Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced an $875,000 settlement of a sex bias and retaliation class action lawsuit against Technicolor Videocassette Inc.’s Camarillo plant. The suit alleged that women at the plant, who worked in various departments duplicating videotapes, were subjected to repeated harassment by male co-workers and supervisors-including derogatory comments regarding […]
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court approved the use of mandatory arbitration agreements for employment disputes in a lawsuit brought by a Circuit City employee. But now the Ninth Circuit, after taking a second look at the arbitration provisions in that case, has tossed out the agreement, ruling that it was unduly lopsided and didn’t […]
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, has upheld a $1 million punitive damages award to an employee who was subjected to repeated racial slurs and jokes with his supervisor’s knowledge. The new ruling, one of the largest of its kind, serves as a reminder that it’s imperative to take steps to prevent—and […]
Gov. Davis has acted on a number of employment-related bills passed by state lawmakers. Roundup Of New Laws
Highly publicized incidents of on-the-job violence have prompted many employers to adopt a workplace violence policy. But a recent federal appeals court ruling in California demonstrates the problems that can arise—particularly for public employers—if your policy goes too far.
Del Erdmann said he quit his job as assistant director of nursing at Miguel Villa after owner/supervisor Velda Pierce repeatedly told him he would go to hell if he didn’t become a heterosexual and join the Mormon Church. Now a federal court in San Francisco has given Erdmann the green light to sue Miguel Villa […]
State and federal courts have grappled for years with the question of whether employers can compel workers to submit their employment disputes to arbitration. Now, in a major victory for employers, the U.S. Supreme Court has cleared up the confusion, giving employers the go-ahead to use mandatory arbitration agreements. The high court decision, coupled with […]
The California Supreme Court has given an important stamp of approval to the use of mandatory arbitration clauses as a condition of employment as long as they meet certain requirements assuring fairness to employees. In the wake of the ruling, you’ll need to immediately review, and possibly revise, arbitration agreements signed by existing employees and […]
Many managers are justifiably concerned about the possibility of being on the hook personally for damages when an employee sues for discrimination or harassment. In recent years, several courts have said that managers can be held responsible if they sexually harass someone, but not for acts of race, sex or disability bias.
It’s not always easy to know when inappropriate behavior becomes illegal harassment. While a single offensive comment alone may not be enough to justify a claim, there isn’t always a clearcut test for harassment. In the accompanying story beginning on page 1, the jury found that racial harassment had occurred, but the results in similar […]