Tag: stereotyping

bias

When words used in a disciplinary report suggest implicit bias

by Barbara J. Koenig Implicit bias is an unconscious preference for or an aversion to a person or a group of people. In other words, we may have an attitude toward others or stereotype them without conscious knowledge of what we’re doing. If we act in accordance with our implicit bias, we may be discriminating […]

Diversity and inclusion director gets a little inclusion

by Michelle Lee Flores The California Court of Appeal threw a solitary bone to Toyota’s director of diversity and inclusion when it reversed a trial court’s dismissal of his sexual orientation discrimination claim. The court of appeal held that the former employee had provided sufficient evidence that a senior manager’s perception that he was “too […]

Warding off age discrimination claims in era of older workers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that nearly a quarter of the workforce will be made up of people age 55 and older by 2024. That contrasts to 1994, when just 11.9 percent of workers fell into that age group. If the projection for 2024 is correct—and the aging of the baby boomer generation […]

The digital natives are restless

by Mark I. Schickman Age discrimination threatens to be the most prevalent employment claim of the next decade. Baby Boomers are being forced out of the workplace in droves, while Millennials are reaching 40, the bottom rung of the protected class. Expect lawsuits from Millennials as they are squeezed between Baby Boomers reluctant to vacate […]

Unconscious bias: Employers learning how to fight problems they don’t see

Efforts to create more diverse workplaces have landed on many employers’ radar screens in recent years. The tech industry, notably, has been exposed as being overwhelmingly male and white, leading some of those influential employers to do some soul searching. They and employers in an array of other fields have devised programs resulting in improvement, […]

guidelines

OFCCP proposes updated regulations on sex discrimination

by Tony Puckett The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has announced proposed regulations updating its current sex discrimination regulations for federal government contractors and subcontractors. The proposed regulations are the first substantive update to the “Sex Discrimination Guidelines,” which the OFCCP adopted in 1970.  The OFCCP’s press release […]

Breadwinner, caregiver, or both: Is it a new day for Dad in the workplace?

Prince William is back at work now, but immediately following the birth of his baby on July 22, he took some time off from his duties in the British Royal Air Force – paid time off. American golfer Hunter Mahan also famously left work recently because his wife was ready to deliver their baby. He […]

Gender Stereotyping Not Grounds for Termination

If there’s a critical time to watch what you say in the workplace, it’s when you terminate an employee. If an employee is accused of sexual harassment or other misconduct, ensure that you conduct a fair and comprehensive investigation. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the allegations are true just because a complaint was […]

Mr. Mom: A Personal Encounter with Stereotypes

Just in time for Father’s Day, employment law attorney Barbara Goodwin reflects on what are considered the “traditional” family roles and reminds employers not to make the mistake of stereotyping men and women and their caregiving responsibilities. I’m a working mother. I had my first child about 10 days after graduating from law school and […]