2019
If you have a robust harassment policy that prohibits even a single incident of unwanted touching, rest assured that a fired harasser won’t be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Beware retaliation after race bias complaint

04/02/2019
Employees who file internal discrimination complaints are protected from retaliation for doing so, even if the complaint turns out to be unfounded. Something like a demotion or significantly different job duties can be retaliation.

Paycheck Fairness Act clears House of Representatives

04/02/2019
The House of Representatives has passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation first introduced in 1997 that would prohibit employers nationwide from asking job applicants about their past or current pay.