Tag: diversity

Does Banishing Scents Make Sense at Work?

It seems that the number of people with allergies or sensitivities to various scents and smells has grown substantially. Some of those allergies can be severe, causing severe respiratory difficulties and other serious health issues. Questions continue to arise about the often competing rights of allergic employees and coworkers who wish to be able to […]

DOL Examines English Proficiency Project

The Department of Labor (DOL) has released a report evaluating its Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative project.The program was launched in 2006 with $4.9 million awarded to organizations in California, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, and Texas so they could test innovative strategies for delivering language and employment services to limited English proficient and […]

Lawyer Who Denied Access to Service Dog Gets Bit

By Keeya M. Jeffrey The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado recently approved a consent decree resolving a lawsuit filed by the Colorado Department of Justice against a Colorado Springs lawyer who refused to allow a woman, her husband, and her lawyer access to his office for a deposition because the woman brought […]

Overcoming Language, Hearing Obstacles for Safety’s Sake

By Jason Bohanan Communicating with employees is essential to the health of any business. Daily communication between management, supervisors, and front-line employees helps keep every aspect of the business running, from planning meetings to ensuring everyday assignments are completed. Unfortunately, no method of communication is perfect. Communication breakdowns, such as lost memos and unchecked voicemails, […]

Gender Identity Protection Resurfaces in Federal, Local Laws

By Lorraine Yeomans Recent actions by President Barack Obama’s administration and a flurry of new local laws are reviving discussion on the issue of gender identity (sometimes also referred to as gender expression) discrimination. Since 1993, when Minnesota adopted the first state law protecting against discrimination based on gender identity, employers have been doing their […]

Unexpected Demographics of the 2007-10 Downturn

A Wall Street Journal analysis of recent data sets reveals unexpected characteristics of current employment losses. The last 10 years have seen an increasing parity in employment among men and women, but because the majority of women came into the job market later, it was expected that layoffs — following a last-in/first-out pattern — would […]

Asian Harassment Based on African American Racial Slurs

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) recently issued a probable-cause finding against an employer and its owner. The owner admittedly used the “n” word in the presence of an Asian employee who has a biracial child and a black fiance. Facts In February 2008, Shi-Juan Lin started working as a bookkeeper and secretary […]

Minimizing Conflicts Over Workplace Diversity

The American workplace is changing. There are more women, minorities, immigrants, nonimmigrant contract workers, non-English-speaking or limited-English-speaking workers, and older workers in the workforce today. Those employees have different needs, expectations, and skills that present many challenges for management. You must not ignore those differences. Ignoring them simply leads to confusion, conflicts, and eventually discrimination […]

Safety Challenges in Dealing with an Aging Workforce

With Americans living longer, they are also working longer, making older workers an invaluable part of any company. They bring wisdom, knowledge, and experience to many aspects of business. They can become mentors for younger and less experienced workers. But there are certain changes that occur to both the body and mind of every individual […]

Heterosexual PR Contractor May Have Suffered Antigay Discrimination

By Terence H. McGuire Recently, a federal district court in New York ruled that a worker retained to perform public relations and other promotional services for a clothing manufacturer could proceed to trial on claims under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) and the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) that he […]