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Employment Law

EEOC warning: Consider disabilities when enforcing drug tests

10/20/2022
A veteran suffering from PTSD received an offer of employment conditioned upon a negative drug test. The applicant subsequently took the drug test and received a “non-negative” result. The next day, the applicant’s job offer was revoked without explanation.

EEOC sues Red Robin for sexual harassment and retaliation

10/20/2022
Red Robin International, Inc. violated federal law when it allowed a male line cook to sexually harass female employees despite repeated notice of such unlawful behavior and retaliated against them for complaining.

Creating a diverse workplace: Erase the fear

10/20/2022
Creating a diverse workplace re­­mains a top goal for many em­­ployers. But organizations also wonder if those efforts may include unintended consequences like reverse discrimination or other lawsuits.

Global gender gap persists

10/18/2022
According to the 2022 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report, at this rate, it will take 132 years to achieve gender parity.

Office romance and harassment, remotely

10/18/2022
A survey focusing on sexual harassment in the workplace revealed that a whopping 77% of 1,656 respondents had a sexual or romantic relationship with a co-worker at some point.

Reminder: Avoid ageist preference talk

10/13/2022
Rejected or terminated older employees who sue under the ADEA often try to prove age discrimination by offering as evidence management comments with an ageist bent. For example, a CEO who speaks publicly about a preference for youthful applicants or refers to employees as “old timers” or “dinosaurs” may provide the proof a fired older worker needs to win their case.

Consider accommodation request as illness

10/06/2022
Here’s a warning to share with managers and supervisors. An employee with a medical issue may be disabled and entitled to reasonable accommodations but doesn’t have to request one. It’s enough that he lets someone in management know about the condition and requests a change in the workplace.

Overreacting to union talk often backfires

10/06/2022
You may have read about recent high-profile companies and their responses to unionization efforts. Smaller employers also face NLRB unfair labor charges over their handling of unionization efforts.

Replace supervisor to prevent retaliation

10/06/2022
You can stop a harassment case from escalating into a retaliation lawsuit with one simple tactic. Replace the supervisor who allegedly harassed the complaining subordinate and don’t let him or her know anything about the prior complaint.

How not to respond to coming out

10/06/2022
After the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision that transgender discrimination and harassment amount to illegal sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers should have implemented workplace rules that make it clear that employees coming out as transgender should not be harassed or discriminated against.