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Discrimination / Harassment

EEOC eyes personal training company for legal workout

07/23/2014
Custom Built Personal Training in Modesto, Ca. will have to whip its pregnancy-leave policy into shape after the EEOC threw its weight behind a fired employee’s lawsuit.

Be prepared to justify military employee’s discharge

07/23/2014

USERRA provides job protection for military-connected employees once they re­­turn from extended military service. Employers shouldn’t fire covered workers without good cause and solid reasons. Be prepared to show you would have taken the same action whether the employee served or not.

Suspect employee didn’t file on time? Raise that issue early in litigation process

07/23/2014
Here’s a warning for employers facing litigation: Don’t wait to check whether the employee filed EEOC or other administrative claims on time. Raise the issue early.

Supreme Court to hear PDA accommodation case

07/18/2014
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide a case that will determine if the Pregnancy Discrimination Act requires employers to grant light-duty accommodations to pregnant workers.

Harassment: How to stop it before–and after–it starts

07/17/2014
Protect your organization from harassment lawsuits by focusing your attention on both preventive and corrective measures.

New EEOC guidelines expand legal protections for pregnant employees

07/15/2014
Employers can now be required to provide accommodations to this class of workers.

Dakota County, Minn. workforce center settles disability case

07/15/2014
The Dakota County Burnsville Work­­force Center has agreed to settle federal charges that it discriminated against a client by perceiving her to have a disability.

New medical marijuana law may be strongest in nation

07/15/2014
On May 29, Gov. Mark Dayton signed Minnesota’s new medical mari­­juana bill into law. Unlike similar laws in other states, this law specifically amends a state law—the Minne­­sota Con­­trolled Substance Act—to carve out exemptions for those permitted to use medical marijuana.

Just reporting wrongdoing isn’t enough to trigger protection

07/15/2014
Minnesota law presumes at-will employment—that workers can be fired for any reason or no reason as long as no law makes the firing illegal. However, employees can’t be fired for refusing to engage in illegal activity.

Litany of gripes won’t prove hostile environment

07/15/2014
Hostility isn’t the same as discrimination. Proving it requires an affected employee to show both subjectively and objectively that she endured ridicule or worse—not just that her supervisor was unfair or even discriminated.