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Employment Law

Employer must pay whistleblower $22 million

12/02/2022
Don’t shoot the messenger! That’s the lesson the Occupational Safety and Health Administration taught employer Wells Fargo in a recent whistleblower retaliation case. Wells Fargo has been ordered to pay $22 million to an internal whistleblower who raised concerns that the bank may have been engaged in illegal practices.

New year, new laws: Update your compliance!

11/29/2022
States have new laws about human trafficking reporting, hair discrimination, family leave, wage transparency, artificial intelligence and surveillance.

Could affirmative action cases affect you?

11/29/2022
The Supreme Court is pondering two cases questioning affirmative action in university admissions.

Eli Lilly defeats age-discrimination claim

11/29/2022
A sales representative who alleged age discrimination did not produce enough evidence to show a pattern of age-based harassment at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co.

Overtime for highly paid worker: overmuch?

11/29/2022
An employee paid $200,000 is suing for overtime, and the case is pending before the Supreme Court. Employment lawyers are watching this case carefully.

Change your passwords—again

11/22/2022
’Tis hacking season, but it’s always hacking season now. You can repeat password mantras until you’re blue in the face—don’t use the same ones, change them regularly—but employees will use the same ones and won’t change them regularly, because they’re human. Allow employees to choose their passwords, with clear guidance.

Who needs a drink? The EEOC is devout about religious accommodations

11/22/2022
With the holiday season fast approaching, be alert to religious accommodation requests.

Identical interview questions key to surviving rejected applicant’s suit

11/22/2022
The hiring process is a common lawsuit trigger for candidates not selected for the job they’re interviewing for. Lawsuits alleging race or other forms of discrimination may focus on individual questions, the hiring committee’s demographic composition or some other perceived discriminatory action. The best way to counter this is with a carefully crafted interview process.

Netflix beats harassment claims—for now

11/22/2022
A California judge dismissed allegations of harassment and emotional distress against a supervisor at Netflix. The plaintiff, a former business and legal affairs director at the streaming service, sued for race and gender discrimination and wrongful termination, alleging a supervisor failed to stop a male subordinate’s racist and misogynistic comments.

EEOC commissioner targets abortion travel benefits

11/22/2022
An EEOC commissioner launched probes of companies offering abortion travel subsidies to employees. The commissioner alleges discrimination against pregnant workers who are not offered equivalent benefits.