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Discrimination / Harassment

Appearances do count: Check for hidden bias in terminations

05/23/2008
Before making a final decision on a reorganization or series of RIF terminations, take a close look at any characteristics the employees losing their jobs might share. A set of terminations that affects only members of a protected class is sure to attract attention …

Racial harassment costs contractors $1.65 million

05/23/2008
Four construction workers will share a $1.65 million settlement for racial harassment they endured while building a Conectiv power plant on the old Beth Steel site in Bethlehem. The men said they had never been on a job site that didn’t feature racial harassment, but the harassment on this site was worse than usual …

Muslims object to bias in state police training

05/23/2008
The Pennsylvania chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-PA) has asked the Pennsylvania State Police to change its mandatory officer training class, “Radical Islam: A Law Enforcement Primer” to offer a more balanced view of Islam …

Threatening, but not hostile

05/23/2008
Keith Harris and Dennis Alexander, who are black, sued Joseph Orlando, owner of Cobra Construction, for constructive discharge and racial discrimination, saying they were forced to quit out of fear for their lives …

Stable job history is a legitimate hiring criterion

05/22/2008
It’s OK to favor applicants who’ve proven they can stick with a job for a while. That’s not discrimination, as a recent court ruling shows. The key: Allow employees to explain job gaps. Then ignore those that could lead to a discrimination lawsuit … 

Is HR protected for refusing to follow biased orders?

05/20/2008
What happens if management wants to fire or otherwise punish an employee for discriminatory reasons, and HR objects? Can an HR professional who is then fired for refusing to play ball proceed to file her own EEOC retaliation or protected-activity claim? Learn how this issue can affect your organization—and your own career.

Don’t let retaliation undo settled discrimination charge

05/19/2008

Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the threshold for retaliation is much lower than for discrimination itself, employees who have filed discrimination complaints are finding that by charging retaliation, they get a second chance to drag their employers into court. That’s why it is absolutely crucial for HR to train supervisors and managers on retaliation …

Cure for promotion paralysis: Simply pick best candidate

05/16/2008
It’s easy to feel paralyzed when it’s time to choose an employee to promote. You need to pick the best candidate for the promotion, but you also don’t want to risk a discrimination lawsuit. The truth is, if your choice is reasonable, a court probably won’t second-guess it …

Don’t let one rogue manager brand you an age discriminator

05/16/2008
Even if an employer has a good history of avoiding age discrimination in hiring, it can be sued for age discrimination if a reduction in force disproportionately affects older workers. Generally good hiring practices don’t prove that no discrimination occurred when drawing up the RIF list …

Check bankruptcy filings for possible ‘Get out of jail’ card

05/16/2008
Employees who have been fired or otherwise lose their jobs frequently encounter financial problems and end up in bankruptcy court. If the employee doesn’t list a pending EEOC or lawsuit claim against his former employer, the bankruptcy court may miss important assets and discharge the debts …