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Discrimination / Harassment

Push for contraceptive coverage gets shove from federal court

08/01/2001
If you’re not already covering prescription contraceptives with your health plan, there’s new pressure to do so. For the first time, a federal court has ruled that excluding …

Brush up religious-bias policy; workplace getting more diverse

08/01/2001
More than a third of HR professionals say their work force includes more religions than just five years ago, according to a new survey from the Society for Human Resource …

Age-bias issues don’t stop at the border

08/01/2001
Even employees working outside the country are covered under age-bias laws. The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) applies to U.S. citizens working in foreign …

You can limit domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples

07/01/2001
If you’re thinking about extending benefits to employees’ domestic partners, be prepared to defend any limits. When the Chicago school board decided to extend spousal health benefits to domestic partners …

Make sure your accommodations are on par with Casey Martin ruling

07/01/2001
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that the PGA Tour must allow disabled golfer Casey Martin to ride in a cart during tournaments isn’t based on employment law, but that doesn’t mean …

Urge Staff to Visit Doctor During Off-Duty Hours

07/01/2001

Q. We don’t usually require employees to provide documentation when they take time off for doctors’ appointments, but one worker has a pattern of scheduling these “appointments” on the Friday before holiday weekends. Can we request verification from the doctor’s office on a case-by-case basis? —J.B., Washington

Protect disabled staff from harassment

06/01/2001
Starting today, plan to revise your anti-harassment policies and instruct your staff that harassment based on a worker’s disability is against the law. Reason: In a pair of landmark rulings, two …

Employee’s religious belief doesn’t let her dictate your business

06/01/2001
Sandra Bruff was a counselor for an employee assistance program (EAP), but she balked at helping employees deal with their homosexual or extramarital relationships. That kind of advice violated her religious …

Go for the gold: Craft waivers that release you from all lawsuits

06/01/2001
The teachers and students in the classroom where Mary Jefferson was a part-time aide regularly used derogatory terms for females, such as bitch, slut and whore. As a result, Jefferson filed …

Don’t withhold promised severance when a former employee files suit

06/01/2001
When Shawn Bernstein lost his job in a company merger, he sued under just about every discrimination law imaginable. The court threw out those claims, saying the company had legitimate reasons …