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Discrimination / Harassment

EEOC sues amusement park in Austin for disability bias

12/07/2015
An Austin. TX.-area amusement park allegedly took a developmentally disabled janitor for a ride then booted him out of his job. According to an EEOC lawsuit, the man had worked for the company satisfactorily for four years despite having suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child.

EEOC netted $525 million for bias victims in FY2015

12/04/2015
The EEOC achieved record results in its enforcement efforts during fiscal year 2015, which ended Sept. 30.

Proof required to support discrimination claim

12/01/2015
Just because a fired worker and his boss are of different races doesn’t mean discrimination has occurred.

Petty annoyances aren’t reason enough to sue

12/01/2015
Some employees seem to believe they are owed a perfect workplace, free of all stress. They’re wrong.

Act fast to address employee’s request for ADA disability accommodation

12/01/2015
Never indefinitely delay addressing a disability accommodation request. In fact, you should make a decision as quickly as possible so the employee can’t accuse you of failure to accommodate through inaction.

Single comment not enough to form basis of discrimination lawsuit

12/01/2015
A single, isolated comment—especially if the speaker isn’t a co-worker or supervisor—isn’t sufficient grounds for alleging discrimination. Complaining about it doesn’t amount to protected activity.

How not to handle harassment against a man

12/01/2015
Consider this central Pennsylvania case that is going to trial soon. A judge has concluded that not only can a man be sexually harassed, but he may be due punitive damages for his suffering.

What’s harassment? Courts will look at view of a ‘reasonable person’–not the employee

11/30/2015
Sensitive workers may perceive everyday interactions as harassment. But courts don’t measure whether workplace hostility exists based on that employee’s subjective assessment of the situation. Instead, a court will focus on how a hypothetical “reasonable” employee would view it.

New protections for some California transgender employees

11/28/2015
On Oct. 7, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 703 (SB 703), protecting transgender employees whose employers engage in business with state agencies.

When religious freedom & harassment collide

11/24/2015
Employers that have strict codes of conduct prohibiting harassment of any kind can still punish employees whose religious beliefs are behind their harassment of gay co-workers. You can’t interfere with an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, but you can punish religious “expression” that interferes with another employee’s rights.