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Discipline / Investigations

Don’t ignore minority-on-minority harassment

08/01/2001
Steven Bell worked at a state prison with a co-worker who often hurled racial epithets at him, calling him “cracker” and “white boy.” Bell is Filipino and his harasser is …

Partial-week suspensions can strip workers’ exempt status

08/01/2001
Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power occasionally suspended salaried employees without pay, and now it may have to pony up overtime for groups of employees. The …

Don’t drag feet on accommodation; delay can equal discrimination

07/01/2001
Part of Rose Selenke’s job as a radiology technician involved developing mammography films. She suffered from sinus problems and frequently complained about fumes in the darkroom. The first time her …

Supreme Court: One crude remark doesn’t equal hostile environment

06/01/2001
A supervisor reviewing reports on job applicants with two other employees noted that one candidate had told a co-worker, “I hear that making love to you is like making love to …

ADA accommodation: Not a one-shot deal

05/01/2001
Some days Carolyn Humphrey tried from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. just to get ready for work. She would rinse her hair for up to an hour. If it didn’t “feel …

Discipline, by any name, offers defense against bias claims

05/01/2001
When Hattie Star complained that a co-worker had grabbed her, Star’s supervisor confronted the alleged harasser and told him to stay away from her. The supervisor reported the allegations to his …

Growing threat: Courts uphold broad interpretation of retaliation

05/01/2001
John McMenemy was a lieutenant in the Rochester Fire Department as well as a union officer. He claimed the city twice passed him over for promotion because, while in his union …

Worker causes death, wins compensation

04/01/2001
Leonard Bailey was operating a forklift at a steel company when he accidentally ran over and killed a co-worker. As a result, Bailey was treated for severe depression and tried to …

Harassment: Your response makes all the difference

04/01/2001
Case 1: The ‘sex’retary Lesley Gentry’s boss constantly hugged her, kissed her and made suggestive comments, such as asking her to “try out the back counter” with him. He gave …

Participants in illegal action don’t lose whistle-blower protection

04/01/2001
Franklin Gold didn’t get along with his supervisor at the landfill. When the supervisor hit Gold with a six-month probation for spilling leachate, Gold went to the big boss and told …