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Articles Posted in Discrimination and Unlawful Harassment

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Court dismisses the age bias claims of a pistol-packin’ old cripple

A 51-year-old auto-parts specialist with lupus, fibromyalgia, diabetes and arthritis, claimed that his 29-year-old co-worker called him an “old cripple” and an “old man,” labeled him “too old to be trained,” and threatened to beat him with a baseball bat. The 51-year-old responded by telling his manager that he would…

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Can you reject an applicant BECAUSE he just completed drug rehab?

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act does not protect employees or applicants who use illegal drugs, it does protect those who are “participating in a supervised rehabilitation program, have successfully such a program, or who have otherwise been rehabilitated successfully.” Does that mean that an employer cannot refuse to hire…

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No unemployment benefits for woman fired for Facebooking at work

If you read this blog (or just about any other labor and employment law blog), you know that social media policies have fallen under recent heightened scrutiny because of the chilling effect they could have on employees discussing terms and conditions of employment (e.g., wages, hours, etc.) with each other…

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Yikes! NJ discrimination victims may tack on a whistleblower claim

Consider this scenario: Employee believes he is being discriminated against. Employee complains to Human Resources. HR investigates, but is unable to substantiate the employee’s claims. Employee nonetheless sues his employer, alleging discrimination. While the lawsuit is pending, the employer fires the employee for reasons it claims are unrelated to the…

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When an anti-harassment policy won’t defeat a bias claim…

What happens when an employee claims to be a victim of discrimination or sexual harassment in the workplace, but fails to report the harassment to her employer? If the employer has a written anti-harassment policy, it should be able to satisfy its burden that the employee unreasonably failed to take advantage…

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Is the 9th time the charm for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act?

Last week, Rep. Barney Frank (MA-D) — for the ninth time — reintroduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA would make it illegal for businesses to discriminate against employees and job applicants based on sexual preference and gender identity. More on ENDA, its chances of passage, and the effect it…