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James Stevens, a former inventory clerk at a Vons store in Simi Valley, alleged that manager Laura Marko had harassed him and other employees by making sexually explicit comments. Then, after Stevens complained, Marko falsely told people that Stevens was a pervert, and that he was calling her home and harassing her. Vons interviewed six […]
The current term of the U.S. Supreme Court provides a reminder that the drafters of the U.S. Constitution deliberately created a tension between continuity of law and responsiveness to changes in the majority’s wishes. We are on the cusp of a complete change in administration, with the likelihood of substantial changes in both statutory regime […]
by Craig M. Borowski Employers often use the holiday season to show their appreciation for employees’ hard work and celebrate with employees in the workplace. Unfortunately, however, even an office holiday party planned with the best of intentions can create legal liability for employers or even turn tragic. Drunk driving, inappropriate conduct and behavior, and […]
Workers who are the most innovative or productive or those who possess visionary leadership are inevitably propelled to the top. That’s the image many of us have of the workplace. In reality, the practice of favoring and promoting relatives or paramours, more commonly known as nepotism, is widely practiced in companies large and small across […]
In 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion expanding the range of employer conduct that employees could use to support a retaliation claim. But as with anything new, questions immediately arose. Is a dirty look now considered retaliatory? An off-putting e-mail? What about a humiliating public censure? This uncertainty left employers understandably concerned. But […]
When a Fresno jury in 2006 awarded $1.7 million for sexual harassment to an employee who charged that she was spanked as part of team-building exercises at work, the verdict sent ripples through the employer community as a stark reminder of the need to keep a close check on workplace conduct. Now, however, the verdict […]
A Fresno jury returned a staggering and unanimous $19.1 million verdict in favor of former Fresno State women’s basketball coach Stacy Johnson-Klein, who charged that her firing almost three years ago was the result of gender bias and retaliation.
The more employees travel for business, the more exposure employers have — often with costly consequences. Businesses must be prepared for problems that might arise when male and female employees travel together, whether domestically or internationally. Contrary to popular belief, what happens in Vegas doesn’t really stay in Vegas — it gets told in court. […]
United Healthcare of Florida, Inc., has agreed to shell out $1.8 million in back pay and damages to resolve a same-sex harassment and retaliation lawsuit. The suit, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), charged that a male regional vice president subjected a male senior account executive at the company’s Sunrise, Fla., office […]
In a new decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, has decided that a sexual harassment victim’s 19-day delay in reporting the misconduct to her employer wasn’t an unreasonable failure to take advantage of corrective opportunities provided by the employer. As a result, the employee can take her sexual harassment lawsuit to […]