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Discrimination / Harassment

Houston law firm faces pregnancy discrimination suit

05/28/2014
Wayne Wright, a personal injury law firm in Houston, faces charges it fired an employee after she told them she was expecting a child.

Check calendar on every harassment claim

05/28/2014
Employees typically have to file EEOC complaints within 300 days. Some attorneys think they can get around that rule by shopping around for other laws on which to base their lawsuits. Typically, they try to find a common-law tort to fit the situation, giving them much more time to sue. Now that avenue has been blocked.

Union seeks voice in Austin firefighter settlement

05/28/2014
The Austin Firefighters Association wants to be part of the city’s negotiation with the U.S. Department of Justice to settle long-smoldering claims that the city fire department’s hiring process discriminates against black and Hispanic applicants.

Warn hiring committee: Never discuss decision-making process with candidates

05/28/2014

If you haven’t already, warn everyone who serves on hiring committees or is otherwise involved in hiring-related decisions to keep their thoughts to themselves. For example, they should never discuss the inner workings of the ­hiring process with candidates.

NFL draft pick of Michael Sam could move anti-gay bias bill in Missouri

05/27/2014
The St. Louis Rams’ decision to draft openly gay football player Michael Sam could help advance Missouri legislation that would include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics under state law. So says Dara Strickland, an employment law attorney and president of the LGBT Community Center of Metropolitan St. Louis.

‘Barbaric’ conditions cited in ruling against labor firm

05/23/2014
Beverly Hills-based Global Horizons, Inc., awaits a trial to determine damages that will go to Thai workers who toiled at Hawaiian plantations.

Pettiness and lousy judgment may be bad, but they don’t prove discrimination

05/23/2014

While HR professionals certainly should strive to create a respectful, courteous and pleasant workplace, don’t worry too much if you fall short. The fact is, supervisors sometimes play favorites and exhibit questionable judgment.

California among top 10 states for 2013 EEOC charges

05/23/2014
Ten states—mostly home to the nation’s largest cities or located in the South—accounted for 56% of all EEOC charges filed in 2013. California logged the third highest total.

Court expands scope of ‘me too’ evidence

05/23/2014

Employees who sue for retaliation sometimes try to bolster their cases by claiming others who complained also experienced retaliation. Until recently, courts hearing California cases had limited so-called “me too” evidence to very similar cases.

Goodhue County, Minn. dismisses ‘breast staring’ complaint

05/22/2014
The Goodhue County Board has dismissed sexual harassment complaints against three county employees, finding the charges unsubstantiated. A female employee of the county Veterans Services Office complained that her new boss created a “hostile work environment” for her and that county officials “retaliated” against her after she filed her complaint.