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Employment Discrimination Hostile Environment Employer Liability Issues

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

When is an employer liable for harassment by customers? You may be relieved.

When is an employer legally responsible for harassment of its employee by one of its customers? A recent court decision may be a relief for employers in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Most courts ruling on the...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

If You See Something, Do You Fix It If It Isn’t Your Employee? 6th Circuit Applies Higher Standard to Non-Employee Harassment Case

An employee tells you a customer just harassed them — what should you do? In Bivens v. Zep, Inc. the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals charts its own course in addressing employer liability for third-party harassment. The Equal...more

Dickinson Wright

Sixth Circuit Raises Bar for Employer Liability for Customer Harassment of Employees

Dickinson Wright on

In Bivens v. ZEP, Inc., the Sixth Circuit held that an employer is not liable under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (Title VII), for harassment by a customer unless the employer intended the harassment...more

FordHarrison

Sixth Circuit Requires Proof of Intent for Employers to be Liable for Harassment by a Nonemployee

FordHarrison on

On August 8, 2025, in Bivens v. Zep, Inc., the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that employer liability for nonemployee harassment requires proof of the employer’s intent, a departure from the...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Doing Nothing in Response to a Report of Sexual Harassment Could Cost You Millions – the LAPD Recently Learned the Hard Way

If an employee complains about a sexually suggestive picture circulating in the workplace that looks like her but is not, is that a hostile work environment complaint? It might be. In Lillian Carranza v. City of Los Angeles,...more

Gould + Ratner LLP

Coldplay Gate: What if It Happened at Your Company?

Gould + Ratner LLP on

The internet lit up recently with viral footage from a “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert in Boston, Massachusetts. The clip, now dubbed by some as “Coldplay Gate,” depicts the married CEO of Astronomer, Inc., having an...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

What Do Recent DEI Training-Focused Federal Agency Guidance and Court Decisions Mean for Employers?

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

Two new technical-assistance documents jointly released by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) warn that common diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-training practices —...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Managing cross border sexual harassment investigations in Australia and Asia––10 key considerations for employers (Part 2)

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

In Part 2 of our series, we’ll look at who forms part of an investigation team, how location affects which laws apply to an investigation, notification and timing requirements. (Part 1 covers the definition of ‘workplace’...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Managing cross border sexual harassment investigations in Australia and Asia––10 key considerations for employers (Part 1)

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth recently hosted a webinar entitled ‘Managing Cross-Border Sexual Harassment Investigations in Australia and Asia’, addressing the practical considerations that employers should be aware of when investigating...more

Zuckerman Spaeder LLP

What Is Illegal DEI? Employers and Workers Are Still Looking for Answers

Zuckerman Spaeder LLP on

Five years ago, companies were eager to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Now, the pendulum has swung in the other direction. DEI programs are under attack, and employers are trying to figure out what...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Workplace Investigations – One Size Does Not Fit All

Troutman Pepper Locke on

Over the last few years, employers have faced new and expanded obligations under state and federal employment laws relating to prohibition of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace. These changes stem...more

Amundsen Davis LLC

EEOC Sets Its Sights on DEI Programs: What Employers Need to Know

Amundsen Davis LLC on

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced that it will be examining DEI programs for potential violations of Title VII following President Trump’s executive orders regarding DEI programs and the...more

Polsinelli

EEOC Guidance on DEI-Related Discrimination in the Workplace

Polsinelli on

On March 20, 2025, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued two key pieces of guidance: What To Do If You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work and What You Should Know About DEI-Related...more

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission...

EEOC Sues Taco Bell Franchisees for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

Federal Agency Alleges Fast Food Companies Created Hostile Work Environment for Female Workers, Including Teens, and Fired Manager When She Reported Misconduct - DETROIT – Six related entities operating Taco Bell...more

Woodruff Sawyer

Workplace Stress Claims: The Intersection of Workers’ Compensation and Employment Practices

Woodruff Sawyer on

In response to the rise in mental health issues, there has been an increase in legislation to expand eligibility for workers' compensation (WC) benefits. Employees file stress-related claims for various reasons, such as...more

Fisher Phillips

Growing Attacks on Corporate DEI Programs: 5 Employer Takeaways to Help Support Your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts

Fisher Phillips on

Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are facing scrutiny across the country, causing some employers to scale down their DEI initiatives or drop them altogether. As companies face pressure and increasing legal challenges,...more

Littler

Littler Lightbulb: February Appellate Roundup

Littler on

This Littler Lightbulb highlights some of the more significant employment law developments at the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeal in the last month....more

Bowditch & Dewey

MCAD Announces Draft of Updated Harassment Guidelines and Seeks Public Comment

Bowditch & Dewey on

On January 25, 2024, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD – see Note 1) announced new draft guidelines titled “Guidelines on Harassment in the Workplace” (the “Draft Guidelines”). The Draft Guidelines are...more

Console and Associates, P.C.

Florida Is a Hotspot for Employment Discrimination Claims and Other Employment Lawsuits, According to Recent Report

Under both state and federal law, employers must pay their employees for the hours they work and are prohibited from discriminating against employees and job applicants. However, whether it is due to implicit bias, putting...more

Console and Associates, P.C.

New Report Shows Over Five Percent of All Employment Lawsuits Are Filed in the Central District of California

State and federal laws impose a duty on employers to respect employees’ rights and provide them with certain benefits. However, because employment disputes often involve a mix of state and federal claims, most of these cases...more

BakerHostetler

EEOC’s Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Workplace Harassment - What Should Employers Be Doing as a Result?

BakerHostetler on

On Oct. 2, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released proposed enforcement guidance on harassment in the workplace, and the proposed guidance has been receiving quite a bit of attention. This begs the...more

Console and Associates, P.C.

Employment Discrimination Cases Surge in Southern District of New York, According to Recent Report

State and federal laws impose a duty on employers to respect employees’ rights and provide them with certain benefits. However, because employment discrimination claims and other employment disputes often involve a mix of...more

Holland & Knight LLP

EEOC Issues Updated Workplace Harassment Guidance

Holland & Knight LLP on

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) on Sept. 29, 2023, proposed updated workplace harassment guidance reflecting notable changes in the law, including the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in...more

Littler

Littler Lightbulb – August Employment Appellate Roundup

Littler on

This Littler Lightbulb highlights some of the more significant employment law developments in the federal courts of appeal in the last month. Fifth Circuit Expands Scope of Actionable Claims Under Title VII....more

Fox Rothschild LLP

Equinox Jury Verdict Serves as Cautionary Tale for Employers

Fox Rothschild LLP on

At the end of a trial last month, a federal jury found Equinox Holdings Inc. (Equinox) liable for maintaining a hostile work environment and discriminating against a former employee on the basis of race and gender in...more

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