Last week, the House and Senate introduced a bill called the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act. One of the bill’s primary goals is to ensure that workers receive timely regular paystubs and final paychecks. That seems non-controversial. But as you read deeper into the proposed legislation, you’ll find…
The Employer Handbook Blog
Is calling a man “bald” considered harassment based on sex?
Yesterday, I read many headlines, like this one in The Guardian: “Calling a man ‘bald’ is sex-related harassment, employment tribunal rules.” Is it, though? Let’s take a closer look. First off, let’s dispense with a giant disclaimer. This decision is from an English Employment Tribunal, an independent tribunal that makes…
If your hiring software does this, the EEOC says its age discrimination
In this Friday post, I shared some technical guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice to help employers navigate the Americans with Disabilities Act when using software, algorithms, and artificial intelligence to assess job applicants and employees. But employers using hiring software can discriminate in other…
These free resources can help you avoid disability discrimination claims when hiring using artificial intelligence
More employers now are using software, algorithms, and artificial intelligence to make smarter hiring decisions. There’s nothing inherently unlawful about that. Except, consider this. Maybe the algorithm intentionally or unintentionally “screens out” an individual with a disability, even though that individual can do the job with a reasonable accommodation. Tangentially, an…
Man missed deadline to file disability discrimination lawsuit by about 40 years. FORTY!!!
His claims were so old that they predate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Let’s see how his ADA lawsuit turned out. (Spoiler alert: Not well). I’d been meaning to blog about this Sixth Circuit decision for a while. Here are the relevant facts: In 1980, the plaintiff suffered…
Jury awards $2,036,860,045 for misappropriation of trade secrets. Yes, over $2 billion!
Yesterday, a tech company announced that a Virginia jury had awarded it the biggest damages award in state court history. It was an employment case. Hopefully, I have your attention. According to the plaintiff’s press release, the jury heard evidence that the defendant hired an employee of a government contractor to…
PODCAST: On this episode of Working Class, how to deal with employee whistleblowers
Have you ever watched The Dropout on Hulu? It’s about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos, which sounds a lot like Thanos. Sadly, the Hulu show has nothing to do with the Marvel Universe or The Avengers, both of which are right in my wheelhouse.…
Did a middle school break the law because it allegedly fired a teacher for discussing her pansexuality in class?
Probably not. My Google Alerts were blowing up this weekend with reports of the story: Florida teacher allegedly fired after discussing sexuality with students Florida Teacher Fired for Discussing Sexual Orientation Sparks Debate Teacher Says She Was Fired After Talking to Students About Sexuality Most of the reports I read…
How in vogue has forming a union become? A group of LA strippers is trying to do it too.
Usually, when you reach the intersection of exotic dancers and employment law, you find Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuits, like this one, about misclassifying dancers as independent contractors. But this situation. This one is different. Very different. According to Otillia Steadman, writing here for Buzzfeed News, a group of strippers…
I’ve got your VIP passes to hear the Department of Labor discuss possible OT changes tonight
Don’t worry. I can get you past the bouncers. The Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) previously announced that it is reviewing the minimum wage and overtime rules — specifically, as they relate to exemptions that employers take for bona fide executive, administrative, and professional (EAP) employees under…