A federal appeals court has upheld a decision to reject disability bias claims filed by a sleepwalking worker who mistakenly climbed into a co-worker’s hotel room bed during an out-of-town trip. Jennifer Harkey began working for NextGen Healthcare in 2008 in a position called “implementation specialist.” Things went well for a decade, and she was […]
The Eleventh Circuit upheld a $300,000 award for a fired employee after a jury determined her termination amounted to disability discrimination in violation of the ADA. Due to injuries sustained in a car accident, Ashley Merard had a tracheostomy tube that was visible on the front of her neck. In July of 2017, she was […]
Now is a great time for HR departments to review their policies regarding the provision of reasonable accommodation to employees with mental disabilities. It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of most everyone, and perhaps an even steeper one on individuals with preexisting mental health issues. With […]
It sounds simple and straightforward, but in plenty of cases it just doesn’t work out that way: To defeat a claim of unlawful age bias, provide a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the challenged job action. That’s what a Philadelphia employer was able to do in a lawsuit that accused it of violating the federal Age […]
A federal jury awarded $5.1 million to a flight attendant who was fired after she sent pro-life messages to her union president, the National Right to Work (NRTW) Legal Defense Foundation announced. The flight attendant worked for Southwest Airlines and was a member of its union – the Transportation Workers Union of America (TWU) Local 556 – […]
A Texas jury has delivered one of the largest verdicts in American history in a negligent hiring case, ordering cable operator Charter Communications to pay more than $7 billion for the murder of an elderly woman who was killed by one of its service technicians in her home. The suit alleged that the company, which […]
New York just took a huge step in protecting people in its state from sexual harassment. This new law may set a precedent and is something other states may want to pay attention to. Here’s why. All employers in New York state regardless of the number of employees are now required to provide information on […]
A recent EEOC settlement demonstrates the GINA/COVID tightrope employers must walk when it comes to complying with the requirements of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and doing all it can to keep COVID-19 out of the workplace. Earlier this month, the agency entered into a conciliation agreement with a Florida medical practice that collected […]
Another lawsuit involving Black Lives Matter (BLM) face masks has reached a federal appeals court. This time, the Third Circuit sided with employees – and blocked the enforcement of a policy that prohibited employees from wearing face masks that feature BLM and other “political or social-protest messages.” As you may recall, last month the First […]
