Wait a minute, Eric! Weren’t you just telling us that anti-harassment training is part of the backbone of a compliant workplace? I did. But, occasionally, employers can step over the line. I’ll give you a recent example from a federal court opinion involving a college professor claiming he was forced…
The Employer Handbook Blog
An EEOC Commissioner takes issue with a billionaire’s position on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Folks, I did not have EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas giving billionaire Mark Cuban a public antidiscrimination lesson on my Bingo board. But, as I was scrolling through X on Monday, here is what I saw: On Sunday, Mr. Cuban, of Shark Tank fame, the former principal owner of the NBA’s…
EEOC launches new outreach effort to help underserved communities and vulnerable workers
As part of its current Strategic Plan, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission aims to raise awareness of employment discrimination laws and ensure that individuals know their corresponding rights and responsibilities. Meanwhile, the EEOC’s Strategic Enforcement Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028 (SEP) prioritizes protecting vulnerable workers from employment discrimination. On…
Next time, just give her the damn stool.
Last night, I went shopping on Amazon for a new stool. At $48.90, this one came recommended as excellent value for money. And I almost bought it. But then the stool snob in me made me want to splash some of that blogging cash, $6,837.02, to be precise. And Voilà!…
Help Wanted: Bartender. Must be biologically male
Notice anything potentially unlawful here? Yesterday, several of us spoke with The Philadelphia Inquirer about the problem with a local restaurant’s job ad discouraging trans men (and any women) from applying.
Reasonable accommodations for disabled employees need to be reasonable, not perfect
I won’t bury the lede, which I’ll quote from the Fourth Circuit decision I read last night. The [Americans with Disabilities Act] requires reasonableness, not perfection. Reasonableness does not demand that an accommodation have an airtight solution to every contingency conceivable. Its dictates are tethered to the practical realities of…
Here are forty thousand reasons why “equal pay for equal work” applies to male victims too
A federal law called the Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace receive equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. While women often seek relief under this statute, a state government agency learned the hard…
An employer’s response to a complaint of harassment doesn’t need to be perfect. Just ok may do.
Remember that AT&T ad campaign a few years ago where the mobile network provider touted how cell phone users should not have to settle for mediocre phone service? “Just ok is not ok.” In the workplace, however, “just ok” may be good enough when responding to employee complaints of harassment.…
Next time, maybe she’ll just get that tattoo.
Trust me. The title of this post will make sense in about a minute or two. Last year, a small sports bar and restaurant sought summary judgment to dismiss the age discrimination claims one of its former employees had asserted against the company. The company’s position was that it ended…
Did this guy’s performance really nose-dive? Or did his age motivate his abrupt termination?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. One of your employees has been with the company for several years. Over that span, they reported to the same manager, who consistently provided positive feedback and good performance reviews. All is well. Then, the manager leaves. And there’s a new sheriff…