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Discrimination / Harassment

Can favoritism amount to a ‘hostile’ work environment?

07/01/2005
As if there weren’t enough complications when co-workers are paramours, here’s another: Those who aren’t part
of the love affair feel slighted when
the bedded ones are promoted, and …

Train managers how to spot bias and take complaints

07/01/2005
Issue: Employers can be liable for sexual harassment if they “knew or should have known” about it but failed to act.
Risk: Courts increasingly say you “know” of harassment once …

Don’t base hiring decisions on applicants’ childbirth plans

07/01/2005
Issue: Who qualifies for protection under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)?
Risk: Many supervisors mistakenly believe that women must be pregnant to be covered under PDA. Not true.
…

Can you (and should you) refuse to hire smokers? Know the law

07/01/2005
Some of your employees may be a month into their New Year’s resolution to quit smoking. But what if you, as an organization, wanted to kick the habit in a different way—by refusing to hire employees that smoke?

Banning male employees’ long hair is OK

07/01/2005

Q. Can we require male employees’ hair be a certain length, or is that discrimination? Also, can we say male employees can’t have beards? —C.H., Illinois

It’s every manager’s duty to take harassment complaints

07/01/2005
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Pregnancy-bias law covers even nonpregnant women

07/01/2005
Login Email Address Password I forgot my password To continue reading this page, become an HR Specialist Premium Plus member today! Your subscription includes: Ask the Attorney: Answers to your HR legal questions Compliance Guidance: Access to 7,000 HR news articles, updated daily, sorted by state State-by-State: Summaries of HR laws in all 50 states […]

Some manager socializing could spark bias lawsuits

07/01/2005
Issue: Supervisors may feel more comfortable with employees from one gender or the other.
Risk: If they allow those relationships to affect their employment decisions, supervisors could run afoul of …

When customers cross the line

06/02/2005
Employers can be liable for harassment of workers not only by other workers, but also by customers. But often, managers who’d have no qualms about investigating—or firing—a harassing co-worker are nervous about jeopardizing a customer relationship.

Review all handouts for legal bombshells

06/01/2005
You can’t personally review every book, video or training material that supervisors distribute to employees. But it’s wise to review as much of those materials as possible for appropriateness and legally …