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Discrimination / Harassment

Supreme Court: One crude remark doesn’t equal hostile environment

06/01/2001
A supervisor reviewing reports on job applicants with two other employees noted that one candidate had told a co-worker, “I hear that making love to you is like making love to …

Bankruptcy bias: Handle deadbeat applicants carefully

06/01/2001
Don’t refuse to hire applicants, and don’t fire current employees, solely because they’ve filed for bankruptcy. The U.S. Bankruptcy Code bars such discrimination. However, you can consider an applicant’s overall …

Rethink your nepotism policy

06/01/2001
If you have a policy that bans hiring employees’ spouses, consider dropping it, or at least rewriting it. Reason: 14 percent of dual-income married couples now work in the same …

Give your health plan a discrimination checkup

06/01/2001
If you have a group health plan, now’s a good time to make sure it doesn’t discriminate against any worker. Reason: New federal nondiscrimination rules are set to take effect with …

Maternity leave repayment may be discriminatory

06/01/2001

Q. Our maternity leave policy offers paid leave for female employees who plan to return to work after the birth of the child. If the employee quits before returning to work, she’s required to reimburse the company for the paid leave. Is this lawful? —A.C., Maryland

Even religious groups can’t favor employees based on religion

05/01/2001
Diane Roh worked her way up to director of nursing at a nursing home affiliated with the Church of Christ. She wanted to join a program that would train her for …

Discipline, by any name, offers defense against bias claims

05/01/2001
When Hattie Star complained that a co-worker had grabbed her, Star’s supervisor confronted the alleged harasser and told him to stay away from her. The supervisor reported the allegations to his …

Growing threat: Courts uphold broad interpretation of retaliation

05/01/2001
John McMenemy was a lieutenant in the Rochester Fire Department as well as a union officer. He claimed the city twice passed him over for promotion because, while in his union …

Consistent policy, smart response get you off the hook for retaliation

05/01/2001
Barbara von Gunten’s job as an environmental health aide forced her to spend most of the year in a two-person boat collecting water samples. She accused her boat mate of sexual …

Keep age out of mix when deciding who gets education benefits

05/01/2001
Dan Esberg wanted to cash in on his company’s educational assistance program. The company paid Esberg $16,000 for his bachelor’s degree after he had turned 50. But when Esberg decided to …