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Discrimination / Harassment

Understanding federal laws on employee discrimination

04/28/2009
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Warn bosses against even subtle retaliation

04/27/2009

We can’t say it often enough: Employees can lose discrimination claims and still end up winning big because their employers retaliated against them for complaining in the first place. Don’t let that happen at your organization. Develop a plan to stop retaliation dead in its tracks …

AW North Carolina offers early-outs to entire staff

04/27/2009

Auto parts maker AW North Carolina has offered buyouts to all 1,100 employees at its Durham Treyburn Corporate Park location. The company is hoping 500 employees will accept the offers, leaving the supplier with a leaner workforce more in line with industry standards.

Don’t be afraid to terminate if manager can’t manage personal relationships

04/27/2009

Some people have more trouble than others managing personal relationships. When such a person has a supervisory role, the result can be disastrous. Don’t fear discharging a lousy manager based on what you observe or find out following an investigation.

Carefully track all discipline details to show you treat all employees fairly

04/27/2009

Employees who are disciplined sometimes think they’ve been treated unfairly. Some inevitably look for some nefarious reason—like sex, age or race discrimination—to explain the injustice they suffered. And when their lawsuits reach court, you’ll have to turn over your disciplinary records…

Offer alternatives to reporting discrimination straight up the ‘chain of command’

04/27/2009

If an employee suspects his manager of bias, you can’t expect him to go to that particular boss to make a complaint. And you can’t expect to escape a lawsuit if you discipline the employee for going around the boss to report his concerns.

EEOC loses first round of lactation harassment case

04/27/2009

In a case the EEOC probably will appeal to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, a federal trial court has ruled that comments about a lactating mother’s breasts over a two-month period weren’t pervasive enough to create a sexually hostile environment.

Bias plaintiffs must suffer discrimination themselves

04/27/2009

Here’s an important thing to remember if your organization is hit with a series of discrimination cases: Even if some are legitimate, that doesn’t mean every member of a protected class can sue.

Merely speaking about need for diversity isn’t protected

04/27/2009

Fired employees with vengeance on their minds often go looking for a reason to sue. They often latch on to the charge that they complained about discrimination and then were punished. As the following case shows, it takes more than a casual mention of diversity to constitute a protected action.

Harassment claim sound loony? Investigate anyway

04/27/2009

Some sexual harassment claims seem so obviously absurd, they’re hard to take seriously. Even so, smart employers investigate and draw conclusions after at least talking to the parties involved. That way, should an employee sue, the company can show it handled the matter promptly and in good faith.