Or sexually harass your co-workers.
Unless, of course, you consider my working Hollywood manuscript: “An EEOC Complaint Is Your Free Pass to Sexually Harass.” I know, the title needs work, but with C. Thomas Howell, Tawny Kitaen real star power and a producer.
** Immediately regrets sixth shot of Drambuie with breakfast **
There’s a point to all of this, and some employer tips too, after the jump…
* * *
I had two topics on the brain to blog about:
{Go take a bath right now to cleanse yourself of the employment-law dorkness that hit you from reading No. 2}
Instead, after the jump, I have, well, you read the title to this post. These are my tweets (and several retweets) from the “EEOC Overview and HR Mixer” I attended yesterday — hashtag #ubernerd #EEOCHR
{Better grab the soap and turn on that bath again. You’ve been warned.}
Earlier this month, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued this press release in which it sought your feedback to improve its internal processes for investigating and conciliating charges of discrimination.
Well, the deadline is today.
Eek! Sorry, I got distracted remastering goat remixes should have reminded you earlier.
Duh, right?
Still, a federal appellate court recently reminded us (here) that, indeed, bad things happen when, every week for several months, a male supervisor tells his female subordinate that her husband is “not taking care of [her] in bed.”
Though not threatening, they were more than merely offensive. For a male to say to a female employee under his supervision that her husband was “not taking care of [her] in bed” is the sort of remark that can readily be found to be a solicitation for sexual relations coupled with a claim of sexual prowess and can just as readily be found to have been perceived as such by the female employee. The weekly repetition of such a remark over several weeks only served to reenforce its offensive meaning and to make sexual intimidation, ridicule, and insult a pervasive part of Desardouin’s workplace, effectively changing the terms and conditions of her employment….The allegations of repeated solicitation of sexual relations in a vulgar and humiliating manner suffice to warrant a trial.
Over the weekend, I read this article from Kara Swisher on AllThingsD.com, in which she reports that Yahoo!, under its new leadership, will implement a no-telecommuting rule, effective June 1.
Ms. Swisher posted a copy of the internal Yahoo! memorandum to its employees, in which the company underscores the “critical” need to be at the office versus working form home where “speed and quality are often compromised.”
Sounds good in theory. But I have a little monkey-wrench.
Have you checked out DriveThruHR yet?
DriveThruHR is the baby of Bryan Wempen and William Tincup, a half-hour radio show on which these two HR leaders, along with a guest, discuss the latest trends, thoughts and sentiment within the industry.
Yesterday, I was on DriveThruHR, Human Resource’s #1 Daily Radio, talking social media and the workplace, Americans with Disabilities Act, hockey, and gettin’ freaky with the mashed potatoes. Yeah, that’s right. Hockey.
No body shots here; just a swift federal court kick to Coyote Ugly’s social-media jewels.
You get the ice. I’ll pour a double and serve up the details after the jump…
Today we have a guest blogger at The Employer Handbook. It’s my colleague, Katharine Hartman. Katharine is an associate in Dilworth Paxson’s Labor & Employment Group, but also asked that I give a little shoutout to our new Test Publishing, Certification and Licensure Group.
So holla!
After the jump is a little cross-over between the two. Hope you like it.
(Want to guest blog at The Employer Handbook? Email me).
Kudos to this blog for the drop in discrimination claims. Yeah, I’m giving this blog credit, and so is my mother — probably.
{Mom couldn’t be reached for comment and, strangely, the EEOC press release touting the new FY12 charge statistics is silent about this blog}
The year-end data shows that retaliation (37,836), race (33,512) and sex discrimination (30,356), which includes allegations of sexual harassment and pregnancy were, respectively, still the most frequently filed charges. However, the total number of claims in FY12 dipped below FY10 levels.
An employer must accommodate the sincerely-held religious beliefs of its employees unless the employer demonstrates that doing so would cause undue hardship for the business.
Undue hardship?!? What the heck is that? And how can you make sure that your managers are prepared to address — let alone spot — these issues when they arise.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down. I’ve got your back, after the jump…
The Employer Handbook Blog