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The Employer Handbook BlogFederal Judge Halts EEOC’s Attempt to Mandate Gender Identity Protections
A Texas federal court has weighed in on how far the EEOC can go when interpreting Title VII.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t go well for the EEOC. Continue reading
Articles Posted in Discrimination and Unlawful Harassment
Fired Over $15. Or Was It the HR Complaints?
Fired Over $15. Or Was It the HR Complaints?
A laundromat worker reimbursed herself $15 from the register for a taxi fare—something she claimed was standard practice with a receipt. Three days later, she was fired. But because she had just complained about racial harassment, disability discrimination, and unpaid wages, the timing raised red flags.
The Second Circuit said a jury should decide whether she was fired for taking the $15—or for speaking up. Continue reading
Equal Pay, FLSA, and a $3.27M Verdict: Jury Sides with Fired Chief People Officer in Her Retaliation Case Against A Law Firm
You’d expect a company to listen when its Chief People Officer—especially one with nearly three decades of labor and employment law experience—raises concerns about compliance. Instead, this employer—a law firm—reassigned her shortly thereafter and fired her within the week of returning from bereavement leave. A jury just awarded her $3.27 million for retaliation.
Can a Judge Make Lawyers Attend “Religious Liberty Training”? This Court Said Nope.
A recent Fifth Circuit decision offers a pointed reminder to employers, litigators, and trial courts alike: enforcement authority has limits—even after a verdict. At the center of the controversy? A court-ordered “religious liberty training” imposed on a corporate defendant’s attorneys by a judge dissatisfied with how the company communicated a jury’s verdict. Here’s how that unfolded—and why the appellate court stepped in.
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Trump’s EEOC nomination could break the deadlock—and reshape enforcement
After months of legal gridlock, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is about to get its quorum back—and a Republican majority with it. Continue reading
Hostile Work Environment Claims Don’t Need to Be Personal to Be Actionable
A Black lecturer in his 70s says a fellow professor in his department regularly made racially charged remarks—not necessarily directed at him, but about Black colleagues more broadly. A federal judge says that could be enough to support a hostile work environment claim under Title VII. Continue reading
Congress Revives LGBTQ+ Rights Bill: What Employers Should Know
This week, lawmakers in both the House and Senate reintroduced the Equality Act, a bill that would explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across numerous areas of federal law.
Although the bill has strong Democratic support, it lacks bipartisan backing—and given the political composition of Congress and the current administration’s stance, it is unlikely to become law during this session. Still, its reintroduction offers employers a timely opportunity to review existing policies and ensure compliance with current law. Continue reading
This ADA Case Is a Checklist of What Not to Do
A machine operator with osteoarthritis tried to return to work with restrictions. Instead, he got terminated. Now his ADA case is headed for trial. Continue reading
DEI Meets Discrimination? Why Clorox Couldn’t Wipe Away a Gender Bias Lawsuit
Diversity goals can strengthen a workplace — or, in some cases, spark a lawsuit. Just ask Clorox, now facing a revived gender discrimination claim despite its well-meaning initiatives. Continue reading
ADA Claims Aren’t About Perfect Decisions — They’re About Proving Discrimination
When employees allege discrimination under the ADA, it’s their burden to prove bias — not the employer’s burden to defend every business decision. A recent Seventh Circuit case reinforces that when employers apply clear policies consistently, even imperfect decisions won’t amount to discrimination. Continue reading