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Retaliation

Check all discipline to spot, stop retaliation

04/05/2010

When an employee assists in a co-worker’s EEOC case or lawsuit, employers can’t punish the employee who helped. That would be retaliation. If there’s a short gap between the assistance and the punishment, watch out for a retaliation lawsuit. That’s why HR should always review disciplinary actions with an eye toward making sure there’s no retaliation.

Whistle-blower flagging safety violation? Don’t shoot the messenger by retaliating

03/26/2010

Generally, Pennsylvania is an at-will employment state where employers can fire employees for any nondiscriminatory reason. But Pennsylvania also allows lawsuits for wrongful discharge based on public-policy concerns. Those public policies include the right not to be fired for reporting company safety violations that could harm the public.

If no job loss, no damages for whistle-blower

03/26/2010
The New Jersey Superior Court has reversed a large jury award previously won by a whistle-blower because the employer never fired the employee or forced him to quit.

Catch fishy FMLA requests with the 3 R’s

03/22/2010

Employees have learned to play the FMLA game quite well in the 17 years since the law was passed. In this new case, an “attendance-challenged” employee was denied extra vacation leave for her wedding. So she submitted an FMLA leave request for those same dates. Hmmmm … smell fishy?

Don’t cut filing period in arbitration agreement

03/19/2010
California courts are hard on employers that force employees to sign arbitration agreements. Judges often find these agreements unconscionable. And one of the quickest ways to end up with an unconscionable and invalid agreement is to cut the time an employee has to file a claim.

Don’t let employees guess about being fired

03/12/2010

Employees and former employees have just 300 days to file their initial EEOC discrimination complaints. But that countdown doesn’t start until the “adverse employment action” they want to challenge has occurred. That means that the moment employees know they have been fired, the clock starts ticking.

Waiter serves suit implicating female boss; courts are digesting it

03/12/2010

In Turner v. The Saloon Ltd. the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit recently ruled that in a sexual harassment claim based on a hostile work environment, if at least one act of alleged harassment occurred within 180 days of an EEOC filing, courts can consider the entire time period of the hostile environment in determining an employer’s liability.

11th Circuit opens door for wide discretion when trial courts set remedies in bias cases

03/11/2010

In a decision that could encourage trial courts to aggressively fix discrimination, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court’s wide-ranging remedy for a proven case of discrimination.

When whistle-blower complains, watch out for supervisor retaliation

03/11/2010

When an employee believes it’s necessary to end-run a supervisor to complain about potentially illegal conduct, resist the temptation to ignore the complaint. And whatever you do, don’t tell the whistle-blower to take it up with the supervisor.

Warn managers: Don’t mention FMLA during discussion about discharge

03/11/2010

One of the best ways to guarantee an employee will get her FMLA case in front of a jury is for her boss to mention her use of FMLA leave while discussing termination. The best idea: Have someone neutral from HR deliver the news that the employee is being let go.