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New York

Bronx KFC turns away veteran with service dog

10/10/2013
A manager and an employee at a Bronx Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant are being sued after they told a disabled Iraqi war veteran he had to leave because he had a dog with him. The vet tried to explain that his dog, named Valor, was a service animal.

Boss expresses obvious bias? That’s a firing offense

10/10/2013
When a supervisor expresses clear illegal bias, fire her. Otherwise, her attitude may taint any subsequent termination decisions involving members of the protected class the manager harbors resentment about.

Retaliation after 4 years have gone by? Yes, in some cases

10/10/2013
Don’t ignore applicants who have filed prior EEOC complaints against your organization. Give them a fair opportunity to compete for jobs.

Develop foolproof plan for taking uncertainty out of ambiguous resignations

10/10/2013
Not sure what to do when it seems as if an employee is going to quit, but she doesn’t explicitly say so? Seek clarification. If you get none, tell her you assume her silence is tantamount to a resignation.

ADA: Making accommodations doesn’t mean you accept that employee is disabled

10/10/2013
Consider this when deciding whether to offer a simple and cheap accommodation to an employee who claims he’s disabled: Offering help doesn’t mean you accept that he’s disabled. You can still challenge his status under the ADA if he sues.

AG nails contractor for wage violations in Brooklyn

10/10/2013
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced a settlement with a masonry contractor working on New York City’s St. Mark’s senior housing project in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.

Mere petty behavior? Don’t sweat bias suit

10/10/2013
Employees sue over the most trivial workplace incidents. Fortunately, courts have more important things to do than soothe hurt feelings. Busy judges are quickly dismissing cases that are based on nothing more than a few petty incidents.

In Harlem jobs program, varying shades of the N-word

09/19/2013
A recent case has tested the complex, unwritten rules surrounding the use of the N-word in the workplace—in this case, the successful STRIVE East Harlem temporary agency, which has been profiled on “60 Minutes.”

Use independent investigation to back up decision to terminate rule-breakers

09/19/2013
Sometimes, it pays to be patient. That’s often true when deciding who to terminate when several people are allegedly involved in rule breaking. Conduct an independent investigation, talk to all the individuals involved and come to conclusions based on what the employees said. That way, there’s a good chance a court won’t second-guess your final decision.

Beware retaliation after employee complains

09/10/2013
Watch out if a supervisor suddenly gives a poor performance review to a previously good employee who has recently complained about discrimination. Unless you can clearly show that the employee’s performance was deteriorating, you might be setting yourself up for an otherwise avoidable retaliation lawsuit.