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Employment Law

New Oxford tavern owner accused of sexual harassment

12/01/2006

The EEOC last month filed a lawsuit against the owner of the Crazy Horse Steak House & Saloon in New Oxford for sexually harassing female employees …

Pa. legislature weighs health insurance tax credit

12/01/2006

The Pennsylvania legislature is considering an important bill that would create a special tax credit for Pennsylvania small businesses …

Pa. lawmakers backing gay-Discrimination bill

12/01/2006

If Senator Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheny) and 19 other state senators get their way, employers will have another anti-discrimination law to worry about. Ferlo has reintroduced legislation that would ban gay discrimination in employment, housing and credit …

Navigating Pennsylvania’s new minimum wage law

12/01/2006

For many Pennsylvania employers, the state’s new minimum wage law taking effect Jan. 1, 2007, is straightforward: It raises the minimum wage they must pay employees to $6.25 per hour from the current federally mandated rate of $5.15. The law, however, has numerous loopholes that you need to know about …

Texas court clarifies new definition of ‘Retaliation’

12/01/2006

Just a few months ago, the U.S. Supreme Court established a broad new legal standard for judging whether an employer has retaliated against an employee for complaining about discrimination (Burlington Northern v. White). Now, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has applied the standard to its first retaliation case after the Supreme Court decision. The news is good for employers …

Make sure your arbitration agreement is valid in Texas

12/01/2006

Arbitration agreements, in which employees give up their rights to go to court and instead submit their cases to arbitration, can be a great way to avoid unpredictable juries, negative publicity and the expense of a full-blown lawsuit. But if the agreement isn’t worded just right, you may end up with more expense and lost time rather than less …

Denial of lateral transfer isn’t an ‘Adverse job action’

12/01/2006

Employees who think a supervisor is treating them unfairly and suspect discrimination often will look for an escape. One tactic is to ask for a transfer to another department or location. Don’t think that you’re required to acquiesce …

Workplace stats can help disprove discrimination intent

12/01/2006

Nothing rankles employers more than being accused of discrimination when the statistics show that their workplace is a model of diversity and equal opportunity. You can turn those statistics in your favor …

Putting more weight on interview isn’t pretext for bias

12/01/2006

Employers that use a hiring committee to decide between candidates can put more emphasis on interview performance as a factor in the selection process. That’s true even if assessing how a person interviews is somewhat subjective …

Remark on religious fervor isn’t proof of biased motive

12/01/2006

It’s almost never wise to comment on an employee’s religion or religious practices. But take heart in a new ruling that shows not all inappropriate comments will be deemed discrimination …