A federal magistrate judge recommended denying a Colorado university’s motion to dismiss a Title VII reverse discrimination claim filed by a male applicant. In 2018, Christian Sparks applied for a position as a Civil Rights Investigator with the Office of…
A doctor who lost his job after he refused to comply with his employer’s vaccine mandate was unable to persuade a federal appeals court to order his reinstatement. Dr. Paul Halczenko worked at St. Vincent Hospital, which adopted a COVID-19…
The world is becoming increasingly more flexible about where employees work. And during the Great Resignation, this is a boon for employers because they can hire the best talent regardless of where they’re located in the U.S. But while this…
A veteran employee filed Title VII race and pay discrimination claims after he noticed a newer colleague quickly climbing the ranks and earning substantial raises. In 2010, Paul Palmer Jr. II, who is Black, was hired as a lecturer in…
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a huge case about union dues with its ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, 138 S.Ct. 2448 (U.S. 2018). The high court held there that unions cannot mandate deductions from the paychecks…
An employee sued for religious discrimination after he was fired for posting a comment on the company's intranet about its rainbow flag display in observance of Pride Month. Here's what happened: The longtime employee, Daniel Snyder, was filling out the…
A new twist on bereavement leave has been gaining steam – and companies in Illinois will soon be required to provide it under state law. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed the Family Bereavement Leave Act, which expands the definition of…
After facing workplace discipline for refusing to use the preferred pronouns of a transgender student, a professor sued his employer. In 2016, Shawnee State University informed faculty members that they had to refer to students by their preferred pronouns. Further, it…
Colorado has joined a growing list of states that have passed what are known as “Clean Slate” laws, lending momentum to a trend that is likely to see additional states follow suit -- perhaps in the near future. Gov. Jared…
Unlawful age bias takes many forms. More typically and obviously, age bias claims are triggered by obviously adverse job actions, like a termination or demotion. But not always. In fact, even what some may view as a seemingly benign job…
Employment law can get murky, especially when you’re talking about the multi-employer worksite doctrine. While this doctrine doesn’t apply to every employer it does apply to those in construction, manufacturing and other industries. So, it’s best to stay on top…
A new decision from a federal appeals court demonstrates the limits on the duty of employers to extend religious accommodation to employees under Title VII. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that the postal service was…
Many companies conduct drug screenings on prospective employees before hiring them, and typically, refusing to hire them for a positive test result is allowed. However, in a recent lawsuit filed by the EEOC, a company is in legal hot water…
Heads up, employers. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is suing coffee giant Starbucks over many of its employee handbook policies, alleging the company has "overly-broad and discriminatory rules." And you'll want to make sure you don't have any of…
How much porn is OK to watch at work? We hope your policy is zero. And as the following suit shows, the reasons for taking that policy seriously don’t just include cutting down on distractions and keeping the focus on…
Every good employer knows that when an employee complains of racial harassment, it has the responsibility to investigate the claims and put a stop to the behavior. But how thorough does the investigation have to be? How quickly does it…
