Expressing a hiring preference for a particular gender can be a very dangerous thing for employers to do. Why? Because there is a good chance it will lead to a claim of unlawful discrimination – and that the claim will succeed. An Indiana employer just learned that lesson the hard way, agreeing to settle an […]
A new NLRB decision means employers must proceed very carefully before disciplining employees who get a little heated while engaging in union activity. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) gives employees the right to form labor organizations and “to engage in … concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or […]
A recent lawsuit provides a case study on what NOT to do when handling employee complaints. How bad was it? A jury awarded an eight-figure payout to a fired worker. To avoid similar mistakes, download our Practical Tools guide on handling employee complaints. Here’s what happened – and where the company went wrong: Company fired […]
Heads up, HR: The Department of Labor (DOL) just released new PUMP Act guidance to help employers comply with the law. As you probably recall, the agency just started PUMP Act enforcement last month — so the timing of this new resource is spot on. First things first: If you aren’t familiar with Field Assistance […]
As employers’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools continues to grow, so does the risk of running afoul of Title VII — the federal law that bans employment discrimination based on a number of protected classes including race and sex. To help employers stay on the right side of the law, the EEOC has released […]
Saying it is the “capstone” of its resources on the subject, the EEOC has issued another update to its COVID-19 guidance. Demonstrating the fluidity of the situation presented by the pandemic, the agency has now updated this guidance about 20 times since its initial release. Let’s dive in and take a look at some notable […]
A new report from labor and employment firm Littler Mendelson PC reveals the top five employment law changes to closely monitor this year, according to insight gathered from in-house attorneys, HR pros and C-suite execs across the U.S. So what’s keeping your peers up at night? In its 11th annual survey, Littler highlighted evolving legislation […]
A longtime meatpacking plant worker who was terminated after sending a profane text to his plant manager was unable to convince Iowa’s highest court that the real reason for his discharge was unlawful age bias. For a long period of time, David Feeback enjoyed a prosperous tenure as an employee of a Swift Pork Company […]
What’s solid evidence of race bias, and what’s not? In this lawsuit, a Black worker claimed that the use of the nickname “Sly,” together with other allegations he offered, showed illegal race bias in the workplace. A federal appeals court was not convinced, and in Wince v. CBRE, Inc., it upheld a lower court’s ruling […]
