I’m gonna let you in on a little secret — an easy-peasy way to accommodate an employee who needs a day off from work as a religious accommodation… Let the employee use a vacation day. Yeah, I know. That’s not so novel. Yet, here I am blogging about a NY…
Articles Posted in Discrimination and Unlawful Harassment
I’ll hang out for a bit while you grab the maximum-leave policy in your employee handbook
Don’t have one? Good. You can skip today’s post. As for the rest of you, say a silent prayer to whatever higher power you believe in, email me a thank you, and read on… Yesterday, some of my buddies and I delivered the second of two continuing legal education sessions…
Fact or Fiction: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
I’m dusting one off today. It’s time for another edition of “Fact or Fiction” a/k/a “Quick Answers to Quick Questions” a/k/a QATQQ f/k/a “I don’t feel like writing a long blog post.” When a plaintiff claims that she was sexually harassed by a co-worker, the employer may have an affirmative…
Third Circuit: A single slur – just one bad word — can create a hostile work environment.
For the first time, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has recognized that “an extreme isolated act of discrimination can create a hostile work environment.” Yep, one word can cost you many dollars! In this particular case (Castleberry v. STI Group; opinion here), the plaintiffs claimed that, when working on a…
Don’t let exceptions to your work rules make the rules become the exception
Before we get to that, I may have a few ideas on that image above. Here’s a hint. And now, on with the show. The inspiration for today’s post comes from my buddy, John Baldino, who tweeted this yesterday: (By the way, if you’re in HR and you’re not following…
Want to wear a Phillie Phanatic hat to work for religious reasons? That could get you fired in Minnesota.
Baseball as a religion? Remember what Annie Savoy from the great Bull Durham said: “I believe in the Church of Baseball. I’ve tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones. I’ve worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are…
SURVEY: If you could attend just one HR-compliance training, what would it be?
Always one to procrastinate on submitting a presentation idea to speak at a SHRM conference, I’ve got only a few days left to submit some killer proposals before the next deadline. And. this year, I’m looking to you guys for some help. So, please take this quick one-question survey and…
The stage is now set for the Supreme Court to resolve gay rights at work
That according to Lambda Legal, a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of the LGBT community. From last week’s Lambda Legal press release: Lambda Legal announced it will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit denied its…
A guy walks into a bar … and gets discriminated against because of his sex (allegedly)
Proving that it’s not just women who are victims of sex discrimination, I’ve got news of a new EEOC lawsuit alleging that a company refused to hire a male applicant because of his sex. Unlike yesterday’s post, this has nothing to do with Silicon Valley. Silicone, however? Maybe. You see, that “bar”…
HELP WANTED: CEO, especially one who isn’t a damn knuckledragger!
In February, a female Uber employee blogging under the pseudonym Amy Vertino blew the lid off of what she alleged to be a corporate culture of misogyny and other rampant discrimination. Recently, there have been several additional high-profile stories of alleged sex discrimination and harassment at the very top of the ladder.…