And opens up a can of worms.
In June 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (or, to be more precise, EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows, a Democrat*) issued non-binding guidance about LGBT workers. ...more
Sheesh. I would think so! Here's a story for you:
Some investors bought an apartment complex in Houston with the plan to fix it up and flip it. They decided the Property Manager wasn't doing a good job, so they fired her...more
This would be a great law school problem. But you non-geeks, feel free to join in, too! The following is a true story. A man went to pizza restaurant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and ordered a stromboli worth a little more...more
So misunderstood!
NOTE FROM ROBIN: Earlier this year, I began a series of very basic explanations of the federal laws that govern the workplace. The first installment covered discrimination in general, and the second...more
9/16/2022
/ ADEA ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
At-Will Employment ,
Discrimination ,
Documentation ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Termination ,
Title VII ,
USERRA ,
Wage and Hour
Before the festivities begin, test your knowledge!
How much do you know about Labor Day? Take our quiz and find out! As always, the answers appear at the end of each question, so you can cheat all you want, and we'll never...more
Probably. Employers, get ready.
Will EEOC lawyers do an end run around the EEOC commissioners? If so, employers are likely to see more lawsuits with the EEOC as a plaintiff, which is never a good thing....more
I'm not sure I agree. With all due respect.
An issue that has been percolating for the past few years is whether gender dysphoria is a "disability" within the meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I've posted on...more
Non-union employers, this goes for you, too!
An employee's use of bad language doesn't necessarily mean that the employer can take action against him. Even if the language arguably violates the employer's no-harassment...more
8/12/2022
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Discipline ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Offensive Language ,
Over-Time ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Social Media ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Unions ,
Voluntary Participation ,
Wrongful Termination
Everybody's favorite subject.
Last week, Karla Miller -- the workplace advice columnist of The Washington Post -- had a fascinating letter with this problem:
The letter writer is the only female working on a floor with...more
Late summer odds and ends.
Catholic school guidance counselor supervisor is a "minister," court says. And therefore she can't sue the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for refusing to renew her contract after she entered into...more
I hope that moment of satisfaction was worth it.
Once again, I see how out of it I am.
This week, a San Diego attorney lost a motion hearing. The attorneys who won were both women. That will be important if you bear with...more
Second of two on the FLSA.
NOTE FROM ROBIN: In March, I began a series of very basic explanations of the federal laws that govern the workplace. The first installment covered discrimination in general, the second...more
7/15/2022
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Fluctuating Workweek ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Rate of Pay ,
Salaried Employees ,
Sales Commissions ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
And, for that, we should be grateful.
This week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its guidance on COVID-19 and the laws that the agency enforces. In my opinion, it's pretty unremarkable....more
Even though the court was right, this stinks.
Picture this. Your current employee is suing you for race discrimination. She's also 40 or older, but she hasn't claimed age discrimination....more
NOTE FROM ROBIN: In March, I began a series of very basic explanations of the federal laws that govern the workplace. The first installment covered discrimination in general, the second installment covered religious...more
7/8/2022
/ After-Hours Work ,
Child Labor ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Off-The-Clock ,
Over-Time ,
Payroll Records ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
The court is right, I think.
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued an opinion on Wednesday that provides helpful clarification for employers and their leave administrators.
...more
I still think an emoji would have helped.
A couple of years ago, I posted about a decision from an administrative law judge who found that Ben Domenech, co-founder and Executive Officer of FDRLST Media, LLC, and publisher...more
While still complying with the ADA.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued some helpful guidance on Friday related to employers' use of artificial intelligence and algorithms and the Americans with Disabilities...more
5/18/2022
/ Algorithms ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Documentation ,
Employee Training ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Guidance ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Vendors ,
Wage and Hour
Will this catch on in the States?
A tribunal in the United Kingdom has reportedly ruled that insulting a man for being bald is sexual harassment.
According to news reports, the tribunal was made up of three bald men....more
Just about every state or federal employment law has an anti-retaliation provision. Very simply put, anti-retaliation provisions are intended to protect individuals who either pursue their rights under the law, who assist...more
As we all know, a growing number of states have legalized marijuana use to varying degrees. In some states, medical marijuana is permitted, but not recreational. In some states, anything goes. In some states, including New...more
There was this disability discrimination issue . . .
An employer who shall remain nameless had a tradition of throwing a little birthday party for each of its employees on their special day.
The birthday of one employee...more
4/22/2022
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Social Anxiety Disorder ,
Termination ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Violence
Second post in our series.
NOTE FROM ROBIN: Last month, I posted the first in what will be a series of very basic explanations of the federal laws that govern the workplace.
I could not resist having religious...more
Starting April 13.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced that employers can submit their EEO-1 "Component 1" data starting April 13. The deadline to submit data is May 17. Here is the full announcement:...more
(It's possible that you heard this already.)
I was traveling and with a client all day yesterday -- otherwise, I would have posted this in a more timely manner. Better late than never, I hope....more