Tag: discrimination

Breastfeeding Employee Entitled to Equal, Not Preferential, Treatment

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans recently addressed a case in which the employee alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). The dispute arose when the employee claimed she was given insufficient break time to express breast milk following the […]

Responding to Employees’ Personal Social Networking

Imagine that one of your employees has her own webpage. One day, you find out that she’s posted a satirical picture poking fun at the company on her site. Then you learn that another employee sounded off about his supervisor on his blog after he received a negative performance evaluation. Can you do anything about […]

Aging Workers Present Golden Opportunities

By Gary Jiles A wise employer recognizes that with age comes solid work experience. Thus, it is beneficial to both you and the employee to accommodate the needs of your aging employees. While an older workforce may trigger a few considerations, flexibility and additional training can ensure that your employees (and business) continue to prosper. […]

Workers Who Lied About Violating Company Rule Fired, One Who Told Truth Keeps Job

You have several employees you’ve caught red-handed violating a company rule that your employee manual says may justify termination for a first offense. When questioned, one admits to the wrongdoing; the others deny it. Can you fire the employees who lied but retain the other employee with a lesser disciplinary measure? According to a recent […]

Employer May Be Liable for Actions Taken Against Alcoholic Employee

by Dara Wanzer Complicated legal and moral issues may occur when an employee who has taken medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for alcohol-related health issues returns to employment. The Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently considered some of those issues and found that under certain circumstances, alcoholism can be […]

Delaware Expands Antidiscrimination Protection in State Government Workplaces

Delaware Governor Jack Markell has signed an executive order that broadens the scope of discrimination protection in state government workplaces. Specifically, the order prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression and extends discrimination protection to all military veterans (instead of just Vietnam War veterans). While discussing the executive order and his administration’s commitment to […]

Are Single, Childless Workers Shortchanged by Benefit Plans?

by Hillary J. Collyer Over the past two decades, the American workforce has enjoyed a significant increase in family-friendly policies in the workplace. Yet are those “family-friendly” benefits fair to all employees? Employees without children wonder whether they receive less valuable corporate benefits than their counterparts with children. Employers are prohibited from providing unequal benefits […]

EEOC Moves Forward with New ADA Regs

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is moving forward with new regulations that will make it much easier for employees claiming protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to establish that they have a covered disability. At a public meeting in June, the EEOC voted 2-1 to approve draft changes to the existing […]

How Employers Can Avoid Becoming an EEOC Statistic: Part 2

by Amy M. McLaughlin In part one of this article, we discussed the increase in the number of discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against private-sector employers since 2006. In 2006, the EEOC saw it’s first increase in charge filings in four years. By 2008, the number of discrimination claims filed […]

Beware of Favoritism in the Hiring and Promotion Process

A federal appellate court recently allowed a discrimination case against an employer to proceed to trial because the hiring manager spent extra time with one of the candidates. Audit your hiring policies and practices with the Employment Practices Self-Audit Workbook Facts William Snooks started work as a customer activities specialist for Duquesne Light Company (DLC) […]