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Discrimination / Harassment

Train managers and supervisors: No humiliation allowed

06/01/2007

While some may think it’s all in good fun, no employee should be the butt of bad jokes or other potentially embarrassing and humiliating conduct. Once started, such behavior often takes on a life of its own. It then becomes difficult to stop …

Big ruling: Supreme Court limits scope of pay-discrimination lawsuits

05/29/2007

The U.S. Supreme Court handed employers a major victory this week by clarifying that workers who claim pay discrimination must file their complaints within 180 days of the alleged offense. But this ruling could, in the short run, lead to a spike in pay-bias claims.

Height and weight bias: A growing protected status?

05/22/2007

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are debating legislation that would make it the second state (after Michigan) to prohibit job discrimination based on a person’s height or weight. Passage of the bill in Massachusetts could spark interest in such laws in other states.

Screening candidates: To Google or not to Google?

05/15/2007

More HR professionals are turning to search engines and social networking sites to dig beyond a candidate’s résumé. But the benefit of uncovering such red flags can carry some big legal risks. Here’s how to Google for candidates in the most legally safe way …

The danger of hiring ‘Best of the worst’ from résumé pile

05/15/2007

When hiring, you probably use the job description to establish the minimum requirements for the position. But what if no one in the applicant pool meets those minimum requirements? …

Ban smoking or ban smokers? How far can you legally go?

05/15/2007

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have established “lifestyle discrimination” laws that prohibit employers from discriminating against employees or applicants based on the person’s off-duty use of tobacco or participation in other legal though controversial activities …

It’s important to track discipline by type and degree

05/01/2007

Expect a call from an employment lawyer when a disgruntled employee is fired. If the axed employee belongs to a protected class (race, sex, disability, etc.), expect more than a call …

No need for extra severance when laying off litigious staff

05/01/2007

Employers that want to trim their work force often sweeten the exit with severance payments. In exchange, employees sign away rights to lawsuits they may otherwise have contemplated. But what about employees who already have pending employment discrimination lawsuits or EEOC or state agency complaints? …

Use job-Related standards to kill discrimination suspicion

05/01/2007

Do you have clear and objective criteria for internal promotions? Prepared to justify those criteria as business-related? If so, you have little to fear from employees who were passed over for a promotion even if that means your management isn’t a perfect reflection of the racial makeup of the local work force …

Strong harassment policy plus training essential

05/01/2007

It’s been a few years since the U.S. Supreme Court laid down the law on sexual harassment…. Time breeds complacency, and too many organizations have let down their guard. The world’s best policy won’t do you any good collecting dust on a shelf …