Under federal law (Title VII), employers cannot discriminate because of one’s sex. While Title VII does not explicitly coverage transgender employees (i.e., someone born female who presents male, and vice-versa; also known as gender identity), the EEOC’s position is that transgender employees are protected too. Indeed, they’ve begun filing federal…
Even without a federal law that specifically bans discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation or gender identify, it’s no secret that one of the EEOC’s top priorities is to protect LGBT workers from discrimination. And the EEOC is being quite transparent about it, with a new guide for…
And here I just got finished telling an audience yesterday at the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act was dead. Guess I was wrong. More on this after the jump… * * * Last November, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would amend Title VII to forbid LGBT…
You have an employee handbook, an anti-harassment policy, training, the whole nine. But, sometimes, notwithstanding your best efforts to create a positive, respectful workplace, you receive a complaint from an employee who claims to be the victim of harassment based on [insert protected class]. All the prophylactic measures you’ve already…
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on a number of protected classes. Sexual orientation isn’t one of those protected classes specifically listed in the statute. So, if an employee complains about sexual-orientation harassment and is later fired because she complained, then that won’t create…
According to a Friday report from Cynthia L. Hackerott at Wolters Kluwer, President Obama will sign an Executive Order today banning discrimination against LGBT employees by federal contractors. Last month, I blogged here that the White House had announced that it intended to eventually ban LGBT discrimination by federal contractors…
Share the news: President Obama will prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 16, 2014 The White House announced the news yesterday via Twitter. Just two years ago, the White House indicated that President Obama would not…
Three years at this blog without discussing mohawk hairstyles in the workplace. Now, two posts in one week. Which reminds me of the time I dressed up as BA Baracus for Halloween in law school Ah, yes. That mohawk….and BA’s fear of flying. Ties right into today’s post. (I love it…
Over the Summer, I reported here that about companion Pennsylvania bills introduced in the House and Senate that would outlaw both sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in the workplace. Each bill had bipartisan support, but it was unclear how Governor Corbett (R) would act if a bill was placed…
And it wasn’t close at all. By a final vote of 64-32, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, also known as ENDA, passed the Senate on Thursday. All 52 Democrats, plus 2 Independents and 10 Republicans voted in favor of the bill. Among the notable yes votes was Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey…