Discrimination / Harassment

Most employers tackled pay equity issues this year

11/16/2020

Sixty percent of employers say they are addressing pay equity in their organizations and 70% are taking action to make their workplaces more diverse, equitable and inclusive.

Compelling need required to demand ‘perfect English’

11/12/2020

Ensure supervisors understand they can’t require employees to be fluent English speakers unless it’s essential to performing their jobs. Insisting on “perfect English” can easily trigger an EEOC lawsuit.

Review diversity training for EO compliance

11/12/2020

A Trump administration executive order banning federal agencies and contractors from offering many common kinds of diversity training programs is drawing fire—and legal challenges.

Multiple businesses? Keep corporate records straight

11/05/2020

Employees who sue for discrimination under Title VII must show that the employer has at least 15 employees. But what about businesses with common ownership that are separate corporate entities?

Lucas sworn in as EEOC’s newest commissioner

11/05/2020

Management-side employment lawyer Andrea R. Lucas has been sworn in as the fifth commissioner of the EEOC. Lucas, nominated by President Trump in March, was confirmed in September to serve a term expiring in 2025.

What managers need to know about age discrimination

11/01/2020

At first glance, the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) appears pretty straightforward: It protects people age 40 and older from employment discrimination based on their age. But the law isn’t as simple as it appears; it affects managers in everything from questions asked in job interviews to assigning job duties. Here’s a description […]

Inheriting workers? Review pay for past bias

10/29/2020

If you are adding employees from another company via a merger or acquisition, pay attention to an important pay discrimination problem. Before using your new employees’ previous compensation to set their pay, consider whether that could trigger an Equal Pay Act lawsuit.

Unconscious bias: What is it & how do you manage it?

10/22/2020

While the concept of unconscious bias isn’t new, its impact on workplace culture is in the spotlight as HR leaders focus on initiatives to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion. Unconscious bias training is one of the proactive ways HR can raise awareness of the issue and minimize its influence on behaviors, policies and processes.

Avoid the high cost of not posting promotions

10/22/2020

Failing to post job announcements where employees will see them may trigger an expensive lawsuit. That’s a very real problem now. With more employees working remotely, there are fewer chances to spot a promotion opportunity on the breakroom bulletin board or learn about an opening during a casual chat with a co-worker.

Minority employees under-represented at every organizational level

10/20/2020

According to the Mercer consulting firm’s new Let’s Get Real About Equality 2020 report, 66% of organizations say senior executives are actively engaged in efforts to foster diversity, equity and inclusion. There is plenty of room for improvement.