Articles on workplace-related issues from newspapers and Internet news sources around the country.
June 18, 2013
Discrimination against pregnant workers has been rising, report says
Source: Brigid Schulte, Washington Post
Thirty-five years after Congress passed a federal law to protect pregnant women from discrimination on the job, these workers are instead denied reasonable accommodations that other workers receive and often wind up losing income, benefits or their jobs or suffering pregnancy complications, according to a report released Tuesday.
AFL-CIO wants to be the voice of most workers, not just those in unions
Source: Olivera Perkins, Cleveland.com
The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor organization, is seeking to be the voice of all working and middle class people -- even if they don't belong to unions.
"I don't think this is a big leap to think that a union should have a broader definition," said Harriet Applegate, who heads the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor, whose letterhead includes: "We're the people who brought you the weekend."
June 17, 2013
Supporting Family Caregivers With Leave Policies in the Workplace
Source: Lynn Feinberg , AARP Blog
My sisters and I are long-distance caregivers for our 92-year old mom. We have already experienced this profound caregiving journey, having cared for our dad for nearly seven years before he died at age 94. We know how overwhelming and stressful it can be to juggle work and caregiving responsibilities.
States Move to Ban Credit Screening for Job Applicants
Source: Elizabeth Dwoskin, Business Week
Credit reports weren't designed to be job-screening tools. But about half of employers now use them when making hiring decisions, according to a 2012 study by the Society for Human Resource Management. The practice cuts across all sectors of the economy, from high-level management to office assistants, home health-care aides, and people who work the counter serving frozen yogurt.
Unpaid No More: Interns Win Major Court Battle
Source: Tovia Smith , NPR
A federal court in New York has ruled that a group of interns at Fox Searchlight Pictures should have been paid for their work on the movie Black Swan. The decision may have broad implications for students looking for their first job.
June 13, 2013
Court indicates Labor went after employee for whistleblowing activities
Source: Joe Davidson , Washington Post
Robert Whitmore might have been an ornery old cuss, but that was not reason enough for the Labor Department to leave him in a two-year limbo, followed by a mockery of an investigation that led to his termination.
Federal Court Allows EEOC Disability Case to Proceed, Denying United Parcel Service's Appeal
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A federal district court has denied United Parcel Service's (UPS) motion to appeal an earlier ruling in favor of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The contested ruling allowed the Commission's disability discrimination case to proceed to the discovery phase. (EEOC, et al., v. United Parcel Service, Inc., No. 09-cv-05291 (N.D. Ill. June 11, 2013.)
Why Are So Many New Labor Groups Forming?
Source: Megan McArdle , The Daily Beast
501(c)(5) applications have spiked even higher than the groups the IRS was targeting.
June 12, 2013
Harry Reid: Employment Non-Discrimination Act Will Come Up 'Soon'
Source: Jennifer Bendery , Huffington Post
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday that he expects to take up legislation "soon" that would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Employment Checks Fuel Race Complaints
Source: Scott Thurm , Wall Street Journal
Federal regulators Tuesday accused two large employers of improperly using criminal-background checks in hiring, the latest salvo in a contentious debate over whether such screening amounts to discrimination against black applicants.
Two labor groups buck trend of union support of Obama on immigration
Source: Joe Davidson , Washington Post
Federal employee unions generally are supportive of President Obama -- except, of course, when he does things like freezing their basic pay rates for three years. On many policy issues, there's not a lot of space between Obama, Democrats and the labor organizations.
June 10, 2013
Opinion: Age discrimination in the workplace has become a prominent concern
Source: Paul Freiberger, NJ.com
Discrimination has been with us for a long time, based on one characteristic or another that allows one group to identify another as less worthy, less intelligent, less skilled and on and on. Whether it's based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender or one of a hundred other variables, we've always found ways to stereotype our fellow humans.
Progress At Work, But Mothers Still Pay a Price
Source: Stephanie Coontz, New York Times
There is no denying that we have made great progress toward gender equality. Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, which was signed into law on June 10, 1963. At that time, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, women earned less than 60 percent of what men made. According to Philip Cohen, a University of Maryland sociologist, a female college graduate at that time, working full time year round, made less than the average male high school graduate.
Labor & Employment Roundup
Source: Jonathan Harkavy, Patrick Kavanagh, and others, Workplace Prof Blog
It's time for another labor and employment roundup:
June 7, 2013
Transgender-bias bill passes Senate
Source: Doug Denison, Delaware Online
Legislation to add transgender Delawareans to the list of groups protected under the state's anti-discrimination law passed the Senate on Thursday with a slim majority and now heads to the House.
Catholic School Teacher Fired for Artificial Insemination Wins Suit
Source: Josh Crank , Lawyers.com
An Ohio jury ordered the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati to pay $171,000 to an unmarried teacher who was fired by two Catholic schools after becoming pregnant via artificial insemination.
Affordable Care Act spurs hiring blitz
Source: Ricardo Lopez , LA Times
California is hiring hundreds of workers at three call centers. The state also needs an additional 20,000 enrollers statewide.
June 6, 2013
Most small businesses back laws to protect LGBT workers, survey says
Source: Adolfo Flores, LA Times
More than two-thirds of small businesses believe federal and state laws should prohibit employment discrimination against gay and transgender people, according to a national poll.
How Do We Build a Mothers' Movement Around Workplace Flexibility?
Source: Jocelyn Elise Crowley, Huffington Post
Each of these groups promotes the health and happiness of its members by highlighting the ways in which mothers who want to or need to work for pay can do so with the help of workplace flexibility options. I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with mothers in these groups who came from all walks of life and a variety of backgrounds.
June 5, 2013
The Female Labor Market Is Actually Stagnating
Source: Erika Christakis, Time
The announcement last week that women are now the primary breadwinners in 40% of American households unleashed the usual reflexive responses. Attempting what looked like self-parody, Fox News featured an all-male quartet of pundits sputtering about the decline of women's "natural" role. Some saw welcome progress for women, while others viewed the 40% figure as more evidence that the "End of Men" is night.
A Short-Term Solution to NLRB Impasse: A 4-Member Board
Source: Peter Hurtgen , The National Law Journal
The world of labor management relations is currently embroiled in a major upheaval, which has spread beyond the usual union/management battleground. In Noel Canning v. NLRB, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that President Obama's recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board were unconstitutional, thus leaving the board with only one legitimate member and without a quorum.
June 3, 2013
More employees stand up for their workplace health
Source: Dianne Stafford , Kansas City Star
Across American offices, workers like Schwarz are dumping their sit-down desk chairs in favor of standing desks, treadmill desks and big exercise, or stability, balls. Researchers say the small but growing trend is a very good thing.
Fired for Being Gay? Protections Are Piecemeal
Source: Tara Siegel Bernard, New York Times
Jake, a 43-year-old worker at an auto parts warehouse in Ohio, often spends his lunch break in his car. By eating alone, he doesn't have to talk with co-workers about his weekend plans or worry about using the wrong pronoun that could reveal that his life partner of 12 years is another man. Since many of his colleagues drop gay slurs on a daily basis, it's a topic he would rather avoid.
The Triumph of the Working Mother
Source: Stephanie Coontz, New York Times
Fifty years ago, Betty Friedan made a startling prediction in her controversial best seller, "The Feminine Mystique." If American housewives would embark on lifelong careers, she claimed, they would be happier and healthier, their marriages would be more satisfying, and their children would thrive.
May 30, 2013
Shareholders of Exxon Mobil Reject Gay Discrimination Ban
Source: AP, New York Times
Shareholders of Exxon Mobil defeated a resolution on Wednesday to explicitly ban discrimination against gays. The Exxon board had argued that the company already banned discrimination of any type and did not need to add language regarding gays.
Mother's Day Is Over -- But Pregnancy Discrimination Isn't.
Source: Lenora Lapidus , Huffington Post
Women make up almost half the workforce today, and, if they become pregnant, most will work throughout their pregnancy. Given this reality, you probably think the stories below are works of a bygone era. Well, you'd be wrong.
U.S. regulators issue rules on workplace wellness programs
Source: Reuters , Sharon Begley
Employees will be eligible for significantly lower premiums on the health insurance they buy through their employers if they participate in "workplace wellness programs," even if they don't improve their health, U.S. regulators said on Wednesday.
May 29, 2013
Here Are the Least Sucky Cities for Women in the Workforce
Source: Meher Ahmad , Jezebel
The pay gap between male and female workers in the U.S., though it decreased briefly in 2011 with women making a whopping 82.2 percent of what men earned (thanks, dudes! Extra shopping ca$h, amirite?), widened again in 2012, most likely because The Recession but also because Old Dudes Don't Want Us Making Money.
7 Reasons Why the Labor Movement Has Stalled
Source: David Macaray , Huffington Post
A self-described "McGovern Democrat" whom I shall call "Fay" told me that, alas, she could no longer support organized labor because, in her own, stunning words, "unions have become too powerful." A UCLA honors grad and longtime political activist, Fay is probably the most "left-wing" person I've ever personally known.
Career Coach: Respecting others at the workplace
Source: Joyce E. A. Russell, Washington Post
Recently, the University of Maryland was honored to host the 14th Dalai Lama for a lecture. To a sold-out crowd of students, faculty, administrators and dignitaries, he offered some of his life lessons and insights. One of his themes was the importance of treating people as people. Sounds simple, yet often not done in the world.
May 28, 2013
Two activist groups accuse Wal-Mart of unfair labor practices
Source: Tiffany Hsu, LA Times
The day after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. named a former advisor to President George W. Bush to head its corporate and government affairs division, two activist groups filed complaints accusing the retail behemoth and its suppliers of poor labor practices.
In denial: Corporate America's blindness to gender discrimination
Source: Jonathan A. Segal, Forbes
How can a company expect to survive, let alone thrive, if half of its talent pool is excluded from key positions? Most companies can't even recognize they have a problem with gender discrimination.
May 23, 2013
Senate OKs longer window to sue for discrimination
Source: AP, Houston Chronicle
The Texas Senate has passed a measure that puts the state more in line with the federal law to protect against gender discrimination in wages.
The federal Lily Ledbetter Act requires employers to prove that differences in pay are related to qualifications, not to gender. It also allows more time for employees to sue employers for discrimination.
U.S. Department of Labor pushes for minimum wage increase
Source: Dianne Stafford , Kansas City Star
The acting U.S. secretary of labor, Seth Harris, believes enough Americans back an increase in the minimum wage strongly enough that Congress will raise it next year.
Why Do We Defend Discrimination?
Source: John Becker , Huffington Post
Think about it: if a person's private convictions grant them a free pass to ignore laws forbidding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, where does it stop? Shouldn't they be similarly free to ignore laws against discrimination on the basis of gender? Disability? What about religion or race?
May 22, 2013
EEOC Issues Revised Documents on Rights Of Employees With Specific Disabilities
Source: Press Release, EEOC
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued four revised documents on protections against disability discrimination, explaining how the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, applies to individuals with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and intellectual disabilities, EEOC announced May 15.
Yesterday's Supreme Court Chevron Decision and Its Impact on the NLRB
Source: Blog Editors, Workplace Prof Blog
As an administrative law geek, I read the Supreme Court's Chevron decision issued yesterday (City of Arlington v. FCC 569 U.S. __, slip op. No. 11-1545 (5/20/13)) with great interest. And then I started wondering if it had any impact on the NAM v. NLRB case concerning the NLRB's authority to require employers to exhibit posters about employees' collective bargaining rights.
May 21, 2013
Labor unions break ranks with White House on ObamaCare
Source: Kevin Borgadus, The Hill
Months after the president's reelection, a variety of unions are publicly balking at how the administration plans to implement the landmark law. They warn that unless there are changes, the results could be catastrophic.
When Good Things Happen To Bad People: Disturbing News About Workplace Bullies
Source: Gary Belsky , Time
As if life isn't unfair enough for the alarming number of people who are bullied at work--or otherwise adversely affected by such behavior--recent research suggests that a lot of workplace bullies achieve high levels of career success. In fact, their bullying and on-the-job achievements might just be related.That's according to a new study ("Political Skill and the Job Performance of Bullies") in the most recent issue of the Journal of Managerial Psychology, the first attempt to examine the correlation between bullying and job performance.
Larger Union That Enforces Immigration Opposes Bill
Source: Laura Preston, New York Times
A labor union representing 12,000 federal officers who issue immigration documents will join forces on Monday with the union representing deportation agents to publicly oppose a bill overhauling the immigration system that is making its way through the Senate, arguing that the legislation would weaken public safety.
May 20, 2013
Senate's top Republican says NLRB nominee package unacceptable
Source: Amanda Becker , Thompson Reuters
The top Republican in the U.S. Senate said on Thursday that an effort to push through a package of five nominees to the National Labor Relations Board will meet a dead end, unless the president replaces two Democrats on the list.
Wisconsin bill would eliminate workplace flu-shot requirement
Source: Kevin Lang, JS Online
Wisconsin employers, including hospitals, nursing homes and other health care agencies, could no longer require workers to get flu shots under a bill pending in the Legislature.
May 13, 2013
Small Companies in Colorado Can No Longer Discriminate
Source: Aaron Kase , Lawyers.com
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law last week that provides recourse against discrimination to workers at companies that employ fewer than 15 people.
EEOC Meeting Explores Wellness Programs' Evolution
Source: Press Release, Occupational Healthy and Therapy
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held a meeting May 8 to examine the use and potential misuse of employee wellness programs. Experts who participated said U.S. employers need guidance to avoid violating anti-discrimination laws, according to the board's news release about the meeting.
May 12, 2013
Working Families Flexibility Act Passes House Over Opposition Of Democrats, Labor
Source: Dave Jamieson , Huffington Post
As part of their efforts to rebrand the GOP as a more caring party, House Republicans passed a hotly debated bill Wednesday that would loosen federal overtime laws, allowing for "comp" time instead of pay for private-sector employees who work more than 40 hours in a week.
Class Action or Not, the Unpaid Intern Lawsuit at Hearst Will Go On
Source: Rebecca Greenfield , Atlantic Wire
A judge may have thrown out class-action status for the lawsuit against Hearst for using unpaid interns at its magazines, but the disgruntled former coffee-fetchers will continue the fight. "The case of the named plaintiffs and the people who opted into the case will go forward," said Junot Turner, the Outten and Golden lawyer handling the case.
May 10, 2013
Merck sued for $100 million in sexual bias case
Source: Reuters , NBC News
A senior sales representative for Merck & Co has sued the drugmaker for more than $100 million, alleging it discriminates against female employees in terms of pay and advancement, particularly pregnant employees and women with children.
May 9, 2013
Older Workers Say Age Bias Is Common
Source: Ann Carrns, New York Times
About two-thirds of older workers say they have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace, and most of them say it's common, a new survey from AARP finds.
Employer Wellness Programs Need Guidance to Avoid Discrimination
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Wellness programs are an increasingly common feature of employee benefits programs, and guidance is needed to avoid violations of federal equal employment opportunity laws, a panel of experts representing business, advocacy groups and providers told the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) at a meeting held today.
May 8, 2013
Comp-time bill reveals partisan divide in workplace
Source: Mary Orndorff Troyan, USA Today
The U.S. House could vote Wednesday on legislation to give hourly workers in the private sector the option to take paid time off instead of collecting overtime pay.
Male Bosses Need to Speak Up for Gender Balance
Source: Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Harvard Business Review
Does anyone else find it strange that the debate heating up in the US around gender imbalances in the workplace is overwhelmingly a conversation among ... women? This constant frame of gender as a "women's issue" is one of the big obstacles to progress -- in both countries and companies.
Churn, baby, churn: The labor market won't be healthy until people feel like they can quit their jobs
Source: Neil Irwin , Washington Post
America needs more quitters.
Or the job market does, anyway. That's the lesson to draw from the latest Labor Department report, which shows the soft underbelly of the U.S. jobs picture. The unemployment rate may be falling and the number of jobs rising.
May 7, 2013
How Far Will Protection From Discrimination Slip?
Source: Steven Mencher , AARP
In University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) v. Nassar, Dr. Naiel Nassar lost his job at a health clinic where the supervising doctor openly made discriminatory remarks and questioned his work because she believed Middle Easterners are "lazy."
Pregnancy discrimination a real threat for some workers
Source: Jeremy Blackman , Concord Monitor
In March of last year, Katherine Tremblay, a Nottingham mother, was fired from her job of three-plus years as a field engineer at FairPoint Communications in Manchester. The layoff was part of a companywide downsizing in which performance rankings were used to help identify candidates for termination.
May 6, 2013
Four Additional Hurdles for Immigration Reform
Source: Alex Altman , Time
Back when the Senate's Gang of Eight was haggling over the details of its immigration-reform bill, TIME dug into four major hurdles the bill would have to clear. But now the dynamics have changed.
Age bias is 'elephant in the workplace'
Source: Christine Dugas , Poughkeepsie Journal
"Retirement job" seems like an oxymoron. And yet a growing number of Americans say that they plan to continue to work during their retirement years.
May 3, 2013
NLRB warns against employer 'no solicitation' signs
Source: Katie Loehrke , Atlanta Journal Constitution
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) allows employers to prohibit solicitation by employees during work time. However, generally speaking, employers may not prohibit employees from soliciting during non-work time, even if the employee is on company property. As a result, employers may not have a blanket rule barring any solicitation by employees.
Millions Of Americans Are Leaving The Workforce. Why?
Source: Jacob Goldstein & Jessica Jiang, NPR
Earlier this year, the percentage of Americans who are working or looking for work fell to its lowest level since 1979.
May 2, 2013
Gay rights and the religious exemption
Source: Editorial , LA Times
A blanket exemption for religious employers shouldn't be the price paid to enact the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which seeks to protect gays and lesbians from job bias.
A May Day Look at American Workplace Safety
Source: Pat Garafalo , US News & World Report
Today marks May Day, the old spring festival now closely associated with the workers' rights movement. Around the world, laborers are taking to the street to demand better pay, benefits, working conditions or, in the case of Bangladesh, justice for the more than 400 workers who died in a recent building collapse.
EEOC to Explore Wellness Programs
Source: Press Release, EEOC
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a meeting on Wednesday, May 8, at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E. In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the open session of the meeting will be open to public observation of the Commission's deliberations.
May 1, 2013
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/04/republican_workplace_freedom_l.html
Source: Brandon Blackwell, Cleveland.com
Two Statehouse Republicans are poised to propose legislation that would make Ohio a "right-to-work" state.
A Pathway to Citizenship Should Create a Pathway to Workplace Protections
Source: Victor Narro, Huffington Post
The current Senate immigration reform bill makes some great strides to protect workers. Yet, it falls dramatically short on enforcement. While the bill allocates up to $6.5 billion on border enforcement, it allocates just $1 billion to interior enforcement -- most of which will likely go to the controversial E-Verify program. In other words, funding for border security will be over six times the funding for worker protections.
Wisconsin Unions Challenge Governor - Again
Source: Michele Bowman , Lawyers.com
After a trial court ruled last year that Wisconsin's new law restricting public employees' ability to collectively bargain is unconstitutional, labor unions are now demanding that the state comply with the ruling while it's on appeal.
April 30, 2013
NLRB gains an incentive to settle, as employers lose theirs
Source: Amanda Becker , Thompson Reuters
The National Labor Relations Board has urged its regional directors and other officers to maintain a high settlement rate as a way for the agency to weather the government sequester.
Will Millennials Come Back to Labor?
Source: Carmen Berkley , Huffington Post
As we approach International Workers Day, also known as May Day, it's hard not to wonder about the future of the labor movement, and whether or not young people in the United States will wake up and see that joining labor unions could be a part of the solution to the nation's 22.9 percent youth unemployment rate.
Why the Wall Street Journal is wrong about labor-force participation
Source: Jim Tankersley, Washington Post
Ben Casselman has a fantastically wonky piece in today's Wall Street Journal on labor-force participation. Good news: It's quite comforting! "Americans are leaving the labor force in unprecedented numbers," Casselman writes. "But the trend has more to do with retiring baby boomers than frustrated job seekers abandoning their searches."
April 29, 2013
How Big Data Is Playing Recruiter for Specialized Workers
Source: Matt Ritchel , New York Times
When the e-mail came out of the blue last summer, offering a shot as a programmer at a San Francisco start-up, Jade Dominguez, 26, was living off credit card debt in a rental in South Pasadena, Calif., while he taught himself programming.
Median Pay in U.S. Is Stagnant, but Low-Paid Workers Lose
Source: Floyd Norris , New York Times
The median pay of American workers has stagnated in recent years, but that is not true for all workers. When adjusted for inflation, the wages of low-paid workers have declined. But the wages for better-paid workers have grown significantly more rapidly than inflation.
April 26, 2013
Oregon same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, federal judge says in employee discrimination case
Source: The Oregonian , Bryan Denson
A federal appeals judge found this week in a bias complaint that federal and Oregon bans on same-sex marriages violate the U.S. Constitution.
Obama administration asks Supreme Court to review NLRB appointees
Source: Amanda Becker , Thompson Reuters
An appellate decision invalidating appointees to the National Labor Relations Board contradicts the modern understanding of presidential authority, the Obama administration argued on Thursday.
April 25, 2013
Senate delays confirmation vote for Labor secretary
Source: Political Notebook , Boston Globe
Senate Democrats have delayed a confirmation vote on Labor secretary-nominee Thomas Perez after Republicans threatened to use a separate hearing to criticize his handling of a whistle-blower case.
The End to Workplace Discrimination Against Gays
Source: Editors , Bloomberg
Many Americans would no doubt be surprised to learn that in much of the nation their fellow citizens can be fired from their jobs for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. In fact, 29 states have no explicit protections against employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or identity -- and there is no federal law extending that protection, either.
Comp time: A workplace idea who's time has come
Source: Rep. Martha Roby , Politico
Should a working dad be forced to use up all of his vacation time in order to be involved in his child's school?
Should a military mom with her husband deployed have to dip into sick leave at work to make sure her kids have the parental support they need?
April 24, 2013
Senate must act on gay workplace rights
Source: Greg Sargent , Washington Post
In France, lawmakers have now voted to legalize gay marriage, after months of debate and street protests. Here in the United States, lawmakers may be poised to act in another arena where the battle over gay civil rights is being fought: The workplace.
How to control workplace cruelty
Source: Eleanor Bloxham, CNN Money
Ostracism, bullying, and hostility at work takes its toll on creativity. And it is pervasive in too many corporate workplaces.
April 23, 2013
EEOC Seeks Damages for Disabled Iowa Plant Workers
Source: Ryan J. Foley | AP , ABC
A now-defunct Texas company that put mentally disabled men to work at an Iowa turkey plant for decades is due in court to defend itself against allegations that it subjected the men to physical and verbal abuse.
NLRB recess: It's all in the timing
Source: Jane M. Von Bergen, Inquirer Staff Writer, Philly.com
Got an interesting email today from a reader who pointed out that the appellate court specifically ruled in the NLRB appointments case, Noel v. Canning, that Congress was not in recess when President Barack Obama appointed new members to the National Labor Relations Board on Jan. 4, 2012.
Mandated Sick Leave Debate: Is there a middle ground?
Source: Lorna Lunney , AU Labor Law Forum
The debate over mandatory sick leave continues to challenge state and city governments across the country. Most recently, Philadelphia fell one vote short for mandatory sick days leaving 180,000 workers without the benefit.
April 22, 2013
Are Gay Employees Protected Against Discrimination?
Source: Michael P. Maslanka, State Bar of Texas
Dallas lawyer Michael P. Maslanka shares his views on whether gay employees are protected against discrimination in the workplace.
Managing Stress in the Workplace
Source: Tom Gimbel, Huffington Post
April is Stress Awareness Month (yes, there is such a thing!), and although stress finds its way into our lives in a range of capacities, we undoubtedly find it most often in the workplace.
April 19, 2013
House Votes To Freeze NLRB
Source: Patrick Kavanagh, Workplace Prof Blog
Late last week, the House voted (219-209) for the Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act. The bill would require the NLRB members to cease their work, while allowing other functions, such as the regional offices, to continue. The impetus is the D.C. Circuit's Noel Canning decision.
Philly Security Guards Protest Wage Theft by Employer
Source: Aaron Kase , Lawyers.com
Five protestors were arrested last week in Philadelphia for blocking traffic in an effort to call attention to a crime that is a menace to hourly workers nationwide: wage theft.
One Slur Enough to Bring Racial Harassment Case, Court Rules
Source: Aaron Kase , Lawyers.com
A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit states that a plaintiff may bring a harassment claim against an employer for a single offensive slur, if the insult is egregious enough.
April 18, 2013
Republicans Accuse Labor Nominee of Fighting for Civil Rights
Source: Dave Johnson, Huffington Post
Where does the Republican Party put its energy? On anything that furthers the interests of the wealthiest. Tax cuts and kicking government are right at the top of that list*. Also near the top comes blocking minimum wage increases, blocking workplace safety rules and keeping lots of people unemployed so they are desperate to take any nasty, dirty, low-paying job, etc.
Labor secretary nominee unscathed after hearing
Source: Paul West , LA Times
Thomas E. Perez, Obama's pick for the Cabinet post, has been criticized by conservatives, but the two-hour hearing before the Senate labor panel was more perfunctory than contentious.
How the End of the Traditional Workplace Is Changing Our Cities
Source: Emily Badger , The Atlantic
Technology has blurred the walls of the workplace in at least two dramatic ways. People who once worked inside the clear confines of a cubicle, inside an office, within an office tower in a commercial district, can now work from nearly anywhere. And because the spatial distinction has been disappearing between work and home (and everywhere in between), neat divisions in time are now eroding, too.
April 17, 2013
Your Job Isn't What The Employer Promised: Is That Illegal?
Source: Donna Ballman , AOL Jobs
I was hired for a specific job with a specific job title. Months later, my employer changed my title without asking me and made me work in a role that I neither wanted nor was qualified for.
Why Women Are Leaving the Workforce in Record Numbers
Source: Liz Peek , The Fiscal Times
One tiny problem may be holding women back: they are leaving the workforce in record numbers. The number of women age 20 and older not in the labor pool, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, has soared from 40 million in 2000 to nearly 49 million today; another 315,000 called it quits last month.
AFL-CIO's Non-Union Worker Group Headed Into Workplaces in Fifty States
Source: Josh Eidelson , AFL-CIO
The country's largest non-union workers' group will soon announce plans to establish chapters in every state, achieve financial self-sufficiency and extend its organizing--so far focused on politics and policy--directly into the workplace.
April 16, 2013
A Polygamist and His Paralegal: A Tale of Sexual Harassment
Source: Staci Zaretsky, Above The Law
The job market for entry-level lawyers isn't a very welcoming place, and while it's better to be underemployed than unemployed, you might have to take some blows to your self-esteem in the process. It's not a big deal, because you've realized that beggars can't be choosers.
Employees wouldn't have to 'like' bosses under Oregon House bill
Source: Christian Gatson , The Oregonian
The Oregon House passed a bill that would bar employers from seeking access to the social media accounts of job-seekers and employees Monday.
GOP issues critical report of labor secretary nominee Perez
Source: Sam Hananel, Washington Post
Republican lawmakers sharply criticized Thomas Perez, the nominee for labor secretary, in a report Sunday over what they said was a questionable deal he brokered while serving as head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
April 15, 2013
Workplaces take on new harshness
Source: Alana Semuels , The Columbian
The envelope factory where Lisa Weber works is hot and noisy. A fan she brought from home helps her keep cool as she maneuvers around whirring equipment to make her quota: 750 envelopes an hour, up from 500 a few years ago.
Fifth Circuit to Weigh in on Sexual Stereotyping Claims Under Title VII
Source: Carter Meader , AU Labor Law Forum
The Fifth Circuit has granted the EEOC's petition for rehearing en banc for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Boh Brothers Construction Co., No. 11-30770. The announcement comes approximately nine months after the original Fifth Circuit panel overturned a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff, Kerry Woods.
House committee debates bill to pause NLRB
Source: Amanda Becker , Thompson Reuters
Lawmakers held a spirited discussion on the immediate future of the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, after a recent appeals court ruling that cast doubt on the board's authority to make decisions.
April 12, 2013
As employers push efficiency, the daily grind wears down workers
Source: Alana Semuels , LA Times
Many businesses no longer want long-term relationships with their employees, who must now work harder without getting financial and psychological rewards that were once routine.
Should paid sick leave be mandated for all employees?
Source: Jena McGregor , Washington Post
A man holds a sign at a rally in front of City Hall to show support for a paid sick leave bill, a day after New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced that lawmakers and advocates reached a deal on the legislation March 29, 2013 in New York City.
April 11, 2013
The incredible shrinking labor force, in one chart
Source: Brad Plumer , Washington Post
The U.S. labor force is shrinking. Back in 2007, 66 percent of Americans had a job or were actively seeking work. Today, that number is at 63 percent and falling.
The incredible shrinking labor force, in one chart
Source: Brad Plumer , Washington Post
The U.S. labor force is shrinking. Back in 2007, 66 percent of Americans had a job or were actively seeking work. Today, that number is at 63 percent and falling.
When a promised promotion feels more like bosses are taking advantage
Source: Karla L. Miller, Washington Post
Two months ago, I was promised a promotion at work. I have yet to see a title change or salary increase.
April 10, 2013
Ending the Wage Gap
Source: Sudip Datta, Abhijit Guha, and Mai Iskandar-Datta, Harvard Business Review
If you're a female executive who has just been recruited for a high-powered job, you may be asking yourself, "What gender gap?"
Some Small Businesses Opt for the Health-Care Penalty
Source: Emily Maltby & Sarah Needleman , Wall Street Journal
Small-business owners across the U.S. are bracing for the health-care law that kicks in next year, fearing it will increase the cost of providing insurance to employees.
Is the tougher workplace slowing down the economic recovery?
Source: Alana Semuels , LA Times
The workplace is changing as many companies, looking to increase productivity, ask employees for more while giving them less, according to a Los Angeles Times series. That's difficult for individuals at work - but it might also have a profound impact on the economy in the long-term.
April 9, 2013
'Is work killing you?' Here are strategies for handling workplace stress
Source: Sharon Jayson , Clarion Ledger
Canadian physician and stress management specialist David Posen asks a question on the minds of many in his new book Is Work Killing You? A Doctor's Prescription for Treating Workplace Stress. He talks with USA TODAY'S Sharon Jayson about how the recent economic slump and culture of downsizing has created more employee stress amid fear of layoffs, increased workload and the 24/7 work environment.
What privacy rights do I have in the workplace?
Source: LA Times
Employers are frequently using monitoring software to make their employees more productive at work, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times, part of a series about the "Tougher Workplace."
Right to Work Law Challenged in Michigan
Source: Michele Bowman , Lawyers.com
The ACLU is trying to dismantle a "right to work" law passed in Michigan in December, saying people were locked out of the capitol while the measure was debated.
April 8, 2013
The shrinking workforce
Source: Chicago Tribune
There were plenty of depressing numbers from the labor market Friday. Most striking to us wasn't the unemployment rate of 7.6 percent-- down a tick. It wasn't the 88,000 jobs created in March -- too few to sustain a recovery.
The numbers behind the decline in workplace benefits
Source: Alana Semuels , LA Times
American employers are asking more from workers as they try to cut costs and become more productive to compete in a globalized world, as described in a Los Angeles Times Sunday story. But they're also giving them much less.
Why Marriage Equality Matters to the Labor Market
Source: Jay Shannon , AU Labor & Employment Law Forum
The Supreme Court's recent foray into the rights of gays and lesbians under the U.S. Constitution has catapulted the issue to the forefront of legal discussion. Noticeably absent in many publicized conversations is the impact of existing law on our current labor market in the United States. The Court's rulings in both cases, Hollingsworth v. Perry and U.S. v. Windsor, will have a significant impact on the U.S. Labor market.
April 5, 2013
Judge awards $1.18 million in discrimination lawsuit against Fulton County
Source: Shae Rozzi , WSBTV
Doug Carl says he'd rather have the last six years of his life back than receive a large sum of money as a result of his discrimination lawsuit against Fulton County.
Blowing smoke on workplace health
Source: Editorial , LA Times
The best way to hire productive employees is to look for people with qualifications, talent, honesty and commitment. Now, however, a small but growing number of employers are looking for something else as well: job applicants who don't smoke.
The Path for Powerful Women in Today's Workplace
Source: Dr. Gail Gross , Huffington Post
With the growing discussion of women in today's workplace -- propelled by recent headlines made by powerful female leaders such as Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, and Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo -- I believe it is important to recognize the path paved before us to truly grasp the full context of our place in history - and our role moving forward.
April 4, 2013
Bill to bar job discrimination on sexual orientation faces quiet opposition
Source: Kolten Parker , Houston Chronicle
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, backed by members of the LGBT community, compared workforce discrimination based on sexual orientation to the Civil Rights Movement and women's suffrage while presenting her bill to other senators Wednesday.
Fast-Food Workers Plan Second Strike for More Pay
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
Tabitha Verges, a minimum-wage worker at a Burger King in Harlem, was caught unawares when 200 workers at other fast-food restaurants in New York City walked out last November to demand higher wages.
Overtime Laws Could Be Loosened Under GOP Comp-Time Proposal
Source: Dave Jamieson , Huffington Post
House Republicans are planning to introduce legislation that could loosen the nation's 75-year-old law governing overtime in the workplace, allowing employers and workers to choose taking compensatory time off rather than the traditional time-and-a-half pay.
April 3, 2013
Helpful Workplace Hints From the World's Most Helpful Guy
Source: Susan Dominus, New York Times
How do you respond to colleagues who complain about your helpfulness or criticize you for being helpful?
Retailers Track Employee Thefts in Vast Databases
Source: Stephanie Clifford and Jessica Silver-Greenberg, New York Times
Facing a wave of employee theft, retailers across the country have helped amass vast databases of workers accused of stealing and are using that information to keep employees from working again in the industry.
Can immigration reform save the American workforce?
Source: Robert Reich , Salon
Legalizing undocumented workers would prevent employers from undercutting the country's largest unions
Shiu Dusts off 1980 Goal for Women in Trades
Source: Anna Halkidis , Women\'s E News
Thirty-plus years have passed. Now the director of federal contract compliance for the Department of Labor is focused on getting U.S. women a 7-percent piece of all skilled trade jobs performed, a goal first set in 1980.
April 2, 2013
Workplace Wellness Takes the Lead for Stress Awareness Month
Source: Judy Martin, Forbes
National Stress Awareness month launches on Capitol Hill this week, as healthcare, business and agency chiefs recognize National Workplace Wellness Week with a number of panel discussions.
Woman's bias lawsuit dusts off Vermont's equal-pay law
Source: Matt Ryan, USA Today
A Vermont woman's claim that she was shortchanged by her former employer has spurred a court to interpret, for the first time, an anti-discrimination law that's been on the books here for more than a decade.
After Boom-Boom Room, Fresh Tactics to Fight Bias
Source: Susan Antilla, New York Times
Over the course of several conversations, women on Wall Street who were subjected to groping, pay disparity and vulgar office jokes eventually opened up to the firm's lawyers.
April 1, 2013
Two new cases seek to clarify pregnancy discrimination laws
Source: Anna Louie Sussman, Thompson Reuters
Two recent complaints filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seek to clarify the rights of pregnant women under a 2008 amendment to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A Simple, Legal Way to Help Stop Employment Discrimination
Source: Philip Cohen, The Atlantic
Women and racial minorities are no longer making progress toward equal representation in the workplace. Here's a way to maybe fix that.
March 21, 2013
America's Private Sector Labor Unions Have Always Been in Decline
Source: Matthew Yglesias, Slate
Looks like it's time for another round of Internet Thumbsuckers About Labor Unions. Specifically, Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson think economists should pay more attention to the political economy impacts of labor unions and not just to their localized impact on wages and growth
Aiming for 50 percent women in workplace: 'A tough goal'
Source: Amy Langfield, Today
Many companies pay lip service to workplace diversity, but few go as far as Coca Cola, which aims to reach gender parity across all levels of its business by 2020.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission faces furloughs if sequester continues
Source: Josh Hicks, Washington Post
The agency that enforces workplace-discrimination laws will have to furlough its employees for more than eight days if the spending cuts known as the sequester continue through the rest of the fiscal year, according to the nation's largest federal employee union
March 20, 2013
Strapped for retirement, more hope to work longer
Source: Michael A. Fletcher, Washington Post
After a long era of planning on earlier exits from the workforce, more Americans are planning to work longer to make up for their failure to save enough for retirement
The Right to Concerted Legal Redress
Source: CAS, Workplace Prof Blog
Many thanks to my colleague Rick for his post on the abstract for Horton Hatches the Egg: Concerted Action Includes Concerted Dispute Resolution, which Tim Glynn and I recently uploaded on SSRN. We don't disagree with him that the smart money might well bet on the FAA in this collision, but we're pretty sure this will be a heavier lift for a textualist Court than at least some of the prior decisions.
NYC Employers Can't Refuse to Hire the Unemployed
Source: Michele Bowman , Lawyers.com
The New York City Council on Mar. 13 passed a law forbidding employers from discriminating against job applicants who are unemployed. It is the first law in the country to provide a private cause of action for people who are refused employment because they lack a job.
March 19, 2013
Modern Etiquette: Lost your job? Retiring? is it congratulations?
Source: Mary Mitchell , Reuters
I doubt if Shakespeare was thinking about our 21st Century workplace when he penned that "parting is such sweet sorrow" yet the oxymoron surely is not lost on anyone who recently has lost a job or retired from one.
Opinion: Does Affirmative Action Do What It Should?
Source: Dan Slater , New York Times
WHAT'S more important to how your life turns out: the prestige of the school you attend or how much you learn while you're there? Does the answer to this question change if you are the recipient of affirmative action?
Republicans signal a fight over Thomas E. Perez, Obama's pick for labor secretary
Source: David Nakamura, Washington Post
Republicans slammed President Obama's selection of Thomas E. Perez as the next labor secretary Monday, painting the assistant U.S. attorney general as a polarizing and radical figure and suggesting that they will seek to hold up his nomination.
March 18, 2013
Employers slowly enrich programs for older workers
Source: Philip Moeller , US News & World Report
The later-life needs of older Americans are often expressed as quality-of-life goals: health and wellness, rich family and personal ties, and meaningful pursuits and travel, among others. To employers, however, older workers increasingly represent serious bottom-line expense and profitability issues.
Obama to Nominate Justice Aide for Labor Post
Source: Peter Baker, New York Times
President Obama plans to announce Monday that he will nominate Thomas E. Perez, who heads the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department, to be the next secretary of labor, a choice that promises to provoke a debate with Republicans about voting rights and discrimination.
Advertise on NYTimes.com Gender Bias Seen in Visas for Skilled Workers
Source: Ashley Parker , New York Times
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hear testimony Monday afternoon arguing that the H-1B visa program, which covers highly skilled temporary foreign workers, often in high-tech fields, discriminates against women.
March 14, 2013
Jobless-Discrimination Law In New York City Is Adopted
Source: Jennifer Peltz, Huffington Post
New York City will soon have the nation's most far-reaching laws barring employers from shunning out-of-work job applicants, after lawmakers passed the provisions Wednesday over a mayoral veto.
Former National Guard employee gets $231K payout for sexual harassment
Source: Sean Reilly , Federal Times
The National Guard must pay a former employee more than $231,000 after failing to adequately investigate her complaint of repeated sexual harassment, an administrative judge has ruled.
Ageism And The Younger Boss
Source: Kristen Houghton, Huffington Post
In the past, employees had been able to disagree with each other and their bosses, feeling free to state their own positions. Issues were discussed and agreements on procedures were made. Now no one dared to disagree. Older employees were beginning to feel like "dinosaurs."
March 13, 2013
The impact of a $9 minimum wage
Source: Tami Luhby, CNN
In his State of the Union address, Obama pressed to raise the hourly rate in stages to $9 an hour in 2015, up from the current $7.25, and index it to inflation. The change, should it become law, would boost the wages of 15 million Americans, according to the White House.
Recess Appointments Ruling Could Invalidate 1,400 Workers' Rights Decisions
Source: Nicole Flatow, Think Progress
Less than two months after the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit invalidated President Obama's January 2012 recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, 87 companies and several unions have cited the decision in pending actions before the NLRB, challenging its authority to rule in their pending cases.
Can You Be Fired For Calling In Sick -- Even With Doctor's Note?
Source: Donna Ballman , AOL
People ask me this all the time. Can you really be fired for being out sick even though you have a doctor's note? One state, Connecticut, and four cities -- Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. -- have paid sick leave laws.
March 12, 2013
Is Your 'Natural' Hairstyle Preventing You from Getting a Job?
Source: Stacey Gordon , Forbes
Speaking with an African-American candidate a few days ago, she made a comment in passing that made me stop and think. We were discussing the interviews she had been on and she said, "I'm sure my natural hairstyle prevented me from getting a couple of those jobs."
NLRB will petition Supreme Court over Obama's recess appointments
Source: Josh Hicks, Washington Post
The National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday announced it would petition the Supreme Court to review a lower-court ruling that invalidated three appointments President Obama made to the board last year.
March 11, 2013
Federal Court Grants Injunction Against A.C. Widenhouse in EEOC Race Harassment Cast
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Following on the heels of a legal victory for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a North Carolina federal court has awarded more than $243,000 and injunctive relief against A.C. Widenhouse, Inc., a Concord, N.C.-based trucking company, in a race harassment and retaliation case, the agency announced today.
Obama to name civil rights enforcer Thomas Perez as Labor secretary
Source: Lisa Mascaro and Don Lee, Los Angeles Times
The Harvard-educated lawyer is a first-generation Dominican American with a career in public service. His nomination could face a GOP backlash over his Justice Department activities.
NLRB Grounds Union Challenge to Boeing's Code of Conduct
Source: Joel Barras , Forbes
In another example of unions trying to push the boundaries of recent NLRB restrictions on employment policies, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, Local 2001 ("Union") recently challenged Boeing's decade-old Code of Conduct.
March 8, 2013
New York requires businesses to give workers annual wage notification, but doesn't check for compliance
Source: Teri Weaver, Syracuse.com
For the second year, hundreds of thousands of workers across New York have signed a notice acknowledging their wages - a paperwork requirement that state labor officials don't even double-check.
We've Moved Backward in Closing the Gender Wage Gap
Source: Bryce Covert, Forbes
he gender wage gap is a hot topic. So hot that President Obama's first act when he took office was signing the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which give the victims of pay discrimination more time to file charges against their employers.
March 7, 2013
Telecommuting: The Brain at Work and at Home
Source: David Rock , Huffington Post
In the last decade, we've seen tremendous changes in our workforce. With all of the recent advancement in technologies, nearly three-quarters of employers give their employees the tools they need to work remotely, giving employees more freedom to pick the hours they work.
Will we ever 'like' the female executive?
Source: Dominic Basulto, Washington Post
It seems like anytime a female leader makes a tough business decision or climbs the corporate ladder too soon, too fast it immediately draws a negative response
With Positions to Fill, Employers Wait for Perfection
Source: Catherine Rampell , New York Times
American employers have a variety of job vacancies, piles of cash and countless well-qualified candidates. But despite a slowly improving economy, many companies remain reluctant to actually hire, stringing job applicants along for weeks or months before they make a decision.
March 6, 2013
Employer credit checks keep jobless out of workforce
Source: Blake Ellis, CNN
Employer credit checks are preventing the nation's hardest hit job seekers from entering the workforce, a new study shows.
Disabled Workers Often Face Abuse: Study
Source: Health Day , US News & World Report
Disabled people are twice as likely to be attacked at work as other employees, and they also are more likely to be insulted, ridiculed and intimidated on the job, a new study finds.
What You Should Know About the EEOC and Arrest and Conviction Records
Source: News Release , EEOC
On April 25, 2012, the Commission, in a 4-1 bi-partisan vote, issued its Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e
March 5, 2013
House, Department of Labor Disagree Over Applicability of WARN Act to Sequestration-Related Layoffs
Source: Christy Wu, Labor & Employment Law Forum
Recently, the Office of Management and Budget issued guidance to agencies to reduce costs in contract spending, signaling the reality that federal contractors must tighten their belts under sequestration. Yet contracting employers have been guided by federal advice which has not always been clear or consistent.
Recovery in U.S. Is Lifting Profits, but Not Adding Jobs
Source: Nelson D. Schwartz , New York Times
With the Dow Jones industrial average flirting with a record high, the split between American workers and the companies that employ them is widening and could worsen in the next few months as federal budget cuts take hold.
OFCCP Scraps Pay Bias Guidance In Favor of Expanded Investigations
Source: Human Resources Report , Bloomberg
The Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is rescinding two Bush-era pay discrimination guidance documents and replacing them with broader and more flexible investigation procedures, the department announced Feb. 26.
March 4, 2013
EEOC issues guidance on domestic violence discrimination
Source: Jim Evans, Zanesville Times
Just about every employer knows that it's illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis of a person's race, ethnicity, religion, gender, national origin, age, military service and disability.
High-Risk Pregnancy Entitles Employees to Extended Leave
Source: Michele Bowman , Lawyers.com
A recent case in California has raised the issue of how two state laws designed to protect pregnant workers interact. A woman who used up her pregnancy leave and wanted more time under the general disability law will have her day in court, according to Sanchez v. Swissport.
A First Step for Maryland's Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act
Source: Dana Beyer , Huffington Post
This week the effort to make Maryland the 17th state to provide comprehensive gender identity protections in employment, housing and public accommodations made its first public legislative appearance in Annapolis.
March 1, 2013
Missouri House endorses workplace discrimination bill [Article no longer available]
Source: Staff , St. Louis Morning Call
The Missouri House on Wednesday gave first-round approval to a bill requiring workers who sue to prove discrimination was a "motivating factor" in actions such as wrongful termination or denial of promotions.
'Twas the Night Before Sequestration: The End or the Interminable Beginning of EEOC Investigations?
Source: Miram E, Forbes
As every sector of federal government braces for the impact of an across-the-board haircut of funding with the sequestration cuts scheduled to go into effect on March 1, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for investigating complaints made by employees under most anti-discrimination laws, faces up to a $30 million cut from its $360 million annual budget.
Growing push to halt workplace bullying
Source: Sam Hananel, Huffington Post
Margaret Fiester is no shrinking violet, but she says working for her former boss was a nightmare. "One day I didn't do something right and she actually laid her hands on me and got up in my face and started yelling, `Why did you do that?'" said Fiester, who worked as a legal assistant for an attorney.
February 28, 2013
Pregnant woman says San Diego Christian College fired her for having premarital sex
Source: Teri James, The Denver Channel
A woman in California claims she was fired from her job at a San Diego college because she engaged in premarital sex and became pregnant. Teri James alleges her employer, San Diego Christian College in El Cajon, wrongfully terminated her. James hired high-profile attorney Gloria Allred to represent her in the case.
Careful, 'Having it All' Women, Your Privilege is Showing
Source: Christine Pelosi, Huffington Post
While your people are breaking ceilings, it's my people of color who are caring for your kids, so your discussion doesn't empower us. We want to be breaking ceilings too."
February 27, 2013
Workers over 50 are the new 'unemployables'
Source: Annalyn Kurtz, CNN
Older workers were less likely to lose their jobs during the recession, but those who were laid off are facing far tougher conditions than their younger colleagues.
Union Leaders Call on Obama to Fill Labor Board
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The nation's union leaders are voicing alarm that the National Labor Relations Board might remain paralyzed for a year or more as a result of a federal appeals court ruling that found President Obama's recess appointments to the board to be unconstitutional.
Bill would bar some athletes from California workers' comp claims
Source: Mark Lifsher , Los Angeles Times
Proposed legislation would ban retired athletes from seeking California workers' comp benefits after they've played relatively few games in the state.
February 26, 2013
Wal-Mart Sued by Wisconsin Women for Gender Bias
Source: Andrew Harris, Bloomberg
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the world's largest retailer, was sued by five Wisconsin women who claim the company denied them and other female employees equal pay and equal opportunities.
CNN Spotlights Transgender Woman's Struggle Against Employment Discrimination
Source: HRC Staff, Human Rights Campaign
Transgender Americans often face discrimination in many aspects of daily life. This can be especially prevalent in the workplace. Unfortunately, there are no federal protections against anti-LGBT workplace discrimination and most states still allow a person to be fired based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.
February 22, 2013
Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Source: Press Release , EEOC
An employer's use of an individual's criminal history in making employment decisions may, in some instances, violate the prohibition against employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
How to Assert Your Legal Rights at Work
Source: Allison Green, US News & World Report
First, before anything, you want to make sure that your employer really is breaking the law. People often wrongly assume that the law entitles them to things that aren't actually enshrined in law--such as fair treatment, paid vacation days, or a warning before being fired. So first make sure that you really are facing a legal violation.
February 21, 2013
Florida lawmakers look to end discrimination against expecting mothers
Source: Kimberly Wiggins , My Fox Orlando
Pregnant women throughout the United States are protected from employment discrimination under federal law, but that's not necessarily the case in Florida. Two state lawmakers are now trying to change that fact.
Transgender job seekers face uphill battle
Source: Blake Ellis , CNN Money
Rebecca Juro, 50, has been unemployed for the last four years and she can't help but think it's because she's transgender.
Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination Questions And Answers
Source: EEOC Commission , EEOC
Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Laws. What Are the Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination?
February 20, 2013
Bill Would Redefine Workplace Discrimination
Source: Marshall Griffin , KCUR
A Missouri statehouse committee heard testimony Monday on a bill that would redefine what constitutes workplace discrimination. If passed, workplace discrimination would have to be a motivating factor, not just a contributing one, in any wrongful action taken against a worker by an employer, which is the current federal standard.
The Drumbeat for LGBT Non-Discrimination Executive Order Grows Louder
Source: Ian Thompson, ACLU
Coming on the heels of a letter from 37 U.S. senators, a coalition of national civil rights, religious, professional, labor, civic and educational organizations sent a letter to President Obama on Wednesday urging him to issue a long-sought executive order to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by federal contractors.
Faith in Values: Lessons from Our Past Should Light the Path of Immigration Reform
Source: Sally Steenland , Center for American Progress
A key part of the debate revolves around "legal status" vs. "citizenship." The two terms may seem similar but their difference is vast. Providing legal status without a chance to earn citizenship would mean creating a permanent underclass of people who live in our communities, work, and pay taxes while being denied certain basic rights
February 19, 2013
Department of Labor: Side-by-Side Comparison of Current/Final Regulations
Source: Department of Labor
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Side-by-Side Comparison of Current/Final Regulations
2013 Employee Handbook Updates
Source: Steve Taylor , Society for Human Resource Management
Legal and regulatory changes--more than new laws--are driving the need for company policy adjustments, revised plan documents and updated employee handbooks for 2013 by U.S. employers.
An Executive Order to Prevent Discrimination Against LGBT Workers
Source: Lee Badget , Center for American Progress
While many states, municipalities, and corporations have instituted policies that shield LGBT workers from workplace bias, LGBT individuals currently lack adequate legal protections from employment discrimination.
February 18, 2013
Discrimination Doesn't Make Dollars, or Sense
Source: David Futrelle, Time
Discrimination isn't just an insult to our most basic notions of fairness. It also costs us money, because those who are discriminated against are unable to make the best use of their talents.
Paid Leave for Women … And Men
Source: Ellen Bravo, New York Times
Fifty years after the publication of "The Feminine Mystique," we're way past debate over whether or not women should hold paid employment (a debate that was never real for many women). Today two-thirds of employed women are either the primary or co-primary breadwinner for their families.
Raise That Wage
Source: Paul Krugman , New York Times
One major proposal, however, wouldn't involve budget outlays: the president's call for a rise in the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $9, with subsequent increases in line with inflation. The question we need to ask is: Would this be good policy? And the answer, perhaps surprisingly, is a clear yes.
February 8, 2013
The Family and Medical Leave Act, 20 Years Later
Source: Laura D'Andrea Tyson, New York Times
Twenty years ago, just a few weeks after his inauguration, President Clinton fulfilled a campaign pledge and signed his first bill - the Family and Medical Leave Act. The law sent a strong signal of his commitment to provide more opportunities for American workers in return for more personal responsibility.
Walmart Workers Are Back on Strike Over a New Wave of Alleged Threats
Source: Josh Eidelson, The Nation
For the first time since November's Black Friday walkout, US Walmart retail workers are out on strike. At noon, half a dozen workers in Laurel, Maryland, walked off the job in protest of alleged retaliation by Walmart management.
Side-by-Side Comparison of Current/Final Regulations
Source: DOL, DOL
Wage and Hour Division (WHD) |
Side-by-Side Comparison of Current/Final Regulations
February 7, 2013
Checking Work Email Outside Of Work Should Count As Overtime, Lawsuit Claims
Source: Michael Tarm , Huffington Post
Does scanning emails and answering calls from bosses on your smartphone after hours constitute work that should be compensated? A lawsuit winding its way through federal court in Chicago says that it does.
Profound Weight of Layoffs Is Seen in Work Trends Survey
Source: Catherine Rampell , New York Times
Layoffs have touched nearly every American household in some fashion over the last few years, according to new survey data to be released Thursday by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.
Are we throwing in the towel on American workers?
Source: Nina Easton, CNN Money
Last week the nation's jobless rate ticked back up to 7.9%, yet at Microsoft more than 6,000 jobs go begging. These are jobs that pay, on average, $104,000 for applicants with only a bachelor's of science degree. "Great jobs," notes Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith. No kidding.
February 6, 2013
Christian school's lawsuit may test court ruling
Source: Linda Deutsch , AP
A lawsuit by a Southern California Christian school against two former teachers who refused to provide proof of their faith could pose one of the first court tests of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on religious freedom.
Work, Life Balance: 20 years of the Family and Medical Leave Act
Source: AU Law Forum , AU Labor & Employment Law Forum
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is meant to alleviate some of the "work, life" problems that arise every day in families across the country. FMLA is a federal law that requires employers to provide employees leave for qualified medical and family reasons, without risk to the employees job.
Can an employer have a mandatory flu shot policy?
Source: Katie Loehrke, Vasalia Times Delta
The cold and flu season has already been particularly harsh this year, and American companies and workers aren't out of the woods yet -- flu season can last into May, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
February 5, 2013
Job Growth Steady, but Unemployment Rises to 7.9%
Source: Catherine Rampell , New York Times
Despite the chaos and uncertainty hovering over tax rates and government budget cuts at the turn of the year, job growth accelerated at the end of 2012 and was even faster than originally estimated, the Labor Department said on Friday. Job growth also continued at a steady if modest pace in January, with employers adding 157,000 payroll positions, though the unemployment rate ticked up to 7.9 percent.
Union membership in the U.S. continues its long decline
Source: Alana Semuels , LA Times
Union membership is continuing to shrink throughout the country, even as companies add jobs in one-time union strongholds such as Michigan.
Union membership fell to 11.3% of wage and salary workers last year, down from 11.8% the year before, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said today. In 1981, 20.1% of wage and salary workers were unionized.
Immigration Reform Must Include Workers' Rights
Source: Amy Dean , Huffington Post
At this moment, various plans to reform America's broken immigration system are working their way through Congressional debate.
February 4, 2013
Looking at key concepts in employment law
Source: Dick Baggett , Go San Angelo
The Supreme Court first established firmly the principle of disparate impact in its 1971 Griggs vs. Duke Power Company decision. In this case, the Supreme Court recognized that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 permits disparate impact claims.
Paycheck Fairness Act Would Allow Workers To Share Salary Information
Source: Jilian Berman , Huffington Post
The "Paycheck Fairness Act," introduced by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) last week, would prohibit companies from retaliating against workers who discuss salary information.
California Labor Law Wage Theft = 865 Employees, Three Time Clocks
Source: Gordon Gibb , Lawyers and Settlements
If you have 865 employees working in two warehouses taking up an area equivalent to 20 football fields, you better have more than three time clocks. Otherwise you are going to have a problem. That's exactly how a Chino-based warehouse and distribution firm got into trouble with California labor law.
January 31, 2013
Violence in the Workplace: It's Never a Woman
Source: David Macaray, Huffington Post
A true story. While I was president of a labor union, one of our Executive Board members ("Fred") brought in a newspaper article about an employee who shot and killed the shift supervisor and HR rep who'd just fired him. At the end of the termination meeting, this guy pulled out a gun, shot both of them, then walked out of the office and turned himself in.
Law Schools' Applications Fall as Costs Rise and Jobs Are Cut
Source: Ethan Bronner , New York Times
Law school applications are headed for a 30-year low, reflecting increased concern over soaring tuition, crushing student debt and diminishing prospects of lucrative employment upon graduatio
Don't Hire Ex-Cons? Myths About Hourly Workers That Don't Hold True
Source: Peter Burrows , Bloomberg
In fact, this segment of the workforce is so poorly understood that many common assumptions about them are simply wrong, he said. Simkoff should know. His service, which helps companies manage their global workforces, has information on 984,000 hourly workers from its 20 large customers, including Xerox.
January 30, 2013
Workplace Disability Discrimination Claims Hit Record
Source: Sean Heasley , Disability Scoop
Overall, the number of job bias complaints filed with the EEOC was down somewhat in 2012, with a total of 99,412 charges filed by private sector workers. Disability claims, however, have increased every year since 2005.
Curry: If you don't look the part, you don't get the job
Source: Lynn Curry , Anchorage Daily News
Perhaps it's simply a reflection of our hectic, fast-paced society today, but it seems like more and more people today are labeled as having anger management issues.
January 29, 2013
Workers of the World, Sit Tight
Source: Adam Davidson , New York Times
For 25 years, Monty Newcomb has worked at the same chemical plant in Calvert City, Ky., making products that hold pills together and remove sediment from beer. In his early years, Newcomb watched his union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, lose one battle after another in its ongoing struggle with management.
Viewpoint: The Decline of Unions Is Your Problem Too
Source: Eric Liu, Time
Last week came news that the share of America's workforce that's unionized hit a 97-year low. A mere 11.3% of workers now belong to a union, and a great chunk of those are in the shrinking public sector. In the private sector, unionization fell to an abysmal 6.6%, down from a peak of 35% during the 1950s.
After D.C. Circuit ruling, what happens to NLRB decisions and its GC?
Source: Sue Resinger , National Law Journal
In the wake of Friday's federal court ruling invalidating three of President Barack Obama's recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, corporations are left in a cloud of doubt. In fact, the "only certainty is there's a tremendous amount of uncertainty," veteran appellate attorney Andrew Pincus told CorpCounsel.com Monday.
January 28, 2013
In Hiring, a Friend in Need Is a Prospect, Indeed
Source: Nelson D. Schwartz , New York Times
But when a friend at Ernst & Young recommended her, Ms. Parakh's résumé was quickly separated from the thousands the firm receives every week because she was referred by a current employee, and within three weeks she was hired. "You know how long this usually takes," she said. "It was miraculous."
Will Virginia Lawmakers Stop Discrimination Against LGBT Employees?
Source: Lucas Grindley , Advocate
The state Senate passed a bill that would make it illegal for gay and lesbian state employees to be discriminated against, but the proposal faces an uncertain future.
Bills Protect Gays In Employment Discrimination
Source: Elena Schneider, The Texas Tribune
When Meghan Stabler first revealed her plans for a medical and physical transition from male to female to a co-worker in 2004, she was nervous and fearful.
January 25, 2013
Unemployment Discrimination Banned By New York Council Bill
Source: Arthur Delaney, Huffington Post
The New York City Council passed a bill Wednesday that would ban businesses from discriminating against unemployed job applicants.
LGBT advocates seek ban on employee discrimination [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, ABC 7 News
Gay rights advocates are renewing their push for President Barack Obama to sign an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against gay employees.
State-Level Policies Threaten to Further Weaken Unions
Source: David Madland and Dick Bunker , Center for American Progress
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released data today showing that the national union membership rate dropped to 11.3 percent in 2012--a net decline of 0.5 percentage points from 2011. The private-sector unionization rate continued its steady decline, dropping to 6.6 percent from 6.9 percent in 2011.
January 24, 2013
5 Steps for Handling a Workplace Bully
Source: Chrissy Scivique, US News & World Report
Sometimes, the workplace can feel a lot like high school: Full of cliques, gossip, and passive-aggressive behavior. Bullying has been a hot topic as of late and sadly, adults are not immune to it. Bullies certainly exist in the workplace, though they aren't quite as obvious as they were in grade school. They don't go around throwing people into trash cans and stealing lunch money. But their torment can be just as destructive.
ACLU Urges EEOC to Update Guidance Policy
Source: Media @ ACLU , ACLU
The ACLU and a coalition of civil rights and civil liberties groups sent a letter to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in response to the Commission's briefing on "The Impact of Criminal Background Checks and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) Conviction Records Policy on the Employment of Black and Latino Workers," held on December 7, 2012.
California unions grow, bucking U.S. trend
Source: Alana Semuels, LA Times
Latino workers, demanding respect in a precarious job environment, helped boost the state's unionized workforce by 100,000 in 2012.
January 23, 2013
An Employer Asks You To Do Work For Free: Legal Or Not?
Source: Donna Ballman , AOL Jobs
I run into many problems with employers regarding availability and doing free work to promote business. An example is: A company would tell me that I am an independent contractor but would require me to stay in the area, without pay, in case someone would want to schedule my services last-minute.
'Halo Effect' of Dukes Seen Spurring Change in Workplace Suits
Source: Jessie Kokrda Kamens , Bloomberg BNA
The U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2011 class action decisions set the stage for a year of "significant change" in workplace class action litigation in 2012, led by the "halo effect" of the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Dukes decision, a law firm report released Jan. 14 said.
Employers' rights (and wrongs) regarding language in the workplace
Source: Katie Loehrke, Visalia Times Delta
It is well known that employers may not discriminate based on personal characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, and national origin. It's also well known that a diverse workforce can lead to advantages for an employer, including improved customer relations and diversity of thought among employees. Despite the advantages of diversity, however, it may come with complications.
January 22, 2013
Federal court upholds Wisconsin union limits
Source: Todd Richman & Scott Bauer , Washington Times
A federal appeals court on Friday upheld Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's contentious law stripping most public workers of nearly all of their collective-bargaining rights in a decision hailed by Republicans, though it does not undo a state court ruling keeping much of the law from taking effect.
Flu Outbreak: Why Paid Sick Days Matter
Source: Shamus Khan , Time
We are in the midst of one of the worst flu seasons in recent memory. By the end of it, about 60 million Americans are likely to contact influenza, over 200,000 will probably to be hospitalized and tens of thousands will have died.
Even if It Enrages Your Boss, Social Net Speech Is Protected
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
As Facebook and Twitter become as central to workplace conversation as the company cafeteria, federal regulators are ordering employers to scale back policies that limit what workers can say online.
January 21, 2013
News Summary: Weekly US unemployment aid applications fall to 5-year low
Source: AP, Washington Post
The number of Americans applying for unemployment assistance plummeted to a five-year low last week, a sign that the job market may be improving. Applications are a proxy for layoffs.
Budget Cuts Jeopardize Job Discrimination Protection
Source: US News Wire, Hispanic Businesss
Potential budget cuts from sequestration would devastate the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's ability to enforce laws that protect American workers from job discrimination, according to the American Federation of Government Employees.
'Employment Discrimination 2.0' and What President Obama Can Do About It in His Second Term
Source: Benjamin Todd Jealous , Huffington Post
President Obama will hold his second Inauguration on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, just across a grassy expanse from where Dr. King spoke at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
January 18, 2013
Outsource your own job, get fired. What's fair about that?
Source: Paul Whitefield , LA Times
The Times' Alana Semuels reported Thursday on the strange case of "Bob," a computer software developer at an unnamed U.S. company who "unbeknownst to his bosses, hired a Chinese developer to do his job, allowing him to take home impeccable performance reviews while actually spending the day watching cat videos and shopping on EBay."
The Catch-22 of Being a Female Boss
Source: Karen Firestone, Harvard Business Review
For women who have persevered through the corporate competition and finally attained a level of authority over a group of employees, we need to remember a few essentials. Not only is it critical to be genuine and play to our strengths, but we also must understand how societal expectations can sometimes play a role in the way our messages, as managers, are received.
Code Word for Age Discrimination
Source: Jessica Lapin, Huffington Post
New Yorkers over 55 quickly learn the open secret that "overqualified" means "too old." The Great Recession has impacted workers of all ages, but seniors and near-seniors have been hit especially hard. New Yorkers age 55 and older who lose their jobs are out of work for an average of one year, compared to 41 weeks for younger employees.
January 17, 2013
DOL Issues Guidance on "Caring for an Adult Child" Under the FMLA
Source: Jeff Nowak, JD Supra
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an Administrator's Interpretation (AI) to clarify the factors an employer must consider when an employee requests leave to care for an adult child.
Should You Stay, or Should You Go?
Source: Lindsay Olsen , US News & World Report
If you're considering quitting your job, you may be indecisive about whether it's the right decision or not. On the one hand, you're pretty miserable. On the other hand, if you wait it out, you might make that promotion next year. While quitting or staying at your job is a personal decision, let's look at a few key situations and what you should consider.
Economic Snapshot for January 2013
Source: Christian E. Weller, Center for American Progress
Economic revival and job growth continue at a moderate pace in the fourth year of the recovery from the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The economy and the labor market are being held back in part by the uncertainty over what will happen to the federal government's debt ceiling--the amount the federal government can borrow without Congress's approval--and to the already-enacted automatic spending cuts now set to begin in March 2013.
January 16, 2013
Shifting Taboos on Tattoos
Source: Kaitlin Montgomery , Huffington Post
Throughout the years, tattoos have gotten a bad rap within the workplace -- they simply shouldn't be seen. As times change and new generations take the place of the old, the line regarding tattoos as inappropriate could be shifting.
Is the U.S. Falling Behind on Women in the Workplace?
Source: Jordan Weismann , The Atlantic
From the early 1970s to the early 1990s, the U.S. workforce underwent a radical transformation, as women bid goodbye to their roles as housewives and entered the labor market en masse.
Sick Workers' Dilemma: Stay Home Or Go To Work?
Source: Alisa Chang , NPR
As the earliest flu outbreak in years continues to claim victims, businesses are taking a hit, too. They're faced with an unsolvable problem: If they tell too many sick employees to stay home, the work doesn't get done. But when people sick with flu and other bugs show up, they're spreading illness through the workplace.
January 14, 2013
Another View: Unemployment, not the deficit, is the biggest drag on the economy
Source: William Winger & Lawrence Winger , Portland Press Herald
Sen. Angus King appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" program Jan. 6 and said, with regard to the perceived deficit issue, "we're not gonna grow our way out of it." This view is completely wrong. The recession, the lack of demand and the high rate of unemployment are the primary causes of our current budget deficit. Our first priority must be to complete our recovery from the recession.
A New Session, A New Push For LGBT-Friendly Laws In Austin
Source: Christina Kristofic , KUHF FM News
Charles Scarborough, a 51-year-old Army veteran from New Milford, Susquehanna County, says he is hearing-impaired and his former bosses and coworkers in the Central Bucks district mockingly referred to him as "Charlie Huh?," questioned whether he truly had a disability and discriminated against him.
Bill aims to make VA employee discrimination illegal
Source: Christina Kristofic, Mike Valerio
For the first time, Virginia could protect all state employees from discrimination, as a bill begins its path through the 2013 General Assembly.
January 11, 2013
More Americans file unemployment claims, but jobs market still appears stable, Labor Department says
Source: Reuters , New York Daily News
Last week, initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 371,000, U.S. labor officials said Thursday. Seasonal employment during the holidays tends to make the number of claims more unpredictable this time of year.
Baucus says he's declaring 'war' on veterans unemployment
Source: Mike Dennison , Missoulin
U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, speaking to the Montana Legislature on Thursday, said he's declaring a "war on veteran unemployment" and will be pushing legislation to help veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan get jobs.
The Difficult Issue of Attractiveness Discrimination
Source: Brad Reid , Huffington Post
A free market economy should maximize business managerial prerogatives. On the other hand, individuals should not be penalized for appearance and attractiveness factors beyond their control. Currently, the Americans With Disabilities Act requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled employees unless this would cause an undue hardship to the employer.
January 10, 2013
EEOC Releases Its Strategic Enforcement Plan
Source: Gary Siniscalco, Lauri A. Damrell, Stephanie Albrecht , JD Supra
The final version maintains the key areas of national priority outlined in the draft SEP; however, it includes additional priorities, including age discrimination and equal pay issues.
Why many women delay revealing pregnancies
Source: Beth Tietel , Boston Globe
Despite such corporate recognition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that pregnancy discrimination claims rose from 4,287 in Fiscal Year 2001 to 5,797 in FY 2011. (A recent high came in FY 2008 with 6,285 complaints.)
Teachers union, fired teachers sue Chicago for racial discrimination [Article no longer available]
Source: Robby Soave, Daily Caller
The Chicago Teachers Union is supporting three recently fired black teachers who are suing the city for racial discrimination.
January 9, 2013
Pregnancy discrimination: a real-world challenge
Source: Bette Begleiter and JoAnne Fischer, Philly.com
Under current law, U.S. employers are not required to make even minimal accommodations for pregnant women, leaving many with no choice but to leave a job that they truly want or need.
New employment laws for 2013
Source: Anderson Post Valley Staff, Anderson Post Valley
New employment laws will affect day-to-day operations and policies of California's employers in 2013. Here are some of the more noteworthy new laws from the California Legislature as identified by the California Chamber of Commerce. Unless specified, all new legislation goes into effect Jan. 1.
Govt, giant food service provider Centerplate settle employment discrimination case [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
The Justice Department and one of the largest hospitality companies in the world have settled allegations that the firm discriminated in employment by requiring non-U.S. citizens to produce specific documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security.
January 8, 2013
The Top Five Reasons Employees Will Quit In 2013
Source: Meghan Casserly , Forbes
The new normal for employment is just under five years. Five years with a company and we start looking towards greener pastures (read: more money, better-stocked snack-machines and lavish holiday parties). And according to Indeed.com, January is the month when most of us look to make the move to new companies--online job searches are up 40% from December to January.
First-time jobless claims rose to 372,000 last week
Source: Jim Puzzanghera, LA Times
First-time jobless claims rose to 372,000 last week, a level consistent with a moderately growing labor market ahead of Friday's December unemployment report.
California farm labor law still a hot issue
Source: Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee
Jerry Brown's major achievement in his first year as governor in 1975 was the Agricultural Labor Relations Act, creating a first-in-the-nation mechanism for the United Farm Workers union to seek contracts with growers.
January 7, 2013
Don't Sign Away Discrimination Claims to Get Severance Pay
Source: Michele Bowman , JD Supra
In general, employers cannot punish employees who exercise their right to file discrimination charges with the EEOC - it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which defines unlawful employment practices.
Gay employee sues airline association for discrimination
Source: Lou Chibbaro Jr, Washington Blade
A gay auditor at the D.C.-based Air Transport Association of America filed a lawsuit in September charging the group with paying him a "substantially" lower salary than others with similar job duties because of his sexual orientation.
GOP Rep. Stivers Tentatively Endorses Employment Non-Discrimination Act
Source: Rebecca Leber and Scott Keyes, Think Progress
Republicans have obstructed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) for years, preventing a federal law from prohibiting discrimination against LGBT employees. On Thursday, Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) told ThinkProgress that he would be in favor of preventing employment discrimination, if there is a way to "not mess up many states' employment laws" in the process.
January 4, 2013
New Jersey's New Pay Equality Notice Law
Source: Evan J. Shenkman, JD Supra
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development just issued proposed rules providing guidance about the new law, along with a sample proposed notice for posting and distribution to employees. The rules and notice are scheduled to appear in the January 7, 2013 issue of the New Jersey Register, but are available here in the interim.
Federal Courts Continue Grappling With Privacy Issues And Employee Communications
Source: Beth P. Zoller , JD Supra
The federal courts continue to evaluate an employee's right to privacy and an employer's right to monitor employee communications and terminate employees based on those communications, whether under common law, statute or the US Constitution.
US Unemployment Outlook [Article no longer available]
Source: Live Trading News
Friday's US jobless rate from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics remained unchanged from its revised level the previous month, adding 155,000 jobs, roughly equal to the average 153,000 jobs added monthly over the first 11 months of the year.
January 3, 2013
U.S. jobs report: December unemployment rate at 7.8 percent; 155k jobs added Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/national/2013-01-04/story/us-jobs-report-december-unemployment-rate-78-percent-155k-jobs-added#ixzz2HJljjNeb
Source: AP, Florida Times Union
U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs in December, a steady gain that shows hiring held up during tense fiscal cliff negotiations in Washington.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/national/2013-01-04/story/us-jobs-report-december-unemployment-rate-78-percent-155k-jobs-added#ixzz2HJlhcSiy
Can Bosses Do That? As It Turns Out, Yes They Can
Source: Lewis Maltby , NPR
Did you know you could be fired for not removing a political sticker from your car -- or even having a beer after work? Lewis Maltby says it's more than possible -- it's happened. His new book, Can They Do That? explores rights in the workplace.
Guidance on the 90-Day Waiting Period Limitations
Source: Mark Kelly, JD Supra
For plan years starting on or after January 1, 2014, a group health plan or a health insurer offering group coverage may not impose a waiting period that exceeds 90 days. IRS Notice 2012-59 defines "waiting period" as a period of time that must pass before coverage for an employee or dependent, who is otherwise eligible to enroll under the terms of the plan, can become effective.
December 27, 2012
You're hot; you're fired
Source: Kerry Waldman , Times Union
Every particle of me wants to disagree with the Iowa court that last week protected a male boss' right to fire an employee simply because he finds her "irresistible."
he Application of Title VII and the ADA to Applicants or Employees Who Experience Domestic or Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Q: What are some examples of employment decisions that may violate Title VII and involve applicants or employees who experience domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking?
Discrimination case by former Kansas City police recruit draws national attention [Article no longer available]
Source: Judy L Thomas , Kansas Star
A sex discrimination and harassment lawsuit filed by a former Kansas City police recruit has drawn the concern of law enforcement officials in more than a dozen states.
December 26, 2012
Why Leaders Can't Afford to Ignore Employees' Well Being
Source: Elaine Pofeldt, Forbes
If you or your employees are bringing your problems to work, you are likely to be hurting each other's performance, according to recent research by Gallup. The flip side of the findings: If your life is going well, it's likely to rub off on those around you.
Workzone: Discriminatory job practices working against older workers
Source: Patricia Sabatini, Pittsburg Post Gazette
It isn't easy to grow old gracefully. But for people 55 and older who want to continue in the work force, the realities of advancing age can be especially harsh.
7 Ways the Generation Gap Divides the Office [Article no longer available]
Source: Dara Petinelli , ABC
What makes today's divide unique, however, is technology's influence in the workplace. Below you will see how this gap plays out in the office, and what the generations can do to get along better.
December 21, 2012
NLRB Clarifies Social Media Case Analysis
Source: Workplace Prof Blog
The Board recently released its decision in Hispanic United of Buffalo, in which it clarified the analysis for Facebook and other social media cases.
Labor Relations Board Loses Voice of Dissent
Source: Sean Higgins , The Examiner
NLRB solves its partisan gridlock problem: no Republicans serving on it now
Protecting the rights of convicted criminals: Ban the Box Act of 2012
Source: Rep. Hansen Clarke, Washington Post
Earlier this month, the Washington, D.C. city council voted down a bill to protect people with criminal records from employment discrimination.
December 20, 2012
Ringing in the New Year With Employment Legislation That Could Affect New Jersey Employers in 2013
Source: Cole Schotz , JD Supra
Five important pieces of legislation that could affect your business either will go into effect or may be decided by Governor Christie before we ring in 2013. These bills range from social networking legislation to minimum wage increases to workplace support for victims of domestic violence.
Family Research Council Sued For Sexual Harassment, Discrimination
Source: Laura Bassett, Huffington Post
The former director of women's and reproductive health at the Family Research Council, a prominent Christian conservative advocacy group, is suing the organization, claiming it retaliated against her and fired her after she filed a sexual harassment complaint against her boss.
Behind the strikes at Wal-Mart, McDonald's, ports
Source: Emily Jane Foxx, CNN
Over the past week, port workers in Los Angeles went on strike. So did fast food workers from McDonald's and Burger King. And last month, it was Wal-Mart workers.
December 19, 2012
Fact Sheet: The Value of Unions and the Consequences of 'Right-to-Work' Laws
Source: Katie Murphy , Center for American Progress
The passage of so-called right-to-work legislation in Michigan fails to take into consideration the real impact unions have on both states' and the nation's economies and on middle-class Americans.
How to Treat Workplace Stress
Source: Lauren Weber , Wall Street Journal
What are the main causes of workplace stress?
EEOC Approves Strategic Enforcement Plan
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Commission Establishes Priorities for Enforcement and Strategies for Integrating Agency Responsibilities.
December 18, 2012
Congress Should Extend Emergency Unemployment Benefits Now
Source: Sara Ayres , Center for American Progress
Congress must extend unemployment insurance despite the ongoing fiscal showdown and budget cuts that will likely take effect in January.
Walmart VP: When Workers Ask About Unions, Management Tells Them Benefits 'Might Go Away'
Source: Josh Eidelson , The Nation
In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, a top Walmart official said the company has evaded unionization in part by reminding workers what benefits "might go away" if they organized.
Closer Look at Union vs. Nonunion Workers' Wages
Source: Ben Casselman , Wall Street Journal
Over the weekend, the Journal reported on the economics of "right-to-work" rules.
December 17, 2012
Employers should revisit blanket leave and criminal background check policies, protect against gender identity bias, EEO experts say
Source: Employment Law Daily
Employers should take another look at blanket leave and criminal background check policies, and make sure that discrimination on the basis of gender identity is prohibited, according to experts discussing equal employment opportunity (EEO) developments in 2012.
Supreme Court unanimous: Process for discrimination claims was too complicated
Source: Josh Hicks, Washington Post
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld a former federal worker's right to appeal a discrimination case in U.S. district court despite a lower court's determination that the matter should be taken up in a special federal claims court.
Right-to-Work Nevada a Rare Bright Spot for Labor
Source: Nicholas Riccardi , ABC
The future of the American labor movement may lie just off the Las Vegas Strip, inside a squat building huddled in the shadow of the Stratosphere casino.
December 14, 2012
Right to Work Laws and Why Labor Unions Are in Crisis
Source: Scott Martelle, The Daily Beast
Michigan's new right to work law is the latest blow to organized labor.
Push for minimum wage hike intensifies as worker ranks swell
Source: Alana Semuels and Ricardo Lopez, Chicago Tribune
Many who lost middle-class jobs during the recession are taking low-paying positions. Employees and activist groups are pushing for a living wage.
New law raises employers' responsibility in religious accommodations
Source: Robin Paggi , The Bakersfield Californian
Religious discrimination claims against employers have steadily increased over the last decade, and a new law recently signed by Governor Brown could lead to even more claims in the New Year.
December 13, 2012
NYC Fast Food Workers Strike for a Union and Higher Wages
Source: Aaron Kase, Lawyers.com
Fast food workers walked off the job last week across New York City in a surprise effort aimed at increasing their paychecks and the creation of an unusual union.
Labor Disputes, the Walmart Way
Source: Ira Boudway, Business Week
1970: The Retail Clerks International Union attempts to organize Wal-Mart Stores employees at two outlets in Missouri.
Supreme Court makes bias complaint process simpler for federal workers
Source: Josh Hicks, Washington Post
The U.S. Supreme Court has given federal workers a simpler and less confusing process for appealing discrimination cases that have been dismissed on procedural grounds, the court and worker advocates said.
December 11, 2012
DOJ settles discrimination claim against homecare provider
Source: Joe Hendon , Examiner
DOJ settles discrimination claim against homecare provider. The agreement resolved claims that the provider violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), when it demanded unnecessary documentation from a newly naturalized citizen in response to an initial mismatch in E-Verify and then refused to hire her when she did not produce it.
Social media in the workplace
Source: A. Kevin Trotman , Houston Chronicle
During the past year the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued several rulings regarding employee rights to make work-related comments on social media.
Labor Vows Payback for Supporters of Right-to-Work Laws
Source: John Flesher , Politics in Polk
With defeat in the Michigan Legislature virtually certain, Democrats and organized labor intend to make enactment of right-to-work laws as uncomfortable as possible for Gov. Rick Snyder and his Republican allies while laying the groundwork to seek payback at the polls.
December 10, 2012
Tenn. activists rally for ENDA executive order
Source: Chris Johnson , Washington Blade
Faced with living in a state with no non-discrimination law protecting them, LGBT activists demonstrated in three Tennessee cities on Sunday to call on President Obama to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from engaging in job bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Fighting Pregnancy Discrimination
Source: Janet Raasch , Lawyers.com
Women are the primary or co-primary earners in two-thirds of American households.
Supreme Court sides with former federal worker in discrimination appeal
Source: Josh Hicks , Washington Post
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld a former federal worker's right to appeal a discrimination case in U.S. district court despite a lower court's determination that the matter should be taken up in a special federal claims court.
December 6, 2012
Collective Action Against Wage Theft
Source: Editorial , New York Times
If you work in Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin, it just got a little easier for your employer to reveal to others any health care information that you voluntarily offer up.
JOB CITES: Don't be fooled: Labor laws apply to nonunion employers
Source: Warren Buliox, Wisconsin Law Journal
Consider the following scenario: You are a nonunion employer who has just conducted an internal investigation into a harassment complaint by an employee (let's call her Monica).
Columns: A Guide To Handle Every Day Problems In The Workplace
Source: Deborah Bullock , Langley Today
Bullying is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could 'mentally' hurt or isolate a person in the workplace. Sometimes, bullying can involve negative physical contact as well.
December 5, 2012
How Companies Must Adapt for an Aging Workforce
Source: David Bloom & David Canning , Harvard Business Review
The world's population is growing older, taking us into uncharted demographic waters. By 2050, over one-fifth of the US population will be 65 or older, up from the current figure of one-seventh. The number of centenarians worldwide will double by 2023 and double again by 2035
Unionizing the Bottom of the Pay Scale
Source: Eduardo Porter, New York Times
Other than poverty, José Carrillo and Joshua Williams have little in common.
EEOC files suit against Sony, staffing company for firing woman because of prosthetic leg
Source: Ameet Sachev , Chicago Tribune
A Chicago-area woman with a prosthetic leg was wrongfully terminated from a temporary job because of her disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
December 4, 2012
Seeing discrimination in nondiscrimination
Source: Bill Schuette, Washington Times
In 2006, Michigan voters approved an amendment to their constitution prohibiting racial, gender and ethnic discrimination in public employment, public contracting and public education. Yet the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati struck it down last year.
Slow Movement On Banning Anti-LGBT Job Discrimination
Source: Chris Geldner , Buzz Feed Politics
Although marriage equality advocates have found recent success, anti-LGBT job bias measures have been stalled in Congress and at the White House.
More Workers Claiming Job Discrimination Over Language, Accents
Source: Paul Foy , Insurance Journal
More people in the workforce are claiming discrimination over their English-speaking ability or foreign accents, according to federal officials.
December 3, 2012
The Strange Case of Wal-Mart and the National Labor Relations Board
Source: John Logan, Counterpunch.com
For the first time in its half-century history, Wal-Mart is facing the prospect of significant labor strife. Wal-Mart workers throughout the country have been participating in short strikes and other workplace actions for the past two months. They are demanding higher wages, better benefits, more full time work, and respect on the job.
Latinos Least Likely to Have Paid Leave or Workplace Flexibility
Source: Sarah Jane Glynn and Jane Farrell , Center for American Progress
Good jobs that offer paid leave and flexibility are associated with a variety of health and economic benefits. Unfortunately, people of color--especially Latinos--are less likely than their white counterparts to have access to these jobs.
Special Report: Silicon Valley's dirty secret - age bias
Source: Sarah McBride, Reuters
When Randy Adams, 60, was looking for a chief-executive officer job in Silicon Valley last year, he got turned down from position after position that he thought he was going to nail -- only to see much younger, less-experienced men win out.
November 30, 2012
Walmart's poor labor record
Source: John Logan, SF Gate
For decades, Walmart has intimidated employees who try to speak up against low wages and poor conditions.
In Drive to Unionize, Fast-Food Workers Walk Off the Job
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
After three years of working at the McDonald's restaurant on 51st Street and Broadway, Alterique Hall earns $8 an hour -- and is yearning for something better.
Language conflicts trend higher in workplace
Source: Paul Foy , Mercury News
More people in the workforce are claiming discrimination over their English-speaking ability or foreign accents, leading the federal government to issue guidelines to employers on when they can enforce English-only rules, federal officials said Thursday.
November 29, 2012
President signs whistle-blower bill for US workers
Source: AP, Daily Herald
President Barack Obama signed legislation Tuesday that affords greater protection to federal employees who expose fraud, waste and abuse in government operations.
ADAAA could soon protect pregnant workers
Source: Mary Swanton , Inside Counsel
Add pregnant women to the list of employees with conditions that may qualify for workplace accommodations.
Editorial: Harassment in the Workplace
Source: Editorial, New York Times
The Supreme Court this week heard the case of Maetta Vance, who, for many years, worked for the catering department of Ball State University, often as the only African-American in its dining services.
November 28, 2012
Supreme Court To Look At Who Is A 'Supervisor' In Harassment Cases
Source: Nina Tottenberg , NPR
The U.S. Supreme Court this week takes up the question of who qualifies as a supervisor when the issue is harassment in the workplace. The court's answer to that question could significantly restrict employer liability in racial and sexual harassment cases, or, in the view of some business organizations, it could result in frivolous litigation.
Gender pay gap is eroding, especially among younger women, US data show
Source: Amanda Paulson, Christian Science Monitor
Women are slowly making inroads in the gender pay gap. Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data for full-time workers show women earn 82 percent as much as men, up from 64 percent in 1980.
Dealing with Complex Gender-Discrimination Issues in the Workplace
Source: Timothy Long and Lauri Damrell , Law.com
For the first time in history, women are half of all U.S. workers, and mothers are the primary or co-bread winners in nearly two-thirds of American families
November 27, 2012
Fairness needed for pregnant workers
Source: Arjun Sethi , CNN
Peggy Young just wanted to support her family. As an employee at United Parcel Services, she delivered letters and packages, a job that sometimes required heavy lifting. When she became pregnant, she asked for a lighter assignment. UPS denied the request
Who's the Boss? High Court to Define 'Supervisor'
Source: Lauren Weber , Wall Street Journal
Is a supervisor the person who hires and fires employees, or it anyone who oversees other people's work?
Silicon Valley's dirty secret: Age bias
Source: Sarah McBride, Mercury News
When Randy Adams, 60, was looking for a chief-executive officer job in Silicon Valley last year, he got turned down from position after position that he thought he was going to nail -- only to see much younger, less-experienced men win out.
November 26, 2012
State bill seeks to bar job discrimination against communists
Source: Ed Vogel, Las Vegas Review Journal
At a time when right-wing politicians are crying about the rise of socialism in America, the Nevada Legislature is moving in the opposite direction: It is poised to prohibit job discrimination against communists.
Anti-Discrimination Laws May Now Apply to Violence Victims
Source: Kristen B Frasch, Human Resource Executive
An Equal Employment Opportunity Commission fact sheet says employers can now be liable for discrimination by showing bias against applicants and employees who experience domestic or sexual violence.
The Debate Behind Disability Hiring
Source: Sara Cann, Fast Company
A proposed rule would force businesses to hire disabled workers. Why is that making companies with existing disability programs uneasy?
November 21, 2012
Feds Release Long-Awaited Obamacare Health Law Rules For Employers
Source: Kaiser Health News, TLNT
Long-awaited details on how insurers can structure health benefits and premiums for policies that will cover tens of millions of Americans starting in 2014 were released by the Obama Administration Tuesday.
NLRB still investigating Wal-Mart dispute
Source: Associated Press , Daily Herald
Federal labor officials said Tuesday they don't expect to decide before Thursday on whether to seek an injunction on behalf of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to stop a union-backed group from encouraging worker walk-outs that are expected to culminate Friday.
Twinkies' demise proves the stupidity of U.S. labor relations
Source: David Horsey , LA Times
The Great American Twinkie Crisis illuminates what is wrong with the relationship between management and labor in this country.
November 20, 2012
Why Wal-Mart workers are striking on Black Friday
Source: Emily Jane Foxx, CNN
The stage has been set for a battle between a group of Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) workers and the retailer on Black Friday.
EEOC Releases Performance and Accountability Report Under New Strategic Plan
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Performance Now Measured Against Three Strategic Objectives; Past Fiscal Year Saw Record Reduction in Charge Inventory and Monetary Recovery in Administrative Process
November 19, 2012
First Impression Case: Fifth Circuit Rules on Ministerial Exception to Employment Discrimination Law
Source: CDK Lawyers, Justice News Flash
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed the dismissal of an employment discrimination lawsuit because it found that the ministerial exception applied.
Wal-Mart Workers' Black Friday Strike
Source: Elizabeth Dwoskin , Business Week
America's biggest retailer may be in for an unexpectedly painful holiday season.
Beware the Outdated Form: Updating Older Non-Compete Agreements
Source: Linda K. Stevens , TLNT
Non-compete covenants appear in an increasing number of employment-related contracts.
Supreme Court to Review FLSA Case That Could Limit Employee Remedies
Source: Emily Pantoja , Labour Law Forum
The Supreme Court recently granted cert to review a case that could have an impact on future class action cases and remedies for employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Protests Backed by Union Get Wal-Mart's Attention
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
For years, Wal-Mart has fended off repeated efforts by unions and their supporters to organize its workers. Now, that battle is once again escalating.
November 16, 2012
Sparks Steak House to Pay $600,000 to Settle EEOC Class Male-On-Male Sexual Harassment Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Famed Restaurant Failed to Stop Manager's Abuse of 22 Male Waiters, Retaliated Against Employees for Complaining, Federal Agency Says.
The 7 Ways Organizations Justify Bullying in The Workplace
Source: Ron Thomas , TLNT
The potential for individuals within organizations to behave unethically is limitless.
U.S. workers endure 'lost decade' of declining wages [Article no longer available]
Source: Kevin G. Hall , Kansas Star
Since 2002, in fact, it's effectively been a lost decade for workers.
November 15, 2012
Washington: Foreign Students Will Get Back Pay for Factory Work
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The Labor Department reached a settlement on Wednesday that recovers $213,000 in back wages for 1,028 foreign students who were summer employees in what many said were abusive conditions at a factory in Palmyra, Pa., that packed Hershey's chocolates.
November 14, 2012
8 Ways Employers Can Discriminate Against Workers -- Legally
Source: Donna Ballman , Aol
I talk lots about illegal discrimination, but there are many forms of employment discrimination that are perfectly legal. Here are some of the types of discrimination that may be legal if they happen to you:
Employers' Duties When Injury Affects Ability to Perform Discussed
Source: Kevin P. McGowan , Bloomberg
The Americans with Disabilities Act is an "inadvertent leave law".
November 13, 2012
Getting Paid in the Wake of Superstorm Sandy
Source: Michele Bowman , Lawyers.com
Hurricane Sandy not only damaged the lives of many people in the Northeast; it also wreaked havoc with their jobs.
The Gender Pay Gap and the Paycheck Fairness Act
Source: Angela Bouliakis, AU Labor & Employment Law Forum
Currently, federal law prohibiting job discrimination includes: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination.
The Role of Supervisors in Employment Discrimination
Source: Leah Argentieri , Jurist
Today, a woman may find herself in a situation where she was fired based on gender but has no legal remedy for this discrimination.
First Impression Case: Fifth Circuit Rules on Ministerial Exception to Employment Discrimination Law
Source: Kenneth A Claus, Justice News Flash
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed the dismissal of an employment discrimination lawsuit because it found that the ministerial exception applied. This exception bars employment discrimination lawsuits brought by ministers against their churches.
November 12, 2012
Gay rights measure faces a Nebraska city council [Article no longer available]
Source: The Grand Island Independent , San Francisco Chronicle
The Grand Island City Council has been asked to bar from city employment policies any discrimination based on sexual orientation.
NLRB Judge finds 24 Hour Fitness arbitration clause violates federal labor law
Source: Office of Public Affairs , NLRB
An NLRB Administrative Law Judge has issued a decision finding that 24 Hour Fitness USA, Inc. maintained and enforced an unlawful arbitration policy that required employees to give up their federally protected rights to take concerted action.
November 9, 2012
Following election, some workplace restrictions loosened
Source: Eric Yoder, Washington Post
With the election over, federal employees now may freely wear clothing or buttons in the workplace showing the candidates and may display pictures of them, but such items advocating for or against political parties or partisan political groups remain banned.
The 2012 Election and the Fate of State Labor Law Initiatives
Source: Joe Slater , Workplace Prof Blog
As referenced in my last post, the future development of labor and employment law in the United States is not limited to a consideration of federal judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments. Additionally, state and local laws and initiatives also play a very important role in setting up the rules of the game in the workplace.
Memo to Media: Most Working Women Are Put in a Bind, Not a Binder -- Problem May Be Men Full of Blinders
Source: Beverly Wettenstein, Huffington Post
Women voters are considered key to the election results. Neither party has a lock on the outcome in one of the tightest races in history.
November 8, 2012
Work Advice: The difference between internships and free-labor scams
Source: Karla L. Miller, Washington Post
Reader: My daughter recently graduated from an acclaimed eastern college. She has sent out many résumés for internships with no response. I've noticed the requirements listed on many of these internships include previous work experience and technical training. These descriptions are identical to real job requirements, yet the internships rarely pay. It's clear to me these places want free labor, and they're very selective.
NLRB more aggressive in protecting employee activities at union and non-union companies
Source: Marc Bloch , Crain's Cleveland
If you're a non-union employer, you might be shocked to discover that you, too, are subject to the restrictions and policies covered under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
Looking Back at Obama's Term in Employment Law
Source: Philip M. Berkowitz, Law.com
What impact did President Barack Obama's positions on employment and labor law have on his reelection?
November 7, 2012
Labor Unions Deliver For Obama With Post-Citizens United Ground Game
Source: Dave Jamieson , Huffington Post
For a labor movement that's found itself on its heels for much of the past two years, President Barack Obama's decisive victory in Tuesday's election proved that unions' political ground game may be as potent as ever in the new age of super PACs.
EEOC issues domestic violence guidance
Source: Cathleen Flahardy , Inside Counsel
Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a series of questions and answers to employers in an effort to reiterate its commitment to justice for vulnerable individuals.
Goldman urges court to require arbitration in gender bias case
Source: Nate Raymond , Chicago Tribune
A lawyer for Goldman Sachs urged a U.S. appeals court Wednesday to send a former employee's gender discrimination dispute to arbitration rather than allow her to proceed with a proposed class action.
November 6, 2012
Eveleth police lieutenant suing city for age discrimination
Source: Mark Stodghill , Duluth News Tribune
The second-highest-ranking member of the Eveleth Police Department is suing the Iron Range city, claiming he was more qualified than the officer chosen as police chief and that he was passed over because of his age.
Discrimination Lawsuit Against Catholic Church Becomes Question of "Ministerial Exception
Source: Human Resources Journal
The Music Director for St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, TX, was fired. He sued, claiming violations of the ADEA (Age Discrimination in Employment Act) and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), but the case was ultimately decided based on whether or not the church was entitled to the ministerial exception.
Supreme Court split on class action cases
Source: Greg Stohr , Philly.com
Two class-action disputes divided the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday as companies looked to build on the victory won last year when the justices threw out a nationwide sex-bias suit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
November 5, 2012
Social media takes workplace harassment to new levels
Source: Joan Farrell , HR.BLR.com
As if employers didn't have enough trouble preventing harassment in the workplace, now employees have newer, faster, more subtle ways to send and receive offensive comments, photos, and videos.
Paid sick days: Portland shouldn't rush to approve a new mandate
Source: Susan Nielson , The Oregonian
Portland's neighbors to the north and south -- Seattle and San Francisco -- require most employers to offer paid sick time to their employees
Federal workplace collections for Hurricane Sandy victims allowed
Source: Eric Yoder, Washington Post
Federal agencies have been told they may solicit contributions from federal workers for victims of Hurricane Sandy outside the government's normal charity drive.
October 31, 2012
EEOC Provides Guidance on the Application of Employment Discrimination Laws to Instances of Domestic Violence, Stalking
Source: Ilyse Schuman, DC Employment Law
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released a question and answer fact sheet that appears to extend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to protect employees or applicants who have experienced domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking outside of the workplace.
Inside HR: Jessica Miller-Merrell on How Social Media and Mobile Are Changing HR
Source: Jessica Miller , Monster Thinking
Human resources professionals are finally beginning to understand social media, mobile technology and the effect they are having on employees and the workplace, Jessica Miller-Merrill of Xceptional HR told Monster at the Society for Human Resource Management's 2012 conference in Atlanta.
Workplace bullying is all too real, victims say
Source: Greg Dawson, Orlando Sentinel
Laura Dunavent's voice still quavers when she recalls the darkest chapter of her life.
October 30, 2012
A Growing Focus on Pregnancy Discrimination
Source: Kecia Bal , Human Resource Executive
While a patchwork of federal laws already prohibit discrimination against employees affected by pregnancy or childbirth, recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuits, as well as its recently announced enforcement plan, show a growing focus on defending mothers' rights in the workplace
Straight Allies Advocate for LGBT Equality in the Workplace [Article no longer available]
Source: Harris Interactive , Sacramento Bee
Straight allies, in large numbers, flex their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) coworkers, according to the 2012 Out & Equal Workplace Survey.
3 Myths about Severance Pay
Source: Blogging4Jobs, Mike Haberman
I get occasional calls from clients asking me about severance pay. What is required? What is customary?
October 29, 2012
Starbucks Sued by Baristas, Managers over Tip-Sharing
Source: Michele Bowman , Lawyers.com
Should Starbucks baristas have to share their tips with their shift supervisors?
Presidential Election's Impact on HR and Employment Law
Source: The Proactive Employer
But have you thought about where the candidates stand on issues related to human resources and employment law?
Many American workplaces are becoming more segregated
Source: Kevin Stainback and Donald Tomaskovic-Devey, Washington Post
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on an affirmative action.
October 26, 2012
Walmart Worker Wins $1.5 Million for Verbal Abuse by Boss
Source: Sylvia Hsieh, Lawyers.com
As Walmart employees stage their first retail-worker strike across the country, a 42-year-old former assistant manager has won a $1.5 million lawsuit for being mistreated by a store manager.
Wynn Employee Voter Guide Pressures Workers To Vote Right
Source: Christina Wilkie, Nate Hindman , Huffington Post
Wynn Resorts, the third-largest casino operator in the U.S., recently mailed a "2012 General Election Voter Guide" to its 12,000 employees in Nevada
Why Your Company's Social Media Policy May Be Illegal Part II - But Employees Can be Fired for Facebook Posts
Source: Pedram Tabibi , LIBN
The value of a good social media policy for a company cannot be overstated.
October 25, 2012
Red Lobster Short-Changes Servers to Avoid Obamacare
Source: Michele Bowman , Lawyers.com
Sticking it to waiters and waitresses who are already underpaid and overworked is turning out to be business as usual for Darden Restaurants Inc., which owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster.
Young women can tackle pay issue head-on [Article no longer available]
Source: Diane Stafford , Kansas Star
This is a must read for women graduating from college:
Don't assume your first pay offer will be the same as what a similar male graduate will get.
Women Must Stand Up for Themselves in the Workplace
Source: Helen Drinan , Huffington Post
By this time each fall, our campus is in full swing with students and faculty rushing to and from classes, meetings, and all the various activities.
October 24, 2012
Closing The Gender Wage Gap Would Create 'Huge' Economic Stimulus, Economists Say
Source: Laura Bassett, Huffington Post
Closing The Gender Wage Gap Would Create 'Huge' Economic Stimulus, Economists Say
What Do DOMA Decisions Mean for Employment Law?
Source: Stephanie Francis Ward , Huffington Post
As courts strike down laws that ban same-sex marriage, lawyers wonder if employers will change benefits to be more inclusive for lesbian and gay employees, reports Corporate Counsel.
NLRB Law Update - Recent NLRB Decisions That Affect The Non-Union Workplace
Source: James Hays & Rebecca Hirschklau , Metropolitan Corporate Counsel
Within the past year, the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB" or the "Board") has taken action restricting normative and commonly found personnel policies of non-union employers.
October 23, 2012
EEOC Wins Summary Judgment on Liability in Baltimore County Pension Case
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Pension Plan Found to Be Discriminatory on the Basis of Age.
The Uncomfortable Truth About American Wages
Source: Michael Greenstone & Adam Looney, New York Times
Job creation has rightly been the central economic issue of the last three years as the United States continues its recovery.
Wal-Mart faces wage lawsuit as walkout threat looms
Source: Dan Levine and Jessica Wohl, Chicago Tribune
A new lawsuit accused Wal-Mart Stores Inc and two staffing agencies of requiring temporary employees to show up early for work, stay late, and work through lunch at the world's largest retailer.
October 19, 2012
Supreme Court to Hear Title VII, Class-Action Cases in 2012-13 Term
Source: Matthew Heller , Workforce
As Littler Mendelson's Garry Mathiason says, 'There are always some surprises from the Supreme Court.'
Walmart Strikes Spread Nationwide
Source: Aaron Kase, Lawyers.com
What started as isolated walkouts in California by employees of retail giant Walmart has spread to cities across the nation, as workers fight for better working conditions and the right to organize.
Lost wages: What records does your union need to keep; what policies should you develop?
Source: John Lund, Department of Labor
Suppose you've just been audited by Office of Labor-Management Standards and your closing letter says your local union "did not retain adequate documentation for lost wage reimbursement payments to the Treasurer and Vice President totaling at least 53 times."
October 18, 2012
A Court Ruling About Workplace Conduct That Will Blow Your Mind
Source: Eric B. Meyer , TLNT
Take a few minutes to read this court decision. It will blow your mind.
BellSouth Telecommunications to Pay $120,000 to Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment / Retaliation Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Telecom Giant Retaliated Against Women for Complaining About Sexual Harassment by Manager, Federal Agency Charged.
Wage gap? Gender gap? Answers from Obama and Romney fall through the cracks
Source: Mary McNamara , LA Times
During the second presidential debate, the candidates dance around a question about workplace inequalities and fail to connect with a key constituency.
October 16, 2012
Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to federal employment laws [Article no longer available]
Source: Ann Bowden-Hollis, Sun Herald
Growing businesses frequently become subject to a variety of federal employment laws because of increasing the number of employees "on the payroll."
Labor: An employee's Facebook pictures rightly cost him his job
Source: John Kuenstler , Inside Counsel
Employers might "like" this: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently ruled on its first social media termination case, finding in favor of the employer.
'Old White Man' Wins $1.8 Million for Job Discrimination
Source: Sylvia Hsieh, Lawyers.com
A former Wisconsin state official won $1.8 million, claiming his boss transferred him to a job 110 miles from his home in order rid the agency of "old white men" and for supporting another worker's discrimination complaint.
October 15, 2012
US Department of Labor launches virtual Workplace Flexibility Toolkit during National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Source: News Release , US Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor has launched its online Workplace Flexibility Toolkit to provide employees, job seekers, employers, policymakers and researchers with information, resources and a unique approach to workplace flexibility.
Court Orders AA Foundries to Take Extensive Measures to Prevent Racial Harassment
Source: Press Release, EEOC
EEOC Sued After Superintendent Frequently Used Racially Derogatory Terms, Hanging Noose Found at Worksite; Order Follows Jury Verdict of $200,000
Walmart Strike Memo Reveals Confidential Management Plans
Source: Alice Hines , Huffington Post
Walmart launched a large-scale response this week to a series of unprecedented labor strikes, according to a confidential document obtained by The Huffington Post
October 12, 2012
Memphis includes gays under anti-discrimination
Source: The Commercial Appeal , News Channel 9
The Memphis City Council has included sexual orientation and gender identity in an ordinance that bans discrimination in city hiring.
Darden tests limiting worker hours as health-care changes loom
Source: Sandra Pedicini, Orlando Sentinel
In an experiment apparently aimed at keeping down the cost of health-care reform, Orlando-based Darden Restaurants has stopped offering full-time schedules to many hourly workers in at least a few Olive Gardens, Red Lobsters and LongHorn Steakhouses.
Obesity is Now Considered a Workplace Disability
Source: Lawyers.com
Under the original Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), obesity was considered a disability only when it was due to an underlying physiological disorder, like diabetes or a thyroid condition. Otherwise, obesity was considered a lifestyle choice.
October 11, 2012
Unmasking a Pretext for Res Ipsa Loquitur: A Proposal to Let Employment Discrimination Speak for Itself
Source: William R. Corbett , SSRN
Unmasking a Pretext for Res Ipsa Loquitur: A Proposal to Let Employment Discrimination Speak for Itself
Wendy's Franchisee to Pay $41,500 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Killeen Fast-Food Restaurant Refused to Hire Hearing-Impaired Applicant Despite His Qualifications, Federal Agency Charged
Work Advice: Fighting salary discrimination
Source: Karla L Miller , Washington Post
Reader: My company has a policy that, after so many years, your salary should be at mid-level on its salary charts
October 10, 2012
Private emails cost fire captain his job
Source: Nina Culver , Spokesman Review
The Spokane Valley Fire Department on Monday fired a captain who continued to send religious emails from his department email account despite numerous orders to stop.
California vetoes Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
Source: AU Law Forum , American University
During an eleventh hour vote, California governor Jerry Brown vetoed legislation which would have protected approximately 200,000 domestic workers in California by providing for overtime.
High court to hear biggest race case in six years
Source: Tom Curry , NBC
On Wednesday morning the United States Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the most important civil rights case to come before the justices in the past six years: a challenge to the use of race as a factor in admissions at the University of Texas.
October 9, 2012
Title IX complicates employee dispute case
Source: Cynthia Hua, Yale Daily News
The Title IX retaliation suit filed Friday afternoon by employee Susan Burhans is a common reaction to employment disputes, according to attorneys in the field.
For Judge in Firefighter Discrimination Case, an Evolving Opinion
Source: Mosi Secret, New York Times
One after another, nearly 150 white firefighters approached a lectern facing a federal judge and, voices sometimes trembling with anger, decried what they called a perversion of justice.
Age Discrimination: Older Workers Worry About Hiring Bias
Source: Ann Brenoff , Huffington Post
In the first 919 days that Jim Pawlak was out of work, he sent out 908 resumes and was called for fewer than 50 interviews.
October 5, 2012
EEOC: WSSU racially discriminated against white former employee
Source: Michael Hewlett , Winston Salem Journal
A white former employee of Winston-Salem State University, a historically black university, was a victim of racial discrimination when she was terminated, according to a ruling by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Union County bank violates anti-discrimination laws, former exec says
Source: Ed Beeson , The Star Ledger
By today's standards, a small bank headquartered in Elizabeth gives its workers plum benefits: free health insurance, good salaries and a pension to which they don't have to contribute a dime.
WORKPLACE: Facebook decision goes against employee
Source: Jack Katzanek , Press Enterprise
The question about what an employee can post about her or his boss on a personal Facebook page remains a complicated one.
October 4, 2012
Female Walmart ex-employees file federal discrimination suit over promotions
Source: Jane Musgrave, Palm Beach Post
When Boca Raton resident Christina Going asked her boss at Walmart what she could do to snare a higher-paying position, the answer sounded like it was designed to give her ammunition for a discrimination lawsuit.
Hampton Inn Franchise to Pay $85K to Settle EEOC Race and National Origin Bias Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Franchise Fired White and Non-Hispanic Workers Because of Negative Stereotypes, Federal Agency Charged.
Payroll Tax Cut Is Unlikely to Survive Into Next Year
Source: Annie Lowrie, New York Times
Regardless of who wins the presidential election in November or what compromises Congress strikes in the lame-duck session to keep the economy from automatic tax increases and spending cuts, 160 million American wage earners will probably see their tax bills jump after Jan. 1.
October 3, 2012
Hiring based on appearance can lead to discrimination claim
Source: Katherine Loehrke, FLD Reporter
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently began an investigation of a Massachusetts-based coffee chain's alleged practice of hiring only attractive women.
Employee Rights To Fight Workplace Abuse Raised In 2 Supreme Court Cases
Source: Christina Wilkie, Huffington Post
The Supreme Court, in the term that began Monday, will rule on at least two disputes that could have a major impact on how employees fight alleged mistreatment by their employers.
Pao Says Kleiner Perkins Fired Her; Firm Denies It
Source: Nicole Perlroth, New York Times
Ellen Pao, the venture capitalist who sued Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers for discrimination and retaliation last May.
October 2, 2012
Challenging Offensive Language in the Office
Source: Steven Petrow, New York Times
A couple of weeks ago, I was having lunch with some of my department colleagues when one of them told a "joke" that, while not blatantly homophobic, was certainly gay-unfriendly and not at all funny.
California Is Latest Stage for Election Battle Over Unions
Source: Adam Nagourney , New York Times
The battle to curb labor's political clout has moved from Wisconsin to California, where wealthy conservatives are championing a ballot measure that would bar unions from donating to candidates.
Woman Sues Over Personality Test Job Rejection [Article no longer available]
Source: Abby Ellin , ABC
More companies are turning to pre-employment personality tests.
October 1, 2012
St. Alexius Medical Center's Failure to Accommodate Employee with Cognitive Disability Draws EEOC Disability Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal Agency Says Hospital Could Have Accommodated Employee Instead of Firing Her
Pregnancy Discrimination In The Workplace Target Of New EEOC Crackdown
Source: Christina Wilkie, Huffington Post
During the past week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed four pregnancy discrimination related lawsuits and settled a fifth.
September 28, 2012
3 Tips for Job-Seeking Boomers Hoping to Combat Age Discrimination
Source: U.S. News & World Report , Huffington Post
Recently, the research and consulting firm Millennial Branding firm teamed up with the career networking site Beyond.com to survey more than 5,000 job seekers about their job search.
September 27, 2012
Wisconsin Judge Restores Stripped Worker Rights
Source: Aaron Kase, Lawyers.com
A judge in Wisconsin has restored collective bargaining rights to Wisconsin's public sector employees, ruling that a law signed by Gov. Scott Walker last year limiting union power is unconstitutional.
Women face host of obstacles to retirement
Source: Christine Dugas, USA Today
When Jeanne Majors, 63, took an early retirement in December 2005, she assumed that she would pick up a part-time job and be in good financial shape. She didn't know that her future would quickly fall apart.
Senate Republicans Challenge Obama's Recess Appointments
Source: Ashley Southall , New York Times
Senate Republicans have filed a friend-of-the-court brief challenging President Obama's appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, reigniting a confrontation over presidential power.
September 26, 2012
EEOC Teaching Teens About their Workplace Rights
Source: Kristen Frasch, Human Resource Executive
In what appears to be a continuation of its revved up enforcement of - and attention to - workers' rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has taken another employee group under its wing: teenagers.
Scully Distribution to Pay $630,000 to Settle EEOC Class Action Race Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Scully Distribution to Pay $630,000 to Settle EEOC Class Action Race Discrimination Suit
Federal panel hears arguments in Wis. union case [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, CBS News
A federal appeals court in Chicago heard arguments Monday on the constitutionality of Wisconsin's law restricting collective bargaining by public employees -- one of several related appeals working their way through the courts.
September 25, 2012
NJ pays millions in sex harassment cases
Source: AP , NECN
Soon after joining New Jersey's corrections officer academy, Gina Marie DiPasquale was taken aback by what she saw as blatant harassment of female trainees.
Job-Hunting with a Criminal Record
Source: Lawyers.com
There are 65 million adults in the United States with a record of arrest or conviction that can interfere with their ability to find and keep a job.
As More Companies Recruit with Pre-Employment Tests, Questions of Bias Percolate
Source: Molly McDonough , ABA Journal
Companies are increasingly relying on pre-employment testing to find the employees with the right fit for the job. But as the testing becomes more common, so are complaints about bias and possible risk to employers.
September 24, 2012
3 Tips for Job-Seeking Boomers Hoping to Combat Age Discrimination
Source: Ritika Trikha , US News & World Report
Recently, the research and consulting firm Millennial Branding firm teamed up with the career networking site Beyond.com to survey more than 5,000 job seekers about their job search. And they found that Baby Boomers--folks in their late forties to sixties--are having the toughest time finding jobs compared to other generations.
NJ Transit settles discrimination suit with police [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Sacramento Bee
New Jersey Transit has agreed to pay 10 police officers $5.8 million to settle a discrimination lawsuit.
Chemcore to Pay $30,000 to Settle EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Wholesale Supplier Fired Employee Hours After She Reported Pregnancy, Agency Charged
September 21, 2012
Judge denies Home Depot's demand for worker's emotion-laden Facebook posts
Source: Lisa Vaas , Naked Security
A federal California judge has ruled that Home Depot can't rummage through a former worker's Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social media posts and pictures to prove that she lied about emotional distress caused by her employer's alleged wrongdoing.
EEOC's Youth@Work Outreach Campaign
Source: Gabrielle Erway , The Proactive Employer
While the EEOC works diligently to enforce laws prohibiting employment discrimination, the agency also believes strongly in preventing such issues from arising in the first place and sees education as the first line of defense.
W. Sac firm refused to let woman return to work after maternity leave, feds allege
Source: Denny Walsh , Sacramento Bee
A federal agency is accusing a West Sacramento security services firm of unlawfully refusing to allow a security officer to return to work after maternity leave.
September 20, 2012
Intellectually Disabled Workers Awarded $1.3M for Pay Discrimination by Henry's Turkey Service
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Further Proceedings on Disability-Based Abuse and Harassment Allegations Lie Ahead.
Ohio franchisee who runs Pa. Panera stores agrees to settle black worker's discrimination suit [Article no longer available]
Source: AP , Washington Post
An Ohio franchisee who runs several western Pennsylvania Panera Bread stores has agreed to pay more than $76,000 to settle discrimination claims by current and former black employees.
Jury awards fired worker back pay from RadioShack in age bias suit [Article no longer available]
Source: Sandra Baker , Star Telegram
A federal jury in Colorado awarded a Denver man $187,000 in back pay Tuesday after finding that Fort Worth-based RadioShack illegally fired him for filing an age discrimination complaint.
September 19, 2012
Sterling Savings Bank Sued for Alleged Labor Law Violations [Article no longer available]
Source: Rowdy Meeks Legal Group LLC , Sacramento Bee
Sterling Savings Bank systematically violated federal and state labor laws by denying overtime pay to mortgage loan officers and other mortgage origination employees, the Rowdy Meeks Legal Group LLC and Johnson Johnson Larson & Schaller, PC allege in a lawsuit filed in Oregon federal court.
Lawsuits over worker pay soar as economy struggles
Source: Sandra Pedicini , Orlando Sentinel
A recent lawsuit accusing Orlando-based Darden Restaurants of underpaying servers is one of a growing number of legal actions by workers who say their employers have shortchanged them.
Wisconsin Union Law Appeal: Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Asks For Stay
Source: Scott Bauer, Huffington Post
Wisconsin's attorney general on Tuesday appealed a court ruling repealing major parts of Gov. Scott Walker's law effectively ending collective bargaining for most public workers.
September 18, 2012
Workers Standing Up for Their Rights in Record Numbers
Source: Michele Bowman , Lawyers.com
Record numbers of workers are standing up for their rights when it comes to being treated fairly on the job.
Age Discrimination Keeping Boomers From Employment
Source: Huffington Post
The Great Recession has dealt its fare share of setbacks, but some would argue boomers have been hit significantly harder than the rest of the nation, especially with news that older unemployed workers are less likely to get hired again.
Watchdog says NLRB general counsel violated ethics rules in Wal-Mart case [Article no longer available]
Source: AP , Washington Post
The top lawyer at the National Labor Relations Board violated federal ethics rules by helping investigate a case involving Wal-Mart Stores Inc. despite holding a financial interest in the company, the board's inspector general has found.
September 17, 2012
Filipino nurses win language discrimination settlement
Source: Ahn Do, Los Angeles Times
At $975,000, it's believed to be the largest language discrimination settlement in the U.S. healthcare industry. Officials at Delano Regional Medical Center say they did nothing wrong and settled only because it made financial sense.
Filterfresh Coffee Services Pays $90,000 to Settle EEOC Sex Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal Agency Charged Company Fired Female Employee but Provided Male Counterpart With More Opportunities
Note if worker drops ADA accommodations ball
Source: The HR Specialist , Business Management Daily
Employers and employees are supposed to engage in the interactive accommodations process once an employee indicates she may be disabled. If she doesn't cooperate, document it.
September 14, 2012
Amendment to New York Wage Deduction Statute Expands Allowable Deductions
Source: Workplace Resource Center , Jackson Lewis LLP
Expanding the scope of permissible deductions from wages under New York law, Governor Andrew Cuomo, on September 7, 2012, has signed legislation amending New York Labor Law §193.
Red Lobster: We Sea FLSA Differently
Source: Gabrielle Erway , The Proactive Employer
Employees of one of the nation's largest restaurant operators have filed suit against the company in federal court.
EEOC sues Leona's alleging unfulfilled settlement
Source: Mary Ellen Podmolick , Chicago Tribune
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Leona's Pizzaria, Inc., alleging that the restaurant chain failed to abide by an agreement resolving employment discrimination claims.
September 13, 2012
Bojangles' to Pay over $30,000 to Settle EEOC Sex Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Greensboro Restaurant Fired Worker for Complaining About Abuse, Federal Agency Charged
Miles Kimball Company to Pay $95,000 To Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Deaf Employee Was Fired After Being Denied Interpreter, Federal Agency Charged
Compensating Your Employees Fairly: A Guide to Internal Pay Equity
Source: The Proactive Employer
I've been racking up the frequent flyer miles lately speaking about internal pay equity.
September 12, 2012
US Foods Settles EEOC Race Discrimination Suit for $165,000
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Food Service Distribution Company Fired Employee Due to Race, Federal Agency Charged
EEOC warns employers against enforcing confidentiality during workplace investigations
Source: Kristen Erinburg , Crain's Cleveland
Last week, my blog focused on the potential consequences of the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) recent decision prohibiting blanket confidentiality policies relative to workplace investigations.
September 11, 2012
California Civil Attorneys: New Labor Law Protects Big Worker Group [Article no longer available]
Source: Linda Garcia , US Politics Today
The new labor law provides workers with overtime pay, meal and rest periods, and uninterrupted sleep periods and compensation for interruptions.
Samsung accused of sexual discrimination at China plant
Source: Ryan Huang, ZD Net
The South Korean firm is facing allegations from a labor rights group that its hiring practices violated Chinese law, after it put up a recruitment poster for female workers without communicable diseases.
The EEOC Strategic Enforcement Plan Infographic
Source: Stephanie R. Thomas, PhD., The Proactive Employer
Here's the EEOC Strategic Enforcement Plan - in infographic form.
September 10, 2012
California Gov. Brown signs bill banning religious discrimination [Article no longer available]
Source: Stephen Magagnini , Sacramento Bee
Blue, green, saffron, red, pink and black turbans crowded around Gov. Jerry Brown on the north steps of the Capitol on Saturday when he signed two bills designed to battle anti-Sikh discrimination.
Appeals ruling revives ADA case against United
Source: Reuters , Chicago Tribune
A federal appeals court has revived an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit against United Airlines Inc., and said U.S. law generally requires employers to reassign disabled workers to vacant jobs for which they are qualified.
Court Rules Employers Must Reassign Disabled Workers to Vacant Jobs
Source: Jonathan Stempal, Insurance Journal
A federal appeals court has revived an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit against United Airlines Inc., and said U.S. law generally requires employers to reassign disabled workers to vacant jobs for which they are qualified.
September 7, 2012
Kauai County in Hawaii Settles EEOC Race Harassment Case for $120,000
Source: Press Release, EEOC
White County Attorney Subjected to Racially Disparaging Remarks by Top-Level Manager, Federal Agency Charged
NLRB Loses Court Challenge Over Secret Ballots
Source: Melanie Trotman , Wall Street Journal
A federal government agency lost its court challenge of an Arizona constitutional amendment that guarantees workers in the state can vote by secret ballot on whether to join a union.
Michigan high court allows pro-union measure on November ballot
Source: Reuters
Michigan voters may decide in November whether to enshrine a right to collective bargaining in the state's constitution, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, in a victory for labor unions in the state that is home to major auto companies.
September 6, 2012
How Long is Too Long for a Medical Leave of Absence?
Source: John Hyman, Workforce
If you are granting a leave to an employee as an accommodation, your best defense to a potential ADA claim is to open a dialogue with the employee about a return date, and prepare to be flexible.
Arizona Wins Ruling in Labor Fight Over Union Ballots
Source: Karen Gullo, Bloomberg
Arizona defeated a U.S. government court challenge to a law requiring that union elections be held using a secret ballot as opposed to using the so-called card- check.
EEOC Draft Plan Prioritizes Employer Hiring Practices
Source: Jenna Greene, Law.com
Faced with a rising caseload and shrinking resources, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released a draft strategic enforcement plan that calls for bringing cases with the broadest possible impact and eliminating systemic barriers in recruitment and hiring.
September 5, 2012
EEOC Seeks Input on Strategic Enforcement Plan
Source: Press Release, EEOC
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released for public comment a draft of its Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP)
Wells Fargo worker fired for fake dime files civil rights complaint
Source: AP, DeMoines Register
Richard Eggers, a 68-year-old call center worker fired for putting a cardboard cutout of a dime in a laundry machine in 1963, has filed state and federal civil rights complaints against his former employer, the firm that did his criminal background check, and federal banking regulators.
Christians Claim Workplace Discrimination in Landmark Case
Source: Harvey Morris, New York Times
One of Europe's highest courts is considering a landmark decision on the employment rights of Christians, including two British women who were disciplined for wearing crucifix necklaces at work.
September 4, 2012
6 challenges affecting the American worker
Source: John Gallagher, Katherine Yung, Zlati Meyer and Susan Tompor, USA Today
Labor Day means more than a chance to relax and eat hot dogs. It's also a time to reflect on the challenges facing the American worker.
EEOC Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Modify FOIA Regulations
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Changes Affect Certain FOIA Procedures
EEOC Lawyer Advises Careful Navigation of Issues in the Workplace
Source: Bulletin to Management, Bloomberg
Although it might not be obvious, he said, navigating issues that arise from social media use in the workplace involves EEOC-related topics and "can create an absolute legal mine field for employers."
August 31, 2012
Fry's Electronics to pay $2.3 million in sexual harassment case
Source: Tiffany Hsu, LA Times
Fry's settles a federal lawsuit alleging that the retailer retaliated against a supervisor who reported a sexual harassment claim.
New disclosures give workers a better look at 401(k) fees
Source: David Nicklaus, St. Louis Today
If you're like most 401(k) participants, you probably ignored the long disclosure document you got recently.
NLRB Rules on Keeping Employees From Discussing HR Investigations
Source: Catherine Dunn, Law.com
Companies may want to think twice about how they instruct employees to keep mum during internal HR investigations, following a recent ruling by the National Labor Relations Board.
August 30, 2012
California Social Media Privacy Bill Would Put New Restrictions On Employers (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Source: Aaron Sankin , Huffington Post
Rule number one when applying for a job: lock down your Facebook
New Tennessee unemployment law makes changes helpful to employers
Source: Kara E. Shea, HR Hero
Tennessee's Unemployment Insurance Accountability Act, which takes effect September 1, amends the state's unemployment statute in ways helpful to employers.
Bill gives domestic workers union-style work rules
Source: Don Thompson, Mercury News
Nannies, housekeepers, childcare providers and caregivers in California would be eligible for overtime and meal breaks under a bill making its way through the Legislature.
August 29, 2012
Managing Mental Health at Work
Source: Melissa Korn , Wall Street Journal
John Binns, a partner in the consulting practice at U.K.-based Deloitte LLP, assumed his career "would be finished" after he took a two-month leave in 2007 to treat a severe bout of depression.
California workers' compensation bill faces difficulties
Source: Marc Lifsher, LA Times
Advocates for low-income injured workers and the attorneys who represent them are furiously rejecting a proposed overhaul of the state's complex, costly workers' compensation insurance system.
EEOC Obtains $2.75 Million from WRS Compass for Victims of Race Harassment at Clean-Up Site
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal Agency Said Company Subjected Black Workers to Nooses and Other Abuse; White Workers Who Associated With Blacks Were Also Harassed
August 28, 2012
ABCO West Electrical Will Pay $23,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: American University , American University Labor & Employment Law
Construction Company Fired and Then Refused to Rehire Amputee, Federal Agency Charged.
ABCO West Electrical Will Pay $23,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Construction Company Fired and Then Refused to Rehire Amputee, Federal Agency Charged.
Court: Age discrimination unproven in Boeing sale
Source: Roxana Hegeman , Business Week
A federal appeals court ruled Monday that former employees of The Boeing Co. failed to demonstrate a pattern of age discrimination in the wake of the 2005 sale of its commercial aircraft business in Kansas and Oklahoma.
August 27, 2012
'Bitch' as Sexual Harassment: Context Matters (Sort of)
Source: John Hyman , Workforce
Common use, however, has not neutralized the word as a matter of law.
Labor Department Clarifies Compliance Rules For Internet Hiring
Source: John Zappe , TLNT
If your employer does business with the federal government, you already know -- or should know -- the rules about Internet hiring.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upholds Board decision on pre-recognition agreements
Source: Office of Public Affairs , NLRB
In a decision issued Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a 2010 National Labor Relations Board ruling that an employer and union did not violate federal labor law by entering into an agreement establishing principles for bargaining if employees selected union representation.
August 24, 2012
Counseling as an ADA-Protected Medical Examination
Source: John Hyman , Workforce
If counseling qualifies as a covered medical exam, then employers, like WLAA, will have to rely on the statute's defense of job-relatedness and business necessity if an employee needs counseling.
Google's formula to retain women: Longer maternity leave
Source: Eve Tahmincioglu, Today
Many employers end up scratching their heads when women who are seemingly on the fast track to the corner office end up leaving their companies.
Burger King Sued For Discrimination After Allegedly Firing Pentecostal Christian For Wearing Skirt
Source: Meredith Bennett-Smith , Huffington Post
Burger King's motto might be "Have it your way," but the slogan's rhetorical generosity does not, apparently, apply to its employees.
August 23, 2012
Courts to NLRB: We don't care what you think about class action waivers
Source: Nate Raymond , Thompson Reuters
The National Labor Relations Board threw a wild card at employment lawyers in January when it held companies couldn't require workers to sign away their rights to bring collective actions.
Gay man sues Library of Congress, alleging discrimination
Source: Lisa Rein , Washington Post
Peter TerVeer was an up-and-coming auditor for the Library of Congress's inspector general's office.
California Social Media Privacy Bill Would Put New Restrictions On Employers
Source: Aaron Sankin , Huffington Post
Rule number one when applying for a job: lock down your Facebook profile's privacy settings.
August 22, 2012
EEOC taking longer to complete appeals, hearings, investigations
Source: Stephen Losey, Federal Times
Significantly more federal employees are taking their discrimination cases all the way to the appeals process.
7 Updates on NLRB and OFCCP Proposed Rules and Posters
Source: CAI, Workplace Insight
Make sure your company is complying with recent changes in employment regulations and up to date on the newest proposals from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
Official's Lawsuit Claims Discrimination Against Men at U.S. Immigration Agency
Source: Kirk Semple, New York Times
The lawsuit, filed by a top federal immigration official in New York, alleges that he was shunted out of a high-level position in the agency in favor of a less-qualified woman because he was a man.
August 21, 2012
For Some Women, Discrimination Prevents Return to Work
Source: Bryce Covert, The Nation
Women have yet to recover in the recovery.
Health care enrollment time tries workers
Source: Christine Dugas, USA Today
As the open-enrollment season for health benefits approaches, many workers will be making some bad choices, according to a new survey.
Judge Dismisses Whistle-Blower Suit Against Infosys
Source: Julia Preston , New York Times
A federal judge in Alabama on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by an American employee of Infosys, the giant Indian outsourcing company.
August 20, 2012
I refused a job transfer -- what now?
Source: Suzzane Lucas , CBS
I have been with my company for five years.
EEOC Warns Against Silencing Employees During Investigations
Source: Shannon Green , Law.com
A recent letter sent by a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission field office to an employer is giving some employment lawyers pause.
Some companies slash labor costs by flouting federal laws [Article no longer available]
Source: Mandy Locke , The Sacramento Bee
As a commercial masonry contractor, Doug Burton prides himself on being exact.
August 17, 2012
The Motherhood Penalty: We're in the Midst of a 'Mom-Cession'
Source: Bonnie Rochman, Time
Married mothers find it harder to secure a new job after being laid off and when they do, they earn less than married fathers.
US goes after employers on job bias
Source: Sam Hananel, News Leader
EEOC filing more class action lawsuits
Puyallup Truck Dealership Sued by EEOC for National Origin and Sexual Harassment
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A Puyallup, Wash., used-truck dealership violated federal law when its general manager engaged in ongoing harassment targeting a Filipino American male employee, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.
August 16, 2012
The Supreme Court To Define Supervisor For Purposes of Title VII
Source: AU Law Forum , American University Labor & Employment Law
In a case that could have far reaching implications for employers, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear Vance v. Ball State University, a case in which the Court will define "supervisor" for purposes of determining an employer's liability for harassment under Title VII.
Solyndra agrees to pay $3.5 million in a settlement with its laid-off employees
Source: George Avalas, Mercury News
Solyndra has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle claims that the bankrupt solar company failed to properly notify employees that it was halting operations.
EEOC and NLRB Tag Team Workplace Investigations
Source: Philip Miles, Lawffice Space
The EEOC's Buffalo office recently issued a letter condemning the practice of threatening employees with discipline for "discussing 'the matter.'"
August 15, 2012
When the Boss Is a Screamer
Source: Sue Shellenbarger , Wall Street Journal
Shouting Is Less Tolerated in the Workplace, but Nasty Emails and Other Ways of Venting Take a Toll
Combat Cattiness: 4 Tips To Downplay Drama And Foster Productivity
Source: Kelsey Mayer , Forbes
Drama in the workplace is extremely counterproductive. I've heard horror stories about coworkers instigating drama and bitterness in organizations.
Worker Wage-and-Hour Suits Rise in Difficult Labor Market
Source: Emily Grannis , Business Week
Lawsuits by U.S. workers contesting wages and hours, including demands for overtime pay, reached a 20-year high this year as unemployment remained above 8 percent.
August 14, 2012
Workplace Sexual Harassment and Negative Effects for All Employees: Harms Beyond Targets
Source: Dan Defoe, Psycholawgy
Sexual harassment in the workplace harms the targets of the mistreatment.
One more 'right': to join a union
Source: Opinion Contributor , Politico
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his final State of the Union Speech on Jan. 11, 1944, called on Congress to create a "Second Bill of Rights."
Muslim employee's suit accuses Disney of bias over head scarf
Source: Kate Mather , LA Times
Imane Boudlal charges that she was harassed after she began wearing a hijab in 2010 while working as a cafe hostess.
August 10, 2012
Accuracy in Criminal Background Checks
Source: Editorial , New York Times
For far too long, the federal government has neglected its responsibility for regulating the companies that provide criminal background checks used by 9 in 10 companies to screen job applicants.
Employers Brace for EEOC 'Red Zone' Lawsuits [Article no longer available]
Source: Andrew Lu, Reuters
It is August and we are now entering the "Red Zone" period for EEOC lawsuits against employers.
Janet Napolitano-run Homeland Security treated male staffers like lapdogs, federal discrimination lawsuit charge
Source: Joseph Straw , Reuven Blau and Rich Schapiro , New York Daily News
James Hayes Jr., who now is New York's top Homeland Security cop, claims Napolitano filled top spots in Washington, D.C., with two of her gal pals who were bent on tormenting male employees.
August 9, 2012
Should You Tell Your Employer About Your Side Job?
Source: Rebecca Thorman , US News & World Report
Low wages, pay freezes, and the threat of layoffs mean that for many employees a second job is a necessity. But does your employer agree?
Doctor's Dilemma: Medically Proving That Watching Pig Pornography Is Stressful
Source: Terrence McCoy, Houston Press
Doctor unveiling the link between sexual harassment in the workplace, and emotional distress.
Company learns hard way to take sexual harassment seriously
Source: Jane Ann Morrison, Las Vegas Review Journal
Prospect Airport Services didn't take it seriously when Rudolpho Lamas complained that a young female co-worker was sexually harassing him
August 7, 2012
Forced to resign: What are your options?
Source: Suzzane Lucas , CBS News
Dear Evil HR Lady, My employer asked me to resign.
Morningside House of Ellicott City to Pay $25,000 for Religious Discrimination
Source: Press Release, EEOC
EEOC Says Muslim Applicant Denied Hire Because of Hijab.
Thin Is In For Executive Women: How Weight Discrimination Contributes To The Glass Ceiling
Source: Lisa Quast, Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/08/06/thin-is-in-for-executive-women-as-weight-discrimination-contributes-to-glass-ceiling/
August 6, 2012
Make family leave affordable for parents
Source: Elen Bravo, Times Union
Nearly two decades ago, on Aug. 5, 1993, the United States took a stride forward by implementing the Family and Medical Leave Act. But we've got further to go.
How to handle partial-day absences under FMLA
Source: The HR Specialist , Business Management
Sometimes, an employee needs just a few hours of FMLA leave to make a doctor's appointment or to drive a relative to treatment.
Caldwell Freight Lines to Pay $120,000 to Settle EEOC Race Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Freight Delivery Company Refused to Hire Blacks, Federal Agency Charged.
August 3, 2012
dELia's Will Pay $75,000 to Settle EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Retailer Harassed and Terminated Pregnant Employees, Federal Agency Charged.
EEOC Intake Form Is Sufficient Notice of Discrimination Claim
Source: David Gialanella, Law.com
Huntington Ingalls, Inc., the present owner of the shipyard in Newport News, Va., and its contractor Quality Coatings of Virginia, Inc. of Chesapeake, Va., will pay $80,000 to settle a lawsuit for retaliation filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced Monday.
Temp Employees Removed From Ship After Reporting Sexual Harassment By Female Supervisor Against Men
Source: Anneline Waldman , The Job Mouse
Huntington Ingalls, Inc., the present owner of the shipyard in Newport News, Va., and its contractor Quality Coatings of Virginia, Inc. of Chesapeake, Va., will pay $80,000 to settle a lawsuit for retaliation filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced Monday.
August 2, 2012
Members of Moreland Auto Group Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Lawsuit for Retaliation
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Former Employee to Receive Maximum Amount Allowed Based on Size of Employer.
Judge Declines to Reconsider Union-Organizing Rule
Source: Melanie Trottman , Wall Street Journal
The federal district judge who struck down a National Labor Relations Board rule that would have quickened union-organizing elections has denied the board's request that he reconsider the decision.
Now illegal for Illinois employers to ask for Facebook logins
Source: AP, Fox News
Seeking to guard the privacy rights of the social networking generation, Illinois is making it illegal for employers to ask job applicants for passwords to their online profiles.
August 1, 2012
Mary Bullock's Discrimination Lawsuit Against Anti-Discrimination Agency Most Ironic Lawsuit Ever?
Source: Huffington Post
You would think that the agency charged with protecting workers from discrimination would know a thing or two about how not to get sued for discrimination. Apparently not.
Restaurant associations take action on behalf of workforce [Article no longer available]
Source: NRA staff , Restaraunt.org
Restaurant industry trade associations have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of restaurants and restaurant employees who share in tips and participate in tip pools.
NLRB Takes Aim At Employment-At-Will Clauses In Employee Handbooks
Source: American University , American University
As discussed in previous postings on this site, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is devoting a significant amount of attention to "concerted activity" under Section 7 of the NLRA, and is aggressively working to expand the "concerted activity" definition.
July 31, 2012
2nd Circuit rebuffs challenge to Buffalo firefighter test
Source: West Law, Thompson Reuters
The city of Buffalo, New York, did not discriminate against African-Americans with the test it used to promote firefighters, a federal appeals court has ruled.
Twin span sexual harassment case overturned by federal appeals court
Source: Ramon Antonio Vargas, Nola.com
A federal appeals court has overturned a jury's decision last year to award hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to a post-Katrina bridge repair worker who claimed his former crew superintendent at Boh Bros. Construction Co. sexually harassed him.
Unemployed Face Discrimination Just One Month After Losing Their Jobs, Report Says
Source: Arthur Delaney , Huffington Post
A new research paper suggests potential employers think less of unemployed job candidates no matter how briefly they've been out of work.
July 30, 2012
Chick-Fil-A Gay Flap A 'Wakeup Call' For Companies
Source: Elise Hu , NPR
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A has long stood by its Bible-based roots, keeping stores closed on Sundays and donating millions to Christian causes.
Lettire Construction Agrees to Pay Back Wages for Workers
Source: Charles V. Bagli, New York Times
Nicholas Lettire has won awards and political support for building affordable housing in Harlem and the Bronx, and for employing local workers at his construction sites.
Court Grants EEOC Injunction Against Prospect Airport Services
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A federal judge has ordered Prospect Airport Services, Inc., a provider of wheelchair assistance services to airline passengers, to implement extensive measures to prevent sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.
July 27, 2012
West Virginia High Court Affirms $2.1 Million Workplace Harassment Award
Source: Kevin D. Holden, Jackson Lewis LLP
A case from the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, the state's highest court, demonstrates clearly why investigations of employee complaints of co-worker misconduct must be handled promptly and with care and sensitivity to the aggrieved employee's legitimate concerns for retaliation by the accused.
Seventh Circuit Reaffirms that Use of Gender-Specific Term Does Not Automatically Constitute Harassment
Source: Amy Moor Gaylord, Josh Meeuwse and Melanie Stewart, Franczek Radelet
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed earlier decisions holding that the use of gender-specific terms (e.g., "bitch") in the workplace does not automatically constitute harassment.
Health Care Reform: Critical Next Steps for Employers [Article no longer available]
Source: Steven Friedman and Ilyse Schuman , TNLT
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) presents employers with a number of immediate and critical decisions that they must take.
July 26, 2012
Seyfarth Shaw Study Shows Increase in Wage and Hour Labor Suits
Source: Blog of Legal Times
During the past five years there has been a steady increase in the number of lawsuits filed under the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to research by Seyfarth Shaw.
You Can Be Fired for Being Too Fat, But You Might Collect a Fat Settlement Check, Too
Source: Stacy Zaretsky , Above the Law
Back in September 2011, we mentioned to our readers via Morning Docket that Ronald Kratz II, a 680-pound man, had allegedly been fired because he was too fat.
For Temp Workers, 'Temp' Looking More Permanent
Source: Yuki Noguchi, NPR
While the job market remains sluggish, temporary work is one area that's done very well in the economic recovery.
July 25, 2012
Kids R Us Childcare Company Settles EEOC Pregnancy Bias and Retaliation Suit for $75,00
Source: Press Release, EEOC
After Disclosing Pregnancy, Employee Demoted and Forced to Quit And Relatives Fired, Federal Agency Charged.
Fired obese worker will get $55,000
Source: L.M. Sixel , Houston Chronicle
BAE Systems Tactical Vehicle Systems has agreed to pay $55,000 and provide six months of outplacement services to a morbidly obese employee it fired.
Women Need a Raise in the Minimum Wage
Source: Bryce Covert, Forbes.com
Today marks three years to the day since the last increase in the federal minimum wage.
July 24, 2012
A Year After Dukes, the Impact on Employment Law Still Shaking Out
Source: Meghin Delaney, Law.com
But as the decision reverberates across the country, there's still not a clear long-term impact of Dukes on U.S. labor and employment law.
On Wall St., Gender Bias Runs Deep
Source: Lusita Torregrossa , New York Times
No doubt feminists everywhere, especially in the United States, celebrated July 16 when a 37-year-old female Google executive became the multimillion-dollar chief executive of Yahoo, the high-tech pioneer that has been struggling against its rivals.
Women farm workers win sex harassment case [Article no longer available]
Source: Christina Vega, Miami Herald
DiMare Ruskin will pay a $150,000 EEOC settlement after women tomato-pickers filed complaints that they were sexually harassed.
July 23, 2012
Our Ridiculous Approach to Retirement
Source: Teresa Ghiarducci, New York Times
I WORK on retirement policy, so friends often want to talk about their own retirement plans and prospects.
Job records ordered for 'literacy' discrimination case
Source: Deborah Elkins, VA Lawyers Weekly
The EEOC can obtain five years' worth of job assignment records from a company that deploys as many as 45,000 temporary workers on a weekly basis.
Illegal Aliens Are Not A Protected Class Under Title VII
Source: AU Law Forum , Labour Law Forum
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 clearly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
July 20, 2012
U.S. Standards on Workplace Noise Trail Those of Other Countries
Source: Cara Buckley , New York Times
Noise levels recorded at nearly a dozen restaurants, gyms and bars in New York City reached heights that, if sustained over as little as two hours, would violate standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to protect workers' hearing.
Court Orders Hawaii HealthCare Professionals and Its Owner to Pay over $190,000 for Age Discrimination
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Owner Referred to Employee as a 'Bag of Bones,' Then Fired Her, Says EEOC.
Sexual harassment lawsuit roils Silicon Valley
Source: Ferrit Nirappal, Huffington Post
The Silicon Valley venture capital firm of Kleiner, Perkins, Caulfied & Byers has been generating buzz for decades, spotting early investment opportunities and making billions with companies like Google and Amazon.
July 18, 2012
Beware of latest EEOC restrictions: Criminal background checks valuable but can create employer liability
Source: Patricia F. Weisberg , Crain's Cleveland Business
Given the increased risks of hiring employees who have bad track records or who appear more likely to become a liability for employers because of a criminal history, criminal background checks have become necessary for many employers today.
DiMare Ruskin to Pay $150,000 and Furnish Nationwide Relief to Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Consent Decree Settles Suit Against Tomato Grower Which Fired Women for Complaining About Abuse, Federal Agency Charged
Cocktail Waitresses, Discrimination and the Entertainer Exemption
Source: The Proactive Employer
Can an employer demote - or even fire - an employee for becoming pregnant or gaining weight?
July 17, 2012
Low-wage workers will rally on 'Day of Action
Source: Lisa Colangelo , New York Daily News
They will join with community leaders and union organizers on July 24.
Why Democrats need labor unions
Source: Julian Zelizer , CNN
The rally is meant to send a message to the Democratic leadership, as well as to Republicans, that many workers feel as if they don't have a voice in the two-party system.
Disability Employment: Are We at the Tipping Point? Disability Employment: Are We at the Tipping Point?
Source: Senator Tom Harkin , Huffington Post
Later this month, when our country marks the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, many of the law's champions will lament that the employment situation for our citizens with disabilities has not improved since the ADA was signed.
July 16, 2012
Newly created jobs go mostly to men
Source: Don Lee, LA Times
Since the recession ended in June 2009, men have gained 80% of the 2.6 million net jobs created in the U.S., including 61% in the last year.
Pam Reeves: Employers should be aware of NLRB social media rulings
Source: Pam Reeves, Knox News
Pamela Reeves is a partner in the Knoxville law firm Reeves, Herbert & Murrian P.A. Because factual situations vary, competent legal counsel should be consulted for individual advice.
San Francisco may pay $762K for emergency dispatcher harrassment, gender discrimination lawsuit
Source: Joshua Sabatini, San Francisco Examiner
Two emergency dispatchers have reached a tentative $762,000 settlement in a lawsuit against San Francisco for employment retaliation.
July 13, 2012
10 Things You Didn't Know Were In The Affordable Care Act
Source: Christian Torres and David Schultz, TNLT
So you think the United States Supreme Court upheld a law that just requires most people to buy health insurance?
EEOC and Family Dollar Stores Sign Mediation Pact
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Agreement Covers 7,200 Stores With More Than 50,000 Team Members Nationwide.
Lawsuit Claims Race Bias at Wet Seal Retail Chain
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
Asserting that the company had a high-level policy of firing and denying pay increases and promotions to African-American employees because they did not fit its "brand image."
July 12, 2012
Why Job Openings Don't Translate Into Jobs
Source: Matthew Phillips, Business Week
More blah news on the unemployment front, this time from the Labor Department's monthly survey on job openings and labor turnover, known as the JOLTS report.
Making work better: industrial organizational psychology
Source: AP, LA Times
Employees are the heart of any business, so recognizing their value and helping them work efficiently is vital to an organization's success.
Labor Department Computers Vulnerable to Leaks: Study
Source: Meera Louis, Business Week
Computer systems used by the U.S. Department of Labor to produce market-sensitive economic data are more likely to be a source of possible leaks...
July 11, 2012
Feds allege Bass Pro job discrimination
Source: Brian Lockhart , CT Post
Bass Pro Shops, the outdoor retailing giant announced last week as the first tenant for the city's Steel Point redevelopment, has been targeted by the federal government for alleged discriminatory hiring practices nationwide.
Unions Fight Scranton Mayor After He Cuts Pay to Minimum Wage
Source: Michael Cooper & Mary Williams Walsh, New York Times
When the city of Scranton, Pa., found itself down to its last $5,000 in the bank last week, its Democratic mayor took a highly unusual step.
RCC Consultants Will Pay $45,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Company Revoked Conditional Job Offer After Discovering Candidate Had Vision Problems, Federal Agency Charged.
July 10, 2012
Racial discrimination lawsuit against Humana reinstated
Source: Judy Greenwald , Business Insurance
A federal appeals court has reinstated a putative class action racial discrimination case brought by a former Humana Inc. employee in a technical legal ruling.
Racial discrimination lawsuit against Humana reinstated
Source: Judy Greenwald , Business Insurance
A federal appeals court has reinstated a putative class action racial discrimination case brought by a former Humana Inc. employee in a technical legal ruling.
Kleiner Perkins loses key argument in Ellen Pao sex discrimination case
Source: Peter Delevet , Mercury News
The judge in a sex discrimination lawsuit that's riveted Silicon Valley ruled Monday that venerable venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers can't force a junior partner to take her complaint to binding arbitration.
July 9, 2012
Department of Homeland Security Announces Work Authorization Program for Certain Illegal Immigrants
Source: Workplace Resource Center , Jackson Lewis LLP
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has announced that certain young people who were brought to the United States as children and who are not presently authorized to remain in the United States ("DREAMers") will be considered for work authorization.
Is taking work home overtime?
Source: Kelly Yamanouchi , The Columbus Dispatch
In age of smartphones, remote access to PCs, hourly employees say they are due extra pay.
Raising Minimum Wage: A Help Or Harm?
Source: NPR Staff, NPR
Back in 1912, Massachusetts became the first place in America to introduce a minimum wage, but it would take another quarter century before a national minimum wage was set.
July 6, 2012
NLRB's Acting General Counsel Addresses Controversial Complaint Regarding At-Will Employment Language and Other Employee Handbook Provisions
Source: Scott J. Witlin, National Law Review
On June 11, 2012, NLRB Acting General Counsel, Lafe Solomon, addressed the Connecticut Bar Association, specifically discussing the issuance a complaint in February by Region 28 alleging a multitude of violations arising from the various rules contained in the company's employee handbook.
CIA cracks down on sexual harassment in its ranks [Article no longer available]
Source: Ken Dilanian, LA Times
Spy agency reacts to complaints of sexual harassment by women working in CIA war zones. Former officers say trysts are part of the agency's culture.
Sexual Orientation and Civil Rights
Source: Richard Lyon , Huffington Post
At its recent annual meeting in New Orleans, the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly adopted a resolution declaring that marriage equality is not a civil right
July 5, 2012
How to Ask for a Leave of Absence
Source: Jessica Harper , US News & World Report
Tips to consider when asking for extended time off from work.
Can you be fired for what you post on Facebook?
Source: Josh Eidelson , Herald Bulletin
On a Saturday morning in October 2010, Mariana Cole-Rivera, a domestic violence advocate at the group Hispanics United of Buffalo, began the Facebook thread that would get her fired.
B.J. Con/Sew to Pay $75,000 to Settle EEOC Lawsuit for Harassent
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Hispanic Employee Had to Quit to Escape Harassment, Federal Agency Charged.
July 3, 2012
Transsexuals have few legal remedies
Source: Eric Weddie, Wall Street Journal
Laws from the federal level down to the city of Lafayette do little to protect employment, housing and health rights of transsexuals.
BP to Pay $5.4. Million on Gender Bias Complaints
Source: AP, New York Times
The oil company BP and its contractors have agreed to pay up to $5.4 million to resolve complaints that some women weren't considered for temporary jobs.
Obligatory use of E-Verify could lead to discrimination
Source: EFE, Fox News
Defenders of Hispanics in South Carolina warn that the law obliging companies to check the immigration status of new employees will spark discrimination against the community.
July 2, 2012
Minor adjustments: Complying with federal teen labor rules
Source: The HR Specialist , Business Management
It wasn't fun and games when stuffed-toy retailer Build-A-Bear Workshop was recently cited for child labor violations.
Courts Weigh in on FMLA Limits
Source: Michael P. Maslanka, FMLA
What's up with the Family and Medical Leave Act?
Law firms hit with discrimination suits
Source: Catherine Ho, Washington Post
Law firms that saw a flood of work defending corporations against such claims are finding they're not immune to the same types of lawsuits they're used to handling for clients.
June 29, 2012
Dealing with a Bad Boss
Source: John Beeson , Harvard Business Review
It's often said there's nothing certain in life except death and taxes.
Job screening policy casts too wide a net
Source: Janet Portman , Chicago Tribune
Q: We are about to hire a resident manager. We've always had a policy of asking whether applicants have ever been arrested or convicted.
What the Supreme Court's Health-Law Ruling Means for Consumers
Source: Louise Radnofsky , Wall Street Journal
The Supreme Court said Congress was acting within its powers under the Constitution when it required most Americans to carry health insurance or pay a penalty.
June 28, 2012
Outsourcing Becomes Toxic in U.S. Presidential Campaign
Source: Heather Timmons, New York Times
Outsourcing has never been a popular term in the Western countries that lose jobs to emerging markets, but it has become positively toxic in the current United States presidential campaign.
Employee harassment suit against university to reach Supreme Court [Article no longer available]
Source: Evie Lichtenwalter , BSU Daily News
A harassment lawsuit brought against the university and four university employees in 2006 was granted writ of certiorari was granted on Monday.
EEOC Cracking Down on Not Hiring Convicted Criminals [Article no longer available]
Source: Andrew Lu , Reuters
As a business owner, it probably goes without saying that you know you can't base employment decisions on characteristics like someone's race, sex, or national origin.
June 26, 2012
Laws may keep obesity bias out of hiring
Source: Jim Patterson , Futurity.org
Two US cities could provide a national model for combating workplace discrimination because of obesity, according to a new paper.
FedEx Freight to Pay $115,000 to Settle EEOC Sex Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Company Hired Unqualified Man Over Three Qualified Women for Human Resources Position, Federal Agency Charged.
Supreme Court Decision on Arizona Immigration Law
Source: John Schwartz, New York Times
On Monday, the Supreme Court handed down a split decision on Arizona's 2010 immigration law.
June 25, 2012
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirms Board finding that charge nurses are employees under the Act
Source: Office of Public Affairs , NLRB
In a published opinion that issued on Wednesday, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has enforced a Board Order finding that a Michigan long-term care and rehabilitation center unlawfully refused to bargain with a unit of charge nurses.
St. Louis Restaurant Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Source: Press Release , EEOC
A St. Louis restaurant will pay $23,000 and furnish other relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
Supreme Court Upholds Key Part of Arizona Law
Source: Jess Bravin, Wall Street Journal
The Supreme Court upheld a key part of Arizona's tough immigration law but struck down others as intrusions on federal sovereignty.
June 22, 2012
Transgender Rights in the Workplace Are Still Unclear
Source: Julie Turkewitz, The Atlantic
In fall 2007, Vandy Beth Glenn was a bill editor working beneath the gilded gold dome of the Georgia capitol building.
Equal Pay Plaintiffs' Burden of Proof
Source: Peter Coy and Elizabeth Dwoskin , Business Week
Lilly Ledbetter discovered she was underpaid one spring evening in 1998 at the start of her overnight shift as a manager at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Supreme Court curbs union abuse
Source: Jennifer Rubin , Washington Post
It's not been a good year for Big Labor. The Keystone XL pipeline got nixed. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) survived the recall, and now the Supreme Court has gotten serious about the First Amendment.
June 21, 2012
Legal Recruiting Firm Sues Former Employee, Citing Non-Compete Clause
Source: BLT
A legal recruiting firm has accused one of its former account executives of violating the firm's non-compete clause in their employment agreement.
U.S. Push on Illegal Bias Against Hiring Those With Criminal Records
Source: Robb Mandelbaum, New York Times
Many small businesses did not know it was illegal to impose a ban on hiring anybody with a criminal record. "I was not aware of that one," said Brian Hamilton, who owns four car dealerships in Nebraska.
EEOC Appellate Briefs Now Online
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Appellate Court and Amicus Briefs Available in Searchable Database on EEOC Website.
June 20, 2012
U.S. Supreme Court Issues Major Decision on Overtime Pay
Source: Robert Brody & Rebecca Goldberg, Brody & Associates
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that pharmaceutical sales representatives are not entitled to overtime pay.
New Interactive NLRB Webpage Provides Examples of Employee Section 7 Rights Under NLRA
Source: Stefan Marculewicz , Labor Relations Counsel
The National Labor Relations Board has created a new webpage that explains an employee's section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and allows the user to click on various Board cases that address protected concerted activity.
Johns Hopkins Home Health Care to Pay $160,000 to Settle Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release , EEOC
EEOC Charged Health Care Provider Failed to Accommodate Employee with Breast Cancer, then Fired Her.
June 19, 2012
U.S. Unions: Uncivil On Civil Rights
Source: Harry Alford & F. Vincent Vernuccio, Forbes
As union membership in the private sector continues to plummet, organized labor is pursuing desperate measures to reverse its fortunes.
The Volks Decision: What Does It Mean For Employers?
Source: Arthur Sapper, EHS Today
In November 2006, OSHA issued citations to Volks Constructor alleging failures to record some workplace injuries between January 2002 and April 2006.
NLRB launches webpage describing Protected Concerted Activity
Source: Office of Public Affairs , NLRB
The National Labor Relations Board today made public a webpage that describes the rights of employees to act together for their mutual aid and protection, even if they are not in a union.
June 18, 2012
Transforming Work Fears Into Career Confidence
Source: Terri Cole, Huffington Post
Have you ever stopped to think about your level of fear in your job?
State Of The Unions: Labor And The Middle Class
Source: NPR Staff, NPR
For many full-time employees in the United States, the five-day work week, paid overtime and holidays are expected benefits.
Dukes v. Wal-Mart One Year Later: Where Do Women Stand?
Source: Martha Burk, Huffington Post
In the year since, the ruling has been touted as a godsend for corporations.
June 15, 2012
New Schedules Push Graveyard Shift Off The Clock
Source: Tracy Samilton, NPR
As car companies struggle to meet growing demand, the third shift is making a comeback. But many factories running on three shifts are doing it differently from in the past.
Fed lawsuit: Lighting store required workers to be Christian
Source: Douglas Stanglin, USA Today
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed suit against a Tulsa lighting store charging that the company required prospective workers to be Christian, the Tulsa World reports.
New rules make it harder to get unemployment benefits
Source: Tami Luhby, CNN Money
Millions of jobless Americans now have another hurdle to pass before collecting federal unemployment benefits.
June 14, 2012
Whirlpool Settles EEOC Race and Sexual Harassment Lawsuit for One Million Dollars
Source: Press Release, EEOC
$25 million awarded steelworker in racial suit [Article no longer available]
Source: Phil Fairbanks, Buffalo News
A federal court jury awarded Turley $25 million in damages Tuesday after finding his former employers and their executives liable for a culture of racial discrimination that one of his lawyers said was reminiscent of the 1950s.
Fired at 71, NY lifeguard settles age-bias lawsuit
Source: AP, CBC News
A New York lifeguard who was fired at age 71 has settled an age-discrimination lawsuit for $65,000.
June 13, 2012
Can my boss delay a promised raise?
Source: Suzzane Lucas , CBS News
I'm a 24-year-old female, and I work in clothing retail, (I've worked in retail since I was 16).
NYPD kicks out Orthodox Jew recruit for refusing to trim beard
Source: Yukio Strachan, Digital Journal
Former recruit Fishel Litzman dreamed of being a NYPD police officer.
Motherhood Still a Cause of Pay Inequality
Source: Eduardo Porter, New York Times
Women have made huge strides in the job market since President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963.
June 12, 2012
The Gen Y workplace myth
Source: Steve Tobak , CBS News
Strange as it sounds, I'm a Gen Yer in a baby boomer's body.
Plaintiffs still pound Walmart
Source: Michael Kirkland, UPI
If you thought the Walmart sex discrimination fight was over when the U.S. Supreme Court broke the massive class action suit last year, you thought wrongly.
G.M. Says Pension Talks With Union Are Possible
Source: Bill Vlasic, New York Times
General Motors may seek a deal with the United Auto Workers to offer pension buyouts to union retirees similar to offers made recently to 42,000 white-collar retirees
June 11, 2012
Stevens Transport to Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Dallas Trucking Company Refused to Hire Paraplegic Applicant for Management Position, Federal Agency Charged.
A Transition in the Law [Article no longer available]
Source: Karina Sc, Business West
New Prohibitions Against Gender-identity Discrimination.
Federal ban on job bias still eludes gay rights groups
Source: Curtis Tate, McClatchy
One longstanding policy goal remains elusive: a federal law to ban discrimination against gay workers.
June 8, 2012
My Workplace is Filthy. Should I Call OSHA? [Article no longer available]
Source: Edward Tan, Reuters
Most employers strive to keep their offices clean and safe.
Workers Lost Ground During Recession As Bosses Gained
Source: David J. Lynch, Business Week
The U.S. economy's anemic rebound from the worst recession in six decades is pummeling workers while leaving bosses almost unscathed.
Organized labor took big hits in California and Wisconsin elections
Source: Alana Semuels, LA Times
Los Angeles will be one of the next major battlegrounds for unions beginning June 18, when the leadership of 1.6 million public-sector workers is up for grabs.
June 7, 2012
US Labor Board: Some Limits on Employee Social Media Use Are Illegal
Source: Grant Gross, IDG News, PC World
It is illegal for U.S. employers to issue broad-based prohibitions of employee discussions about their workplaces on social media, according to a new memo from the acting general counsel of the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Bill Pushes for Increase in Wages
Source: Rebecca Berg, New York Times
Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr. tried to give new vitality to the issue of the federal minimum wage on Wednesday, coming at the debate with a fresh angle.
What Wisconsin's Recall Means For Labor Unions
Source: Scott Newman, NPR
The Wisconsin recall election might have failed, but it succeeded in sending an ominous message to pro-labor forces across the nation -- especially in the Midwest, where a handful of legislatures are pushing to roll back collective bargaining and other union rights.
June 6, 2012
My company fires pregnant women: Is it legal?
Source: Suzzane Lucas , CBS News
I have been employed with my company for 7 years now.
EEOC Seeks Public Input in Developing Strategic Enforcement Plan
Source: Press Release, EEOC
In February 2012, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) approved a Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2012 - 2016.
WSU to pay $650K to settle discrimination lawsuit
Source: Nicholas Geranios, Seattle Times
Washington State University has agreed to pay $650,000 to settle a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by two former employees of Chinese descent.
June 5, 2012
Workers: State blocks unemployment benefits
Source: John Kennedy , Palm Beach Post
With Florida's unemployment rate at a three-year low of 8.7 percent, Gov. Rick Scott says his policies are helping drive the state's economy on the "path to recovery."
Turning Our Backs on Unions
Source: Joe Nocera, New York Times
"The Great Divergence" by Timothy Noah is a book about income inequality, and if you're thinking, "Do we really need another book about income inequality?" the answer is yes. We need this one.
Fighting for Equal Pay and the Paycheck Fairness Act
Source: Office of the Press Secretary , Whitehouse.gov
Today, the President continues to advocate for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a comprehensive bill that strengthens the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which made it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially equal work.
June 4, 2012
Unequal Treatment: EEOC Targets Blanket Leave of Absence and Attendance Policies for ADA Violations
Source: Inside Counsel
Jeff Nowak was quoted extensively in the article, "Unequal Treatment: EEOC Targets Blanket Leave of Absence and Attendance Policies for ADA Violations" published in the June 2012 issues of InsideCounsel.
Discrimination lawsuits double as definition of 'disability' expands
Source: Luke Rosiak, Washington Post
The number of employment discrimination lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has nearly doubled in the past five years and seen a sharp increase in recent months.
Garney Construction and Georgia Power to Pay $49,500 to Settle EEOC Disability Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Contractor Withdrew Job Offer to Applicant with Epilepsy Because of Construction Contract with Electric Utility Company.
June 1, 2012
NLRB Report on Social Media Highlights Overbroad Employer Restrictions
Source: Jenna Greene, Law.com
The National Labor Relations Board on May 30 issued a new report on social media policies for employees, giving real-world examples of company restrictions that cross the line, as well as highlighting instances where rules are valid.
Amity Shlaes: Suit alleging sex bias may end up harming female entrepreneurs
Source: Amity Shales , Sacramento Bee
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is anti-woman. That's the position of Ellen Pao, a junior partner at the venture capital firm who filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court contending "discriminatory treatment of plaintiff and other female employees, specifically in advancement and compensation because of their gender.
Democrats aim to close women's wage gap with a tougher fairness-pay bill
Source: Plain Dealer Wire Services, Cleveland.com
Two pharmaceutical reps shared the same job description and sales quota. They called on the same clients and split their commission 50/50. But the man earned a base salary 60 percent higher than his female partner.
May 31, 2012
New York Waitresses Sue for Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, Claiming They Were Forcibly Weighed [Article no longer available]
Source: Susanna Kim, ABC
Sutton Place Bar & Restaurant in New York City, pictured above, is being sued for sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and having a hostile work environment.
Black pilots claim in discrimination lawsuit that United offers few promotions to minorities [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
Nearly two dozen black pilots for United Airlines filed a federal discrimination lawsuit claiming few minority workers are promoted to upper management at the world's largest air carrier.
Kleiner Fires Back in Sex Discrimination Case
Source: David Streitfeld , New York Times
The venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caulfield and Byers, sued this month by a junior partner who said she had been sexually harassed and then punished for complaining, fired back Thursday afternoon.
May 30, 2012
6 FAQs About the EEOC's Updated Guidance on Criminal Records for Employment Decisions
Source: Michael Gaul, Business 2 Community
On April 25, 2012 the EEOC issued its much-anticipated updated enforcement guidelines on employers' use of criminal arrest and conviction records in the background screening process
EEOC Wins Rare Summary Judgment Verdict in Title VII Retaliation Case
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A federal judge has ruled that Cognis Corporation, a German-based part of multinational chemical company BASF, unlawfully retaliated against an employee for refusing to waive his rights to file a discrimination charge, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.
The new workplace revolution: Wage and hour lawsuits
Source: Jonathan Segal , CNN
More than 7,000 collective actions were filed in federal court in 2011 alleging wage and hour violations, an approximately 400% increase since 2000. What's driving the spike?
May 29, 2012
Chipotle's Undocumented-Worker Problem Resurges
Source: Susan Berfield, Bloomberg
Chipotle the fast-growing, burrito-slinging chain, has become the government's highest-profile target in its campaign against employers of illegal immigrants.
Tempe Elementary School District to Pay $148,000 to Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 will pay $148,092 and furnish other relief to settlean age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
NLRB Member Resigns Amid Leak Allegations
Source: Mary Lu Carnevale, Wall Street Journal
A member of the National Labor Relations Board who faces allegations of leaking information about pending board decisions to a former adviser to Mitt Romney, is stepping down, the NLRB said Sunday.
May 25, 2012
The fragile health of government HR
Source: Tom Fox, Washington Post
The federal government's human resources (HR) community is like the proverbial shoemaker's children.
Tempe district settles age-bias suit for nearly $150,000 [Article no longer available]
Source: Kerry Fehr-Snyder, Tucson Citizen
Tempe Elementary School District must pay more than $148,000 to settle an age-discrimination lawsuit filed by the federal government.
Minimum wage workers must labor 9,095 years to match top CEO's annual $137 million pay [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
David Simon of Simon Property received a pay package worth more than $137 million for last year, and the typical CEO took home $9.6 million, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
May 24, 2012
Plaintiffs face greater obstacles in discrimination suits, study shows
Source: University of Buffalo , Phys.org
University at Buffalo Sociology Professors Ellen Berrey, PhD, and Steve G. Hoffman, PhD, have co-authored a study that shows plaintiffs' limited resources and tumultuous experiences in employment discrimination lawsuits lead them to see this litigation as profoundly unfair.
Can Suing for Equal Pay Really Close the Gender Wage Gap?
Source: Bryce Covert, The Nation
Senator Barbara Milkulski is holding a press conference later today to press the Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act she recently introduced. But didn't President Obama already kill the gender wage gap?
Kansas workers sue meat-packing plant over wages
Source: Roxana Hegeman , Bloomberg
Workers at a Kansas slaughterhouse are seeking unpaid wages and overtime from National Beef Packing Co. in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of some 2,000 employees at the firm's Liberal plant.
May 23, 2012
'Too Hot' To Sell Lingerie?! The Appearance-Based Female Workplace Dress Code
Source: Cheryl Isaac, Forbes
Twenty-nine-year-old Lauren Odes told ABC News that she was fired from her job at a lingerie store for being "too hot."
Kleiner partner sues firm for discrimination
Source: Sarah McBride, Reuters
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Ellen Pao is suing the venture capital firm alleging sexual harassment and discrimination.
NYC waitresses' weight-harassment suit can go to trial, appeals court says [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, The Republic
A lawsuit accusing bosses at a New York City restaurant of haranguing waitresses about their weight -- and even insisting they get on scales -- can finally go to trial after almost six years of legal wrangling.
May 22, 2012
Do temporary workers have any rights?
Source: Suzanne Lucas, CBS
If you need a job right now, temporary work is often a good route. Companies often are willing to hire you as a temp when they wouldn't hire you in a regular position.
Guardsmark Settles Harassment Suit with EEOC
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Agency Obtains $25,000 for East Indian Guard Harassed Due to National Origin and Age.
Labor judge overturns union election at Target [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Wall Street Journal
An administrative law judge from the National Labor Relations Board has overturned the union election last year at a Target store on New York's Long Island and ordered a new election citing unfair labor practices.
May 21, 2012
Judge dismisses part of Port Authority discrimination claim
Source: Ben Lesser, New York Daily News
Accused of paying male attorneys more than female ones.
Advance Components Settles EEOC Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Fastener Distribution Company Pays $201,000 to Top Salesman Who Was Fired in Favor of Younger Hires, Agency Charged.
Pam Reeves: Obesity discrimination can spark employee lawsuits
Source: Pam Reeves, Knox News
Much has been written recently about the obesity crisis in our world. Some statistics report that more than 30 percent of the Tennessee population is classified as obese.
May 18, 2012
Fired Las Vegas Hotel Worker Sues for Pregnancy Discrimination, Wages [Article no longer available]
Source: Susanna Kim, ABC News
Claims she was told she was fired from her job for saying "bye bye" on the telephone instead of "goodbye" while eight-months pregnant.
California ranks high for workplace discrimination complaints
Source: Tiffany Hsu, LA Times
Employees complain more about discrimination in workplaces in Texas, Florida and California than anywhere else in the country, according to a report this week from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Kansas Labor Bill: Lawmakers Overhauling State Labor Laws
Source: John Celock, Huffington Post
Kansas lawmakers are in the process of drafting a sweeping overhaul of the state's labor laws that opponents fear could hurt all non-white collar workers in the state.
May 17, 2012
Senator seeks expanded visas for foreign high-tech workers
Source: Reuters, Chicago Tribune
A federal appeals court on Wednesday reinstated a lawsuit filed by a fourth-grade teacher allegedly fired from her job at a Christian elementary school in Florida for engaging in premarital sex.
Court rules teacher fired for premarital sex has right to a trial
Source: Warren Richey, Alaska Dispatch
A federal appeals court on Wednesday reinstated a lawsuit filed by a fourth-grade teacher allegedly fired from her job at a Christian elementary school in Florida for engaging in premarital sex.
Labor Department Error Overstates Female Job Losses
Source: Phil Izzo, Wall Street Journal
There are more women working for the postal service than the Labor Department originally thought.
May 16, 2012
Brown proposes 4-day week for state workers
Source: Wyatt Buchanan, SF Gate
Gov. Jerry Brown proposed significant cuts to state courts and state worker pay.
Age Discrimination's Impact Disputed In Congressional Hearing On Unemployment
Source: Arthur Delaney, Huffington Post
She suspects she hasn't found steady work since because she's too old.
NLRB suspends implementation of representation case amendments based on court ruling
Source: Office of Public Affairs , NLRB
In response to a District Court decision issued late Monday, the National Labor Relations Board has temporarily suspended the implementation of changes to its representation case process, which had taken effect April 30.
May 15, 2012
EEOC Makes State Charge Data Available Online
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Tables Present Employment Discrimination Statistics in User-Friendly Format
EEOC complaints in Arizona up 31 percent in two years
Source: Angela Gonzales, Phoenix Journal
Complaints filed against Arizona employers by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have risen 31 percent in the past two years.
Judge Overturns Rules on Union Votes
Source: AP , New York Times
A federal judge on Monday struck down new regulations governing union elections, saying the National Labor Relations Board did not follow proper voting procedures when it approved the rules last year.
May 14, 2012
Creeping form of worker bias spreads discontent
Source: AP , Delaware Online
A creeping form of worker bias is gaining the attention of federal authorities and some state governments for the potential harm to family life.
California immigration plan to legalize workers faces hurdles
Source: Matt O'Brien, Mercury News
In the past two years, Arizona and five other red states made national waves and raised constitutional questions by passing laws designed to crack down on illegal immigration.
Employment lawyer fights regulations
Source: Catherine Ho, Washington Post
Eugene Scalia is a well-known name in Washington -- his father is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
May 11, 2012
Reporter, fired for stripping, charges gender discrimination
Source: Allen Duke , CNN
A part-time stripper fired from her full-time newspaper job covering Texas high society claims she's a victim of gender discrimination.
Workplace Whistleblower Gets Temporary Deportation Reprieve
Source: Josue Diaz, Huffington Post
A Louisiana immigration court rebuffed the government's efforts this week to deport an undocumented immigrant who came to the attention of authorities after raising questions about workplace safety issues.
How Much Should Pregnant Women Be Accommodated in the Workplace?
Source: Bonnie Rochman, Time
Not all companies are eager to oblige the needs of expectant workers. The newly proposed Pregnant Workers Fairness Act aims to force employers' hand.
May 10, 2012
10 Lessons from 30 Years in the Law
Source: Michael P. Maslanka, Law.com
I celebrated my 30th anniversary as a lawyer in 2011. Here are 10 things I have learned over the years.
Password Protection Act: Ban bosses asking for Facebook passwords
Source: Emil Protalinski, ZD Net
The Password Protection Act, which looks to protect employees from employers asking for access to their social networking accounts, has been introduced in both the House and Senate.
The EEOC and Sissies Like Me: How the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Made the Case for a United LGBT Movement
Source: Mark Daniel Snyder, Huffington Post
I had never heard of the EEOC before my coworker said we were hoping for a ruling from them that would protect transgender people under Title VII, the law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
May 9, 2012
Rate of U.S. workers quitting jobs flat in March
Source: Reuters, Chicago Tribune
A measure of how many U.S. workers quit their jobs held steady in March, suggesting a recent slowdown in hiring has not triggered a major deterioration of confidence in the labor market.
Why Your Drug Copay Could Change
Source: Michelle Andrews, NPR
What if how much you paid for a drug was based on how much it might help you, instead of the sticker price?
NYC landlord's sex harassment suit settled for $2M [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Wall Street Journal
The federal government has announced that a settlement with a New York City landlord will result in more than $2 million being paid to tenants who were sexual harassment victims.
May 8, 2012
Health care costs worry workers nearing retirement
Source: Christine Dugas, USA Today
Health care costs are a top retirement fear, and that's even though many older workers vastly underestimate how much they'll have to pay.
NY considers transgender anti-discrimination bill [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Wall Street Journal
Legislation approved 81-59 by the state Assembly last week would add gender identity and expression to state laws banning discrimination.
Protection for Pregnant Workers
Source: KJ Dell'antonia, New York Times
Pregnancy is not a disability, but pregnant workers can still need protection.
May 7, 2012
Bias isn't to blame for wage gap
Source: Kay Hymowitz, Chicago Sun Times
Politics, it has been said, is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Connecticut Supreme Court Upholds Damages In Discrimination Case
Source: Michael Lee Murphy, CT News Junkie
The Connecticut Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that says employers have a duty to create a safe work environment for employees who are discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation.
Muslim woman gets huge award in workplace discrimination case
Source: Mara Rose Williams, Chicago Tribune
The jury awarded Bashir $120,000 in lost wages and other actual damages.
May 4, 2012
Gay-rights leaders press Obama for further moves on workplace bias, same-sex marriage [Article no longer available]
Source: David Crary, Star Tribune
The refrain sounded by his aides is accurate: Barack Obama has done more for the cause of gay rights than any president before him.
Pension Plan Sues Wal-Mart Officials Over Failure
Source: Stephanie Clifford, New York Times
One of the nation's largest pension plans filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing Wal-Mart's leadership of breaching its fiduciary duty in connection with a bribery scandal at the retailer's Mexican subsidiary.
For Uncle Sam, issues of same-sex bias, transgender equality
Source: Joe Davidson, Washington Post
The Obama administration has told government agencies that a court decision allowing health benefits for the same-sex spouse of a federal employee applies to no one else.
May 3, 2012
Obese women are discriminated against in the workplace
Source: Lindsay Goldwart, New York Daily News
Body-obsessed bosses more likely to turn down a heavier employee.
Minnesota to Pay Damages, Insurance Coverage to Resolve EEOC Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
The BOPD must pay $53,000 to four former employees who were denied employer contributions for retiree health and dental insurance because they were older than age 55 at the time that they retired.
LGBT Workplace Discrimination: Out of Work for Being Out at Work?
Source: Rea Carey , Huffington Post
The last month has been marked by great disappointment and a historic victory.
May 2, 2012
New ruling challenges employers to defend against age discrimination claims
Source: Kate V. Davis, Crain's Cleveland
Age discrimination claims are nothing new to employers, especially in a tight economy that has spurred numerous reductions in force in companies across Northeast Ohio.
Documentary on Workplace Bullying Presents a Different View
Source: Janice Harper, Huffington Post
On July 30, 2010, 52 year old Kevin Morrissey, Managing Editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review, shot and killed himself, becoming one of over 37,000 Americans who died from suicide that year.
Wal-Mart to pay $4.8 million in back wages
Source: Ylan Q. Mui, Washington Post
The Labor Department on Tuesday ordered Wal-Mart to pay $4.8 million in back wages and damages to thousands of employees who were denied overtime charges.
May 1, 2012
Kodak judge approves extra payments to employees
Source: Caroline Humer, Reuters
Eastman Kodak received court approval on Monday from a bankruptcy court judge to spend about $13.5 million to try to keep a few hundred employees from leaving the company while it is in bankruptcy, a spokesman for the company confirmed.
EEOC Commissioner Feldblum Calls on Obama, Senate to Keep EEOC Fully Staffed
Source: Chris Geidner, Metro Weekly
On Friday, April 27, Stuart Ishimaru stepped down from his post as one of five commissioners on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Golf International to Pay $25,000 to Settle EEOC Retaliation Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A Fountain Hills, Ariz.- based golf course and restaurant has agreed to settle an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that charged the company with retaliation in violation of federal law, the agency announced today
April 30, 2012
Lawyer Files EEOC Complaint Alleging Sexually Hostile Work Environment
Source: Miriam Rozen , Law.com
Last month, appellate lawyer Ruth Piller filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against her former employer, Houston's Hays, McConn, Rice & Pickering, where she worked for nine years.
Middle class jobs are trickling back
Source: Annalyn Censky, CNN
The middle class may be starting to heal from a decades-long decline, President Obama's chief economic adviser said Thursday.
After They Check the Box
Source: Editorial, New York Times
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has reaffirmed and updated a 25-year-old ruling that bars companies from automatically denying employment to people based on arrest or conviction records.
April 27, 2012
Does organized labor have a future?
Source: David Lazarus , LA Times
The push by bankrupt American Airlines to cancel labor contracts and impose cost-cutting terms on employees is the latest sign of troubles facing unions.
Federal Magistrate recommends hotel pay quarter million dollars in attorney fees to NLRB, union
Source: Press Release, NLRB
A federal magistrate in Honolulu has recommended that the Pacific Beach Hotel of Waikiki be ordered to pay more than a quarter million dollars to the National Labor Relations Board and to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 142, as the latest contempt sanction in a long-running dispute.
Judge: Fla. worker drug testing unconstitutional [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, CBS News
A federal judge declared Gov. Rick Scott's order requiring drug testing for some 85,000 state workers unconstitutional Thursday, saying the governor showed no evidence of a drug problem at the agencies to warrant testing without suspicion.
April 26, 2012
Big Labor's big moment
Source: Jonathan Allen & Robin Bravender , Politico
For years Big Labor has been looking small, but it doesn't feel that way.
Justices Seem Sympathetic to Central Part of Arizona Law
Source: Adam Liptak, New York Times
Justices across the ideological spectrum appeared inclined on Wednesday to uphold a controversial part of Arizona's aggressive 2010 immigration law, based on their questions at a Supreme Court argument.
Equal Opportunity Panel Updates Hiring Policy
Source: Steven Greenhouse, EEOC
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Wednesday approved an updated policy that makes it harder for employers to use background checks to systematically rule out hiring anyone with a criminal conviction.
April 25, 2012
EEOC rules job protections also apply to transgender people
Source: Sam Quinones, LA Times
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had inconsistently enforced the law when it came to transgender workers. The ruling allows a transgender woman's complaint of bias against a federal agency to proceed.
Senate Republicans fail to overturn NLRB ruling on union elections [Article no longer available]
Source: David Goldstein, Kansas City Star
The business community lost its fight Tuesday to thwart labor's ability to hold elections after nearly a third of a company's employees request union representation.
Ruling Extends Sex-Discrimination Protection to Transgender Woman Denied Federal Job
Source: Jesse Mckinley , New York Times
In her complaint, Mia Macy, 39, said she had been promised a job in a bureau crime laboratory in Walnut Creek.
April 24, 2012
Ask Judy: Can a Workplace Crush Cost Me a Promotion?
Source: Judy Smith, Huffington Post
While he is a nice guy, he is my manager and I try to keep things professional between us.
Editorial: A Test on Equal Pay
Source: Editorial, New York Times
On the question of equal pay for women, Mitt Romney has planted himself on both sides of the issue, flipping and flopping at the same time.
Upcoming Changes To Labor Laws To Affect Non-Union Employers [Article no longer available]
Source: Franczek Radelet, Sacramento Bee
As of April 30, 2012, new rules will go into effect that will substantially streamline union organizing procedures.
April 23, 2012
Maine gov signs workers comp, unemployment bills
Source: Glen Adams , Business Week
Gov. Paul LePage signed three bills Wednesday he said will help to improve Maine's business environment.
Pregnancy Discrimination Claims On The Rise
Source: Allison Jacobs Wice and Cristina Madry , Conneticut Law Tribune
Almost five decades after the enactment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and 34 years after the enactment of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforcement data reveals that pregnancy discrimination claims are on the rise.
Do You Know Your Rights?
Source: Editorial , New York Times
Under federal labor law, employees have the right to join together to seek better pay and working conditions, with or without a union.
April 20, 2012
Career Journal: Is Your Boss a Control Freak?
Source: Shefali Anand, Wall Street Journal
If your boss a micromanager?
N.C. agency: No workers' comp? Go to jail [Article no longer available]
Source: Mandy Locke, Charlotte Observer
Agency says it will force employers to pay injured workers.
Where have all the women's jobs gone?
Source: Tami Luhby, CNN
More jobless Americans are finding work these days, but they are mainly lucky fellas.
April 19, 2012
Little Rock Real Estate Company Settles EEOC Race Discrimination and Retaliation Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Bankers Asset Management Will Pay $600,000 for Excluding Blacks for Jobs and Punishing Employees for Complaining About Bias.
Is the boss spying on you? Cyber-snooping on rise
Source: Cindy Krischer Goodman, Palm Beach Post
When Linda Trottman's husband landed a promotion at his company, a co-worker congratulated her on it a few days later.
Why the U.S. Economy Is Biased Against Men
Source: Marty Nemko, The Atlantic
That women earn 77 cents for every $1 earned by a man is a popular refrain. But look closer. Prejudice against guys in the economy is real and widespread.
April 18, 2012
EEOC Amends Age Discrimination Regulations
Source: Jill Jusko, Industry Week
Take practical steps to avoid running afoul of the law.
The 'Nature' of Sexual Harassment
Source: Julie Berebitsky, Huffington Post
There was a funny moment last November in the middle of Herman Cain's troubles when he appeared on the David Letterman Show.
Supreme Court says private workers temporarily hired by government can be shielded from suits [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that private individuals hired temporarily by local governments have the same protection against civil rights lawsuits as public employees.
April 17, 2012
City Settles Lawsuit That Claimed Bias and Retaliation
Source: Benjamin Weiser, New York Times
New York City has agreed to pay $750,000 to a black official of the city's Human Resources Administration.
Interviewers say asking for social media passwords is off-limits
Source: Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee
Professional attire? Check. Cover letter and resume? Check. Passwords to your Facebook and Twitter accounts?
Employees: Bosses overworked them during recession
Source: AP, The Californian
Americans were pushed to their limit in the recession and its aftermath as they worked longer hours, often for the same or less pay, after businesses laid off almost 9 million employees.
April 16, 2012
Rules cover workplace retaliation
Source: Dick Baggett, Standard Times
In December 2011 the Department of Labor released three new fact sheets on the subject of retaliation.
Five signs your workplace may be toxic
Source: Kim Thompson , SF Gate
Most people spend the majority of their lives at work, and studies repeatedly show happy employees are more productive.
More American workers sue employers for overtime pay
Source: Paul Davidson , USA Today
Americans were pushed to their limit in the recession and its aftermath as they worked longer hours, often for the same or less pay, after businesses laid off almost 9 million employees.
April 13, 2012
Fired for 'Liking' Gay FB Page, Worker Claims
Source: Jason Middleton , NBC
An analyst at the Library of Congress was fired after 'liking' a same-sex parenting Facebook page, according to a lawsuit.
The Lilly Ledbetter Act's impact on workplace discrimination
Source: Emily Martin, KPCC
Emily Martin from the National Women's Law Center joins the show to discuss whether the bill has had an effect in the workplace.
California Court Sides With Businesses on Worker Breaks
Source: AP, New York Times
California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that employers are under no obligation to ensure that workers take legally mandated lunch and rest breaks.
April 12, 2012
Resources for Human Development Settles EEOC Disability Suit for $125,00
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Court Upholds Severe Obesity as an ADA-Protected Impairment.
Women, Money, and Bias: 'The Economy Is Classist, Then Racist, Then Sexist'
Source: Derek Thompson, The Atlantic
This week we posed a provocative question in our ongoing crowd-sourced series "Working It Out": Is the economy a level playing field for men and women, or are the cards stacked against one sex -- as the result of workplace sexism or the natural evolution of the economy?
Obama Won't Order Ban on Gay Bias by Employers
Source: Jackie Calmes, New York Times
This week we posed a provocative question in our ongoing crowd-sourced series "Working It Out": Is the economy a level playing field for men and women, or are the cards stacked against one sex -- as the result of workplace sexism or the natural evolution of the economy?
April 11, 2012
Workplace Law: Employer must justify unequal pay between sexes
Source: Joshua Sudbury , The Tennessean
A good employer always knows the value of talent. But, when was the last time you paid attention to whether your female employees were making less than male employees?
Union says right-to-work law violates free speech
Source: Charles Wilson, Bloomberg
Indiana's new right-to-work law should be struck down because it infringes upon unions' free speech rights by depriving them of the dues that fund their political speech.
Fighting back on age-based bullying in the workplace
Source: Rita Robinson, Seattle PI
Taunts like "stupid old woman," "too old to keep up," and "you should just retire," aimed at the growing number of employees over age 50, are coming from bullies in the workplace.
April 10, 2012
Employee With Bipolar Disorder Wins Discrimination Case
Source: John M. Grohol, Psych Central
Shame on The Cash Store for firing Sean Reilly because he had bipolar disorder.
Are women without kids treated unfairly in the workplace and other questions
Source: Nicki Britton and Andrew Dansby, Houston Chronicle
A story in the New York Post poses an interesting question: Are employees without children privilege to fewer benefits in the workplace than employees who are parents?
EEOC asks court to reconsider harassment case ruling that could deter class-action bias suits [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asked a federal appeals court Monday to reconsider a ruling that could hurt its ability to pursue class-action discrimination lawsuits on behalf of workers in the Midwest.
April 6, 2012
Female Miami Beach firefighter awarded $700,000 in sexual harassment case [Article no longer available]
Source: David Smiley, Miami Herald
A Miami Beach firefighter who says she was sexually harassed for years won a $700,000 judgment against the city.
Same-sex benefits denial is ruled discriminatory
Source: Bob Egelko, SF Gate
The denial of insurance coverage to the same-sex spouse of a federal court employee in San Francisco was an act of discrimination.
Payroll deduction law challenged by unions [Article no longer available]
Source: Karen Bouffard, Detroit News
Unions filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging a new Michigan law that bans public employers from deducting dues from school employees' pay.
April 5, 2012
Employment practices liability insurance rates up 11.6% in 2011 fourth quarter
Source: Judy Greenwald , Business Insurance
High loss frequency among employers with fewer than 1,000 workers drove up the overall cost of employment practices liability insurance premiums by an average of 11.6% for 2011's fourth quarter.
Your Future Employer Is Watching You Online. You Should Be, Too.
Source: Michael Fortik, Harvard Business Review
Welcome to the Permanent Job Search.
Judge orders defunct California construction company to restore nearly $520,000 to employee retirement plan following US Labor Department lawsuit
Source: News Release, Department of Labor
Explore General failed to remit workers' fringe benefits.
April 4, 2012
Thomas Sowell: Statistical disparities don't necessarily indicate discrimination
Source: Thomas Sowell, The Tennessean
A long-standing legal charade was played out again recently, when Federal Express paid $3 million to settle an employment discrimination case brought by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Is Gray Hair OK on the Job? Civil Rights Lawyer Sees Risks, Plaintiff Claims Bias
Source: Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Journal
Gray hair is cropping up on runways, at work and in an age bias suit pending in Texas federal court.
How Far Can Bosses Take At-Will Laws When Firing?
Source: David Wolinsky, NBC
NBC Miami recently picked up the story of a Deerfield Beach law firm that laid off 14 employees for wearing orange shirts to work.
April 3, 2012
What Advice Should Lawyers Give Clients Who Want to Ask Prospective Employees for Their Facebook Passwords?
Source: Michael P. Maslanka, Law.com
First, for those attorneys who aren't yet on Facebook, it helps to understand some basics.
Bayer Loses Bid to Bar Class Action in Sex-Bias Lawsuit
Source: David Voreacos, Bloomberg
U.S. units of German drugmaker Bayer AG failed to prevent eight women from pursuing a group lawsuit claiming the company discriminated in pay and promotions, and showed bias based on pregnancy and family responsibilities.
In NLRB Probe, Dems Turn Up Heat On Ethics Investigation Involving Romney Adviser
Source: Dave Jamieson, Huffington Post
Democrats in the House and Senate are pressing for more information on an ethics investigation at the federal labor board that has implicated an adviser to GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.
April 2, 2012
Job applicants shouldn't have to give Facebook passwords to propsective bosses
Source: AP, Charlotte Observer
Prospective employers typically ask job applicants for references. But in the age of the Internet, some want much more.
AutoZone to Pay $75,000 to Settle EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Sikh Employee Was Harassed by Managers and Customers, Barred From Wearing Turban at Work, Then Fired Over Religion, Federal Agency Charged.
Teacher's Aide Booted For Refusing Access To Personal Facebook Profile
Source: AP, Huffington Post
A Michigan teacher's aide is fighting a legal battle with the Lewis Cass Intermediate School District for removing her from her position after refusing to give the district access to her Facebook page.
March 30, 2012
Where the Hiring Is Strongest
Source: Motoko Rich, New York Times
Hiring started to pick up toward the end of last year, but you might be surprised to learn which cities were strongest in job creation.
EEOC Issues Final Rule on "Reasonable Factors Other than Age" Under the ADEA
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Regulation Concerns Discrimination Against Employees 40 and Older.
Combating Age Discrimination
Source: Editorial, New York Times
In a 2009 ruling, the Supreme Court disregarded longstanding legal precedent and made it much harder for older workers who are victims of age discrimination to win in court.
March 29, 2012
Why Independent Employment Is Killing the Nine to Five Job
Source: Leah Busque, Huffington Post
The term "nine-to-five" has long symbolized a kind of drudgery that sucks up our lives and eclipses our identities, but it wasn't until the Great Recession that the pejorative phrase was crowned with an entirely new distinction: old-fashioned.
With labor at issue in Wisconsin recall, Romney ties Santorum to 'big labor' before primary [Article no longer available]
Source: Jae C. Hong, Washington Post
Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney is attacking rival Rick Santorum as a friend of "big labor".
How Obamacare Will Be Settled: A Primer on the Commerce Clause
Source: Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza, The Atlantic
As the Supreme Court hears arguments about the individual mandate, a complete look at the history of similar constitutional decisions.
March 28, 2012
Supreme Court divided over Obama healthcare law
Source: West Law, Thomson Reuters
The Obama administration faced skeptical questioning from a U.S. Supreme Court dominated by conservatives on Tuesday during a tense two-hour showdown over a sweeping healthcare law that has divided Americans.
As Health Law Is Contested, Developing a Plan B
Source: Reed Abelson, New York Times
State officials and insurance executives are devising possible alternatives to the coming federal requirement that most Americans buy health insurance.
EEOC Sues OfficeMax for Retaliating Against Sales Associate
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Hispanic Employee at Sarasota Store Punished for Complaining About Race Discrimination, Federal Agency Charged.
March 27, 2012
Demanding Facebook passwords may be illegal, senators warn bosses
Source: Helen A.S. Popkin , MSNBC
Two U.S. senators asked federal agencies Monday to look into whether employers and colleges that are asking for access to individual Facebook profiles are breaking the law.
The Most Diverse Federal Legal Employer? Yes, It's the EEOC
Source: Jenna Greene, Law.com
The most diverse legal employer in the federal government, as might be fitting, is the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, while the least is the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Defense, according to EEOC workplace statistics released this week
Poll: Majority of Supreme Court Insiders Expect Health Care Law Will Be Upheld
Source: Ronald Brownstein , The Atlantic Wire
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/03/poll-majority-supreme-court-insiders-expect-health-care-law-will-be-upheld/50334/
March 23, 2012
For long-unemployed, hiring bias rears its head [Article no longer available]
Source: Stephen Singer , Associated Press
Few job seekers who fail to get an interview know the reason, but Michelle Chesney-Offutt said a recruiter told her why she lost the chance to pitch for an information technology position.
FedEx Put Female Employees in the 'Smalls' Section, Obama Official Says
Source: Elizabeth Dwoskin, Business Week
President Obama may heart FedEx (FDX), but his professed affection for the company hasn't stopped his administration from taking the company to task.
Workers at L.A. pot dispensaries form labor union
Source: Kate Linthicum, LA Times
The move is partly aimed at defeating the city's proposed ban on businesses that sell medical marijuana.
March 22, 2012
FedEx Agrees to Pay $3 Million to Settle a Bias Case
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The United States Department of Labor has reached a $3 million settlement with the ground delivery unit of FedEx to resolve allegations that the company discriminated against 21,635 job seekers at two dozen FedEx facilities in 15 states.
Should you reveal depression diagnosis at work?
Source: Marie G. McIntyre, Chicago Tribune
Before informing your employer, be sure to check whether ADA applies to your situation.
EEOC report shows little change in federal workforce
Source: Joe Davidson, Washington Post
A report by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows no increase in the percentage of Latinos in the federal workforce and a small increase in people of color in senior-level positions.
March 21, 2012
In tight job market, background checks' influence raises questions [Article no longer available]
Source: Tony Pugh, Kansas City Star
Justin D'Heilly never saw it coming.
Stop sex discrimination in health plan costs
Source: Marcia Greenberger, CNN
Women face shocking disparities when buying health insurance on the individual market.
'Right to Work' Bills Face Uncertain Future in an Election Year
Source: Monica Davey, New York Times
For the first time in more than three decades, Minnesota Republicans are basking in majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature, so on matters that need no signature from the Democratic governor, they can do as they please.
March 20, 2012
At Tall Club, Members' Careers Get an Extra Lift
Source: Joe Piazza, Wall Street Journal
Economists are convinced that height confers a natural advantage in the workplace, but some of the tallest New Yorkers still turn to each other to get a leg up in their careers.
Tea Party Stands With Organized Labor On Georgia Anti-Picketing Law
Source: Dave Jamieson, Huffington Post
Subscribers to an Atlanta Tea Party email list received an alert Monday morning urging them to take a stand against SB 469, a controversial Georgia bill that would criminalize certain forms of mass picketing.
Keeping Your Options Open Could Be Hurting Your Career
Source: Daniel Gulati, Harvard Business Review
Are you the seven-foot superhero, the conniving villain, the strong-willed woman, or the family-man cop?
March 19, 2012
Women on Women Bullying in the Workplace: I was a victim
Source: Fern Ronay, Chicago Now
It never occurred to me that I was being bullied.
Coke's not it: 16 workers sue, call giant 'cesspool' of racial discrimination
Source: John Marzulli, NY Daily News
Say they were given lesser assignments, unfairly disciplined and retaliated against for complaining.
Governor to unions: Back off petition drive against right-to-work
Source: Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press
Gov. Rick Snyder, who has tried repeatedly to discourage conservatives in his party from pursuing right-to-work legislation, now wants unions to back off pushing a ballot proposal that would make such a law unconstitutional.
March 16, 2012
Why Don't Women Act More Like Men at Work?
Source: Alina Tugend, The Atlantic
The office place has emerged from its pre-feminist past, but there are enduring differences in the way men and women conduct themselves professionally. And those differences have consequences.
Chamber challenges Obama's labor appointees
Source: Alexandra Alper, Reuters
Chamber files motion to join suit against NLRB appointments.
Warren Tricomi to Pay $30,000 to Settle EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal Agency Charged Hair Salon With Rescinding Promotion And Firing Employee After Learning of Pregnancy.
March 15, 2012
Hal Leonard to Pay $150,000 to Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment Charge
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Class of Female Employees at Music Publisher Endured Physical and Verbal Abuse, Federal Agency Charged.
How to get a job: Work for free
Source: Jennifer Alsever, CNN
Employers increasingly are asking job candidates to perform work for them gratis as part of the interview process. Here's how to do it right - and win the position.
Disillusionment often resonates with others; lessons can be learned from employee who sounds off, especially in a reasoned manner
Source: Elizabeth Crisp, St. Louis Today
Many Missouri lawmakers want to protect gun owners from any threat of workplace discrimination, just as state residents currently are protected for race, religion and gender.
March 14, 2012
Why are wages still stagnant? Blame the labor market
Source: Brad Plumer, Washington Post
While the last few jobs reports have been encouraging, not everything about the labor market looks rosy.
Three in 10 workers say workplace not psychologically safe
Source: Patricia Reaney; editing by Paul Casciato, Reuters
Companies around the globe have work to do to improve worker satisfaction because only three in 10 employees say their workplace is psychologically safe and healthy.
Omaha narrowly approves law to protect gays from discrimination
Source: Mary Wisniewski and Andrew Stern, Reuters
Omaha on Tuesday narrowly approved anti-discrimination protections for gays and transgender residents, leaving about a dozen of the largest U.S. cities without legal protections based on sexual orientation.
March 13, 2012
Personal Time Gets Short Shrift
Source: Sarah E. Needleman, Wall Street Journal
Last month, Angel Wilkes came down with a cold that should have kept her bedridden for several days.
Menorah House Settles EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A Boca Raton nursing and rehabilitation facility will pay $125,000 to settle two religious discrimination lawsuits brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
If you're a worker, you're being Googled
Source: Ruth Mantell, MarketWatch
If you're a worker, you're being Googled.
March 12, 2012
Ways to know your workplace worth -- and increase it
Source: Cindy Krischer Goodman, Chicago Tribune
The concept of workplace worth is scary to many people.
No health benefits? How to shop for a solo plan
Source: Amanda Gengler, CNN
The days when you could count on having health coverage through a job are long gone.
Firm sexual harassment policies benefit business [Article no longer available]
Source: Dr. Daniel Bober, Miami Herald
Sexual harassment is not about sex. It is about power.
March 9, 2012
Think Again: Labor and the 'Civil Right' to Organize
Source: Eric Alterman , Huffington Post
"After decades during which their numerical strength has slowly but steadily declined, U.S. trade unions are now facing an unprecedented assault from a radicalized Republican right. Legislation is advancing to strip collective-bargaining rights or membership from unions."
What Are The Signs Of Workplace Violence?
Source: Washington Post, Forbes
Michael Staver, a Jacksonville, Fla. corporate and executive coach who used to work as a psychologist in a mental hospital, recalls the time a marketing director lost it at a firm where Staver was coaching.
Legislation might help smaller firms offer retirement plans
Source: Christine Dugas, USA Today
Many small-business owners say that they want to offer their workers a retirement plan but obstacles are holding them back.
March 8, 2012
Rugo Stone to Pay $40,000 to Settle EEOC National Origin, Religion and Color Bias Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Company Subjected Employee of Pakistani Origin to Harassment, Federal Agency Charged
Settlement Conference Set in Age Bias Suit against Kelley Drye
Source: Joe Palazzolo, Wall Street Journal
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Kelley Drye & Warren appear to be close to a settlement over claims that the firm discriminated against a partner who was stripped of his equity share under a mandatory retirement policy.
Diversity in the workplace: Creating long term business solutions
Source: Fahima Haque, Washington Post
If Martin Davidson had his way, the recent media flubs concerning Jeremy Lin could have been avoided.
March 7, 2012
EEOC Updates Agency Publications On Rights of Veterans With Disabilities
Source: Kevin P. McGowan, Bloomberg
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released two revised publications addressing the rights of veterans with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the agency announced Feb. 28.
Bill will eliminate compensatory and punitive damages under Wisconsin's Fair Employment Act
Source: Saul C. Glazer, State Bar of Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Legislature on Feb. 22 passed a bill that eliminates compensatory and punitive damages awards for violations of Wisconsin's Fair Employment Act (WFEA).
Wal-Mart Asks Judge to Reject Texas Class-Action Bias Suit
Source: Tom Korosec, Bloomberg
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) asked a federal judge in Dallas to reject a proposed class-action lawsuit in which women allege that the world's largest retailer discriminated against Texas female workers over pay and promotions.
March 6, 2012
Ruling may not settle many controversies
Source: Jack Katzanek, Press Enterprise
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia stopped short of making it an automatic labor law violation to fail to post this notice.
Send a Message to the Women in Your Company
Source: Boris Groysberg, Harvard Business Review
Every day, of course, is a good day to work on improving the way that you engage and communicate with your people.
When nobody (and everybody) is the boss
Source: Polly LaBarre, CNN Money
The best bosses understand that their power comes not from maintaining control, but from devising ways to unleash more freedom, creativity, and contribution.
March 2, 2012
What CEOs Hate About HR People
Source: Meredith Soleau, Fistful of Talent
After my last post here at FOT, I walked into my CEO's office, with my tail between my legs, my head held down in shame, and I told him I had been officially blackballed by the HR community.
A Civil Right to Unionize
Source: RICHARD D. KAHLENBERG and MOSHE Z. MARVIT, New York Times
From the 1940s to the 1970s, organized labor helped build a middle-class democracy in the United States.
6 Miami Capital Grille workers join class action suit against Darden [Article no longer available]
Source: Elaine Walker, Miami Herald
Six Miami Capital Grille workers have joined a national class action lawsuit against the restaurant and its Florida-based parent company Darden Restaurants.
March 1, 2012
US Department of Labor announces H-2A worker program updates
Source: News Release, Department of Labor
New resources and updates part of ongoing commitment to optimizing performance and customer service.
Conn. workers call for raising the minimum wage [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, CBS
Low-wage workers, economists and others are pushing Connecticut lawmakers to support legislation that would raise the state's minimum wage during the coming years and eventually tie it to inflation.
Does Paternity Leave Hurt Women?
Source: Rachel Emma Silverman, Wall Street Journal
Fathers often talk the talk about sharing parenting duties with mothers when it comes to a newborn.
February 29, 2012
EEOC Issues Revised Publications on Employment of Veterans with Disabilities
Source: Press Release, EEOC
User-Friendly Documents Clarify Impact of ADAAA; Commission Will Participate in Employment Conference Sponsored by U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program.
When illegal interview questions are legal
Source: Suzzane Lucas , CBS
My MoneyWatch colleague Dave Johnson recently wrote a post about illegal job interview questions.
Workers fear more cuts in retirement benefits
Source: Christine Dugas , USA Today
The economic recovery has not made Americans feel more secure about their financial future.
February 28, 2012
Would-Be Law Prof Loses Age Bias Suit
Source: Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Journal
An Iowa jury has ruled against a Michigan lawyer who claimed the University of Iowa discriminated against him on the basis of age when he didn't get an interview for a law school faculty job.
Guest commentary: Equality is good for business - and government
Source: Christy Mallory, Detroit Free Press
Recently, President Obama has been called on to issue an executive order prohibiting sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination by federal contractors.
Guest commentary: Equality is good for business - and government
Source: Christy Mallory, Detroit Free Press
Recently, President Obama has been called on to issue an executive order prohibiting sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination by federal contractors.
February 27, 2012
How to Fix Executive Compensation
Source: Alex Edmans, Wall Street Journal
For starters, don't link pay packages just to stock. Tie them to debt as well.
Remarkable hiring stories
Source: Andy Butler, CNN
When it comes to hiring, these small business owners have remarkable stories about employees going the creative distance to nail the jobs.
One Man Standing Against Race-Based Laws
Source: Morgan Smith, New York Times
Edward Blum has the kind of zeal for public policy that usually leads to a career in politics.
February 24, 2012
US Labor Department concludes settlement restoring $32 million to Tribune Co. employee stock ownership plan
Source: News Release, Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration has announced that the Tribune Co., GreatBanc Trust Co. and various insurance carriers have completed funding of a global settlement in the amount of $32 million to be allocated among the Tribune Employee Stock Ownership Plan's participants, and to pay for legal and administrative expenses. The settlement is with, among others, the department and the plaintiffs in a private class action lawsuit, and resolves the department's claims of violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
Measures Aim to End Bias Against Long-Term Jobless
Source: Shelly Banjo, Wall Street Journal
More than a dozen states are considering legislation to make it illegal for companies to discriminate against the unemployed
Baltimore County approves transgender discrimination ban; 4th Md. govt. to adopt protections [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
Baltimore County has become the fourth local government in the state to approve a measure protecting transgender people from discrimination.
February 23, 2012
Plaintiffs appealing Vegas casino age bias ruling [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Sacramento Bee
Six former Las Vegas Strip casino spa employees are asking an appeals court to overrule a federal judge and let a jury decide if they were dismissed because of their ages.
When Should You Tell Your Boss You're Pregnant?
Source: Tiziana Casciaro & Lotte Bailyn, Harvard Business Review
An interview with Tiziana Casciaro and Lotte Bailyn on the HBR case study When to Make Private News Public.
How Age Discrimination Is Legal in Illinois
Source: David Wolinsky, NBC
If you run your own company or are part of the management at a startup, consider this: Would you like to avoid hiring all twentysomethings?
February 22, 2012
Ready Mix to Pay $400,000 To Settle EEOC Racial Harassment Lawsuit
Source: Press Release , EEOC
Class of Blacks Subjected to Noose Display and Racial Slurs, Federal Agency Charged
Debate over conscience in the workplace intensifies
Source: Stephanie Simon, Reuters
Can a state require a pharmacy to stock and dispense emergency contraception - even when the owner considers the drug immoral?
Federal worker prevails in discrimination case against Social Security
Source: Joe Davidson, Washington Post
During this extended period of cloudy federal employee horizons comes a wee bit of sunshine, the story of a worker who took on Uncle Sam and won.
February 21, 2012
When is it okay to quit without giving notice?
Source: Suzzane Lucas , CBS News
The general rule is that you don't quit a job without notice unless one of the following conditions apply:
Pregnancy bias is alive and well in America
Source: Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC
It's hard to imagine we still have to tell employers this today, but here goes: Pregnancy discrimination is illegal.
Blindsided by changing workplace and economy, Baby Boomers new mantra is 'work til you drop' [Article no longer available]
Source: John Rogers, Star Tribune
When Paula Symons joined the U.S. workforce in 1972, typewriters in her office clacked nonstop, people answered the telephones and the hot new technology revolutionizing communication was the fax machine.
February 20, 2012
Court hearing planned for Utah's immigration law [Article no longer available]
Source: Josh Loftin, CBS
Attorneys on both sides will have an opportunity on Friday to argue the constitutionality of the measure.
Graying workforce creates more complex world for employers
Source: Marjorie Censer, Washington Post
The economic forces reshaping the global economy are prompting many local companies to pay new attention to an often overlooked form of diversity: The age of their workers.
We Can't Wait: How Obama Can Stop Discrimination Now
Source: Tico Almieda, Huffington Post
I have always considered Elizabeth Birch, the former head of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), to be a smart and savvy leader for our civil rights movement.
February 17, 2012
EEOC: Bias against pregnant workers persists
Source: Christopher Seward, Atlanta Journal Constitution
Pregnant workers still face the threat of firings and other discriminatory practices despite a federal law against such practices, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and an MSN report.
Home health industry fights minimum wage rule
Source: Kelly Kennedy , USA Today
Home health care companies are leading the fight against an Obama administration proposal to require them to pay their workers the minimum wage, despite data showing that the industry was one of the few nationally to maintain profits during the worst of the recession.
Workplace Discrimination for Caregivers: A Reality
Source: Lauren Weber, Wall Street Journal
Discrimination against caregivers is still a reality in the American workplace, reports Melanie Trottman in a story in today's Wall Street Journal.
February 16, 2012
Working pregnant women face rampant discrimination: agency
Source: Ian Simpson, Chicago Tribune
Discrimination is still widespread and needs to be combated with publicity and clearer guidelines, according to testimony Wednesday at a federal hearing.
G.M. Changes Pensions for Salaried Workers
Source: Nick Bunkley, New York Times
General Motors said Wednesday that its salaried employees would stop accumulating pension benefits later this year as the company tried to narrow a large shortfall in its retirement funds.
Age Discrimination Suits Jump, But Wins Are Elusive
Source: Yuki Noguchi , NPR
For older Americans looking for work, finding a job can be a tremendous challenge. Someone 55 or older will typically take three months longer to find employment than the average job seeker.
February 15, 2012
Convincing a cynical workforce that change is necessary
Source: Tom Fox, Washington Post
How do you convince a cynical workforce that change is really necessary?
When you're stuck between bickering bosses
Source: Workplace Maven, Democrat & Chronicle
In my job, I have to collaborate across several different departments.
Settlement distributes more than $300,000 to unlawfully discharged workers in Texas
Source: Office of Public Affairs , NLRB
In a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board, a Texas scaffolding company has agreed to pay $323,116 in backpay, per diem and interest to 73 former employees who were discharged in violation of federal labor law.
February 14, 2012
Obama to backers: Pressure Congress on payroll tax cut
Source: USA Today
President Obama is urging supporters to pressure Congress to extend the payroll tax cut before it expires at the end of the month.
What Retirement? Seniors Are Getting Back To Work
Source: Yuki Noguchi , NPR
At 75, many people imagine they'll be retired and spending their time playing cards or on a golf course.
Hostility in the air at workplaces this Valentine's Day
Source: Matt Stevens, LA Times
As Valentine's Day approaches, many workplace managers are keeping an eye out for workplace romance that can destroy productivity.
February 13, 2012
Use it or lose it: Your voice is valuable in the workplace
Source: Andrea Kay , USA Today
Last week I came down with one of those throat things going around that starts with desert dry-fire in your gullet and turns into a raging body temperature.
How Fun Is Your Workplace? (And Why It Matters)
Source: Gretchen Rubin, Huffington Post
In The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten Up, Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher make an interesting argument that "levity" is an extremely effective tool for helping people to work better.
Judge: Firing for lactation not sex discrimination
Source: KHOU-TV, USA Today
Is firing a woman because she wants to pump at work sexual discrimination?
February 10, 2012
PepsiCo Unions Seek NLRB Help to Fight $50 Tax on Fat, Smoking
Source: Holly Rosenkrantz, Bloomberg Business Week
Teamster union members at PepsiCo Inc. in upstate New York are seeking National Labor Relations Board help to fight the company's health-care policy that charges employees $50 a month when they smoke or have medical issues that may trigger weight gain.
Tilted Kilt sued for sexual harassment
Source: Becky Yerak, Chicago Tribune
Nineteen women who worked at a Tilted Kilt on Wabash Avenue have filed a sexual harassment lawsuit on Wednesday against the Celtic-themed sports bar, known for their servers who wear skimpy outfits.
Quinn: Ban hiring discrimination against jobless
Source: AP, Wall Street Journal
The New York City Council will make it illegal for city employers to refuse to hire applicants because they are out of work, Speaker Christine Quinn said Thursday in her State of the City speech.
February 9, 2012
Workplace Violence and the 'Bad Apple' Myth
Source: Laura Walter, EHS Today
According to the new documentary "Murder by Proxy: How America Went Postal," workplace violence stems not from one bad apple but rather a toxic workplace culture.
Overtime bill pits needs of high-tech employers vs. workers
Source: Franco Ordonez, LA Times
High-tech workers across the country could see smaller paychecks under an industry-led campaign to revise labor laws to further limit overtime benefits.
Arizona Lawmakers Target Public Workers' Unions
Source: Tedd Robins , NPR
Labor unions are scheduled to rally in front of the Arizona State Capitol Thursday afternoon to protest four bills quickly moving through the state legislature that could make last year's Wisconsin labor laws look modest by comparison.
February 8, 2012
Employers, workers navigate pitfalls of social media
Source: Doug Gross, CNN
If you've ever wondered what a social-media presence is worth in an increasingly digitized business world, just ask Noah Kravitz's former employers.
Professional Media Corporation to Pay $58,000 To Settle EEOC Disability Bias Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Health Magazine Harassed and Fired Worker With Disabilities, Made Newly Hired Workers Sign 'Health Warranty,' Federal Agency Charged.
Court Strikes Down Ban on Gay Marriage in California
Source: Adam Nagourney , New York Times
A federal appeals court panel on Tuesday threw out a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage passed in 2008, upholding a lower court's ruling that the ban, known as Proposition 8, violated the constitutional rights of gay men and lesbians in California.
February 7, 2012
EEOC Settles Disability and Age Discrimination Suit against DXP Enterprises
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Company Pays $120,000 to Woman Fired Because of Prior Back Injury and Age
The Days of "Manager Knows Best" Are Ending
Source: Sujai Hajela, Harvard Business Review
To get a glimpse of what tomorrow's young global managers might be like as leaders, take a look at how today's young people think about communications.
What Obama Should Do About Workplace Discrimination
Source: M.V. Lee Badget, New York Times
LAST week, the defense contractor DynCorp International announced that it had changed its corporate policies to forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
February 6, 2012
Unions Create TV Ad To Appeal To Young People
Source: Richard Gonzales, NPR
At a time when young activists from Zucotti Park to Tahrir Square have shown what the internet and social media can do to help organize people, some American unions have been taking notes.
Employers should review job postings for conflicts with ADA
Source: Leslie Beale, Knoxville Biz
When hiring, most employers include educational requirements as part of the qualifications for a job.
Michigan's 'right to work' debate intensifies
Source: AP, Chicago Tribune
Indiana's move to become the Rust Belt's first "right-to-work" state has intensified debate over the issue in neighboring Michigan.
February 3, 2012
Women file sex-bias claims against Wal-mart with EEOC
Source: Andrew Harris, Bloomberg
More than 500 women, former and current employees of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., have filed sex discrimination complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Lawsuit raises questions about email privacy at work
Source: Jaikumar Vijayan, Computer World
FDA whistleblowers say agency violated their rights by extensively monitoring personal communications.
Minimum wage rates may climb this year
Source: Paul Davidson , USA Today
At least 17 states recently raised the minimum wage or are considering doing so in 2012, the most in at least six years.
February 2, 2012
L.A. Fire Department Settles EEOC Harassment & Retaliation Case for Nearly $500,000
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Firefighter Tormented by Sexual and Religious Harassment & Disciplined in Retaliation for Participating in Another Firefighter's Discrimination Proceeding
Indiana enacts 'right to work' law
Source: Michael Muskow, LA Times
Gov. Mitch Daniels signs legislation making Indiana the 23rd state with a 'right to work' law, which allows workers to avoid paying union dues. Opponents say they will try to repeal it.
Former Intern Sues Hearst Over Unpaid Work and Hopes to Create a Class Action
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
A former unpaid intern for the fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar filed a lawsuit on Wednesday.
February 1, 2012
How to Work with Someone You Hate
Source: Amy Gallo, Harvard Business Review
Working with someone you hate can be distracting and draining.
Should Businesses Worry About Appearance-Based Discrimination in the Workplace?
Source: Evangeline Gonzales, Forbes
Conventional wisdom and research posits that, in addition to popularity and access to their choice of a mate, attractive people tend to get higher evaluations and salaries than their peers and more favorable judgments in trials.
Generational stereotypes entering the workplace
Source: Lisa Thorton, The Charlotte Observer
Glen Swyers owns an iPad and a smartphone. He's known for decades how to work a computer.
Citigroup unit to pay $500,000 in age bias case
Source: Suzanne Barlyn, Reuters
A unit of Citigroup must pay $500,000 to a former branch manager who alleged the company fired him because of his age.
January 31, 2012
EEOC Wins Preliminary Injunction to Prevent Retaliation Against Pitre, Inc. Employees
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal Court Issues 'Extraordinary Remedy' in Class Male-on-Male Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Suit Filed Against Albuquerque Car Dealership
Pregnant, and Pushed Out of a Job
Source: Dina Bakst, New York Times
FEW people realize that getting pregnant can mean losing your job. Imagine a woman who, seven months into her pregnancy, is fired from her position as a cashier because she needed a few extra bathroom breaks.
Michelle Obama, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis propose more job protection for military caregivers
Source: Washington Post
First lady Michelle Obama joined Labor Secretary Hilda Solis Monday to propose an expansion to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that would give more job protection to military caregivers.
January 30, 2012
Union membership up slightly, outlook in doubt
Source: Sam Hananel, USA Today
Union membership grew slightly last year, giving labor leaders hope that a period of steep declines has finally bottomed out.
With Focus on Income Inequality, Albany Bill Will Seek $8.50 Minimum Wage
Source: John Eligon, New York Times
The Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zuccotti Park is no more, but the focus it brought to income inequality is having an impact in Albany and beyond.
Protecting Religious Staffing by Religious Organizations
Source: Thomas Messner, Wall Street Journal
Abstract: Religious staffing by religious organizations is an established, baseline position in federal law that deserves continued support.
January 27, 2012
Can employers require job applicants to have a high school diploma?
Source: Jim Stergios, Boston.com
I don't know of many employers who think twice about requiring a high school diploma.
Right to work gets first foothold in Rust Belt
Source: Tom LoBianco, Christian Science Monitor
Right to work legislation finally passes House in Indiana. Governor is expected to sign law, which bans labor contracts that force workers to pay union fees.
NLRB warns employers about broad social media policies
Source: Linda Chiem , Pacific Business News
A new report from the National Labor Relations Board says essentially that employers should not craft overly broad social media policies that infringe on employee activities already protected by federal labor laws.
Workplace Snitching: If You See Something, Should You Say Something?
Source: Meghan Casserly, Forbes
One in five employees report they've been the victim of abusive retaliation for reporting bad behavior on the job.
January 26, 2012
Labor board chief says he'll push for changes giving unions a boost in organizing members [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
The chairman of the National Labor Relations Board plans to push for new rules that would give unions a boost in organizing members, despite an outcry from Republicans and business groups who say the board is going too far.
Saying No To Sexual Harassment At Startups
Source: Angie Chang, Wall Street Journal
http://www.forbes.com/sites/women2/2012/01/25/saying-no-to-sexual-harassment-at-startups/
What Is a 'Right to Work' Law?
Source: Jennifer Smith , Wall Street Journal
It's simple, really. Employees in states with right-to-work laws can't be forced to join a union or pay union dues in order to retain their jobs.
January 25, 2012
Private Sector Bias Charges Hit All-Time High
Source: Press Release, EEOC
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received a record 99,947 charges of employment discrimination and obtained $455.6 million in relief through its administrative program and litigation in Fiscal Year 2011.
Make sure references aren't torpedoing your job chances
Source: Anita Bruzzese, USA Today
If you've been frustrated that you haven't managed to nail a new job despite your qualifications and solid interviews, your references could be the root of the problem.
Mean girls at work
Source: Selena Rezvani, Washington Post
In the decades-long battle to fix gender inequity in the workplace, it seems we've been overlooking an obvious part of the problem.
January 24, 2012
Your Résumé vs. Oblivion
Source: Lauren Weber, Wall Street Journal
Inundated Companies Resort to Software to Sift Job Applications for Right Skills.
United Insurance Company of America Pays $37,500 To Resolve EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
United Insurance Company of America will pay $37,500 and furnish other relief to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
Job bias claims in U.S. at record level
Source: AP, USA Today
Job discrimination complaints in the United States rose to an all-time high last year, led by an increase in bias charges based on religion and national origin.
January 23, 2012
Talking politics in the workplace: Freedom of speech or off-limits?
Source: Greg Dawson, Orlando Sentinel
When Tom Cotton, a robust Republican, discovered that an agent for his insurance company had plastered a withering anti-George W. Bush bumper sticker -- "A village in Texas is missing its idiot" -- on her car, he had to bite down hard on a stick.
Am I Legally Required to Give Bereavement Leave?
Source: Cynthia Hsu, Esq., FindLaw
When your employees lose a loved one, they might ask for bereavement leave. Employers typically want to assist their employees as much as possible. Allowing them to take time off to bury and grieve their loved ones is something that they can offer.
How to identify sexual harassment and stop it
Source: AP, Salt Lake Tribune
What constitutes sexual harassment?
January 20, 2012
Bad Bosses: The Psycho-Path To Success?
Source: Kevin Voigt, CNN
Think you suffer from a "psycho" boss? A small but growing body of global research suggests you might be right.
Set aside anger after workplace accusation
Source: Liz Reyer, Chicago Tribune
Q: I felt recently that my integrity was challenged at work.
With New Law, Profits Take a Back Seat
Source: Angus Loten, Wall Street Journal
A brownie supplier to Ben & Jerry's ice cream, a skateboard maker and a payday lender are among the hundreds of existing businesses that plan to incorporate as "benefit corporations" in coming months.
January 19, 2012
Rafael's Italian Restaurant Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Rafael's Italian Restaurant, a Tennessee restaurant chain, has agreed to pay $25,000 and furnish other relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
Dealing with nepotism in the workplace
Source: The Maven, Democrat & Chronicle
Recently, there was a promotion that I was eligible for, but instead of going to me, it went to one of my co-workers (who happens to be the son of one of the company's executive vice presidents).
Some employers find those with autism especially suited for jobs
Source: Ashley Johnson, Naperville Sun
Finding steady work in this economy isn't easy. The challenge is magnified for individuals with disabilities such as autism, who often have difficulty with social interaction.
January 18, 2012
Employers' tracking of workers raises privacy concerns
Source: Duane Marsteller, The Tennessean
TN law does not require employers to reveal where, how they're snooping on us.
Supreme Court lets tipped employees sue for more pay
Source: AP, USA Today
The Supreme Court will allow bartenders and servers who make part of their money from tips file lawsuits for more money when they do work that doesn't involve tips.
Unions Try to Boost Image in New Ads
Source: Kris Maher, Wall Street Journal
The AFL-CIO is launching an ad campaign that seeks to bolster the labor movement's image--the first such effort in more than a decade--as unions try to reverse a slide in public approval and membership.
January 17, 2012
Reading this? You can be an executive documentation comprehension evangelist
Source: Forbes, MSNBC
In rush to sound hip, bosses' titles get silly -- in the end, it's power that matters
How to Lower Your Workplace Stress
Source: Wall Street Journal, Ruth Mantell
Your workload has increased, so have your boss's expectations. But scaling back could mean losing a job.
Woman Fired for Working on Lunch Hour Wins Unemployment Benefits Appeal
Source: Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Journal
A suburban Chicago woman who was fired for working on her lunch hour has won an appeal upholding unemployment benefits.
January 16, 2012
Editorial:Rights in the Workplace
Source: Editorial, New York Times
As a condition of getting and keeping their jobs, millions of employees in the United States have signed agreements to take any disputes with their employers to arbitration rather than court.
Texas Supreme Court ponders age bias lawsuit
Source: Chuck Lindell, Statesman
Can a 48-year-old secretary, fired from a South Texas school, sue for age discrimination when the woman hired to replace her was three years older?
How To Talk To Your Boss And Fix Your Job
Source: Kevin Purdy, Fast Company
It's all too easy to spend long stretches simmering at your desk instead of having a straight-ahead talk with your boss. Here are a few strategies to help you start the conversation.
January 13, 2012
Out in the Workplace? Some U.S. Industries Are Setting an Example
Source: Huffington Post
If you are a gay college student, when you apply for jobs, should you let it show on your résumé, or should you hide it?
Lawsuit: Bias against 'fat, black or ugly' at Panera franchisee
Source: Rich Lord, Pittsburg Post Gazette
A Panera Bread franchisee had a policy of keeping "fat, black or ugly" people off of the cash registers and out of management positions, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court today that seeks class action status.
Age Discrimination Takes Its Toll
Source: Paula Span, New York Times
Two years after the initial survey, those who perceived higher levels of discrimination had poorer health outcomes.
January 12, 2012
Former NLRB Member Strikes Back at Romney's 'Union Stooges' Remark
Source: Melanie Trottman, Wall Street Journal
One former member of the National Labor Relations Board is fighting back after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released a campaign ad slamming the NLRB as "union stooges."
Religious Groups Greet Ruling With Satisfaction
Source: John Cushman, New York Times
Among the more or less predictable reactions from legal adversaries to the Supreme Court's finding that ministers may not bring employment discrimination suits against their churches, there is a pious sentiment to be found here and there -- an appeal to an even higher law.
Pepsi to Pay $3.13 Million and Made Major Policy Changes to Resolve EEOC Finding of Nationwide Hiring Discrimination Against African Americans
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Company's Former Use of Criminal Background Checks Discriminated Based On Race, Agency Found.
January 10, 2012
Where can a federal employee find recourse?
Source: Joe Davidson, Washington Post
It's a case only government lawyers could love.
Lawsuit Pits Political Activism Against Campus Diversity
Source: Adam Liptak, New York Times
Teresa R. Wagner is a conservative Republican who wants to teach law. Her politics may have hurt her career.
Matrix L.L.C. Will Pay $450,000 to Settle EEOC Race Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Cleaning Company Fired African-American Employees and White Employee Who Refused to Discriminate, Federal Agency Said.
January 9, 2012
Hear the Lonesome Whistle Blow: Workplace Retaliation
Source: Janice Harper, Huffington Post
No one likes a tattle tale.
The workforce of the future: Older and healthier
Source: Colleen Leahey, CNN
Either by choice or because of financial woes, people will work into their golden years. What happens to the workplace when seniors don't leave?
Bill would prohibit discrimination against unemployed in hiring
Source: Marc Lifsher, LA Times
The proposed legislation would fine California employers or employment agencies that refuse to consider out-of-work applicants for openings.
January 6, 2012
Your Problem Isn't Motivation
Source: Peter Bregman, Harvard Business Review
"Peter," my friend Byron emailed me a few days ago. "I haven't been diligent about working out over the past five years and I'm trying to get back in the gym and get myself into a healthier state.
Strategies to Cope with Workplace Abuse are Often Ineffective
Source: Rick Nauert, Psych Central
For most, dealing with an abusive boss means avoidance, not confrontation, even though confrontation is probably the most effective tactic.
Workplaces ban not only smoking, but smokers themselves
Source: Wendy Koch, USA Today
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have laws that protect smokers' rights (in blue).
January 5, 2012
Supercharging Productivity Through Workforce Innovation
Source: Cory Edwards, Forbes
The relationship between I.T. and each company's human resources is more important than ever.
Breast-feeding at work now protected by law
Source: Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC
Breast-feeding avengers may be coming to a workplace near you.
Not Office Safe: Ten Products To Keep Out of the Workplace
Source: Don Reisinger, CIO
Have you really looked around your office lately?
January 4, 2012
Job experts' resolutions for the workplace
Source: Dee DePass, Star Tribune
Resolving to find or keep a job may prove tricky this year.
Employers -- prepare for these tax hikes in 2012
Source: Charlie Wolf, Washington Post
The payroll tax debate on Capitol Hill is putting a spotlight on taxes for everyone in 2012, but especially employers.
Workplace Rudeness Has a Ripple Effect
Source: Winnie Yu
An unpleasant employee can spread stress far beyond the office.
Breast-feeding at work now protected by law
Source: Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC
Breast-feeding avengers may be coming to a workplace near you.
January 3, 2012
Incorporating happiness into the workplace
Source: Rex Huppke, Chicago Tribune
Movement to factor it into the bottom line could bode well for employees.
Raising The Minimum Wage: Who Does It Help?
Source: Martin Kaste, NPR
For some of America's lowest-paid workers, the new year means a pay raise.
Men grab most new jobs, even 'women's work' in retailing
Source: Tim Mullaney, USA Today
Men are claiming more than two-thirds of the private-sector jobs created as the economy recovers, reversing a long-running trend that came within a whisker of giving the USA its first-ever majority-female workforce.
January 2, 2012
Job Seekers, Be Creative and Flexible
Source: Ruth Mantell, Wall Street Journal
In 2012, creativity and adaptability will be key to landing and keeping a job for many workers, as staff levels remain lean and employees are expected to respond to a wide variety of demands, experts say.
The NLRB's stacked deck
Source: AP, Post & Courier
President Barack Obama appointed Lafe Solomon acting general counsel in June 2010 during a congressional recess.
How to handle the former workplace enemy, again
Source: Justin Thompson, CNN
One day you come into work merrily sipping your coffee, mentally preparing to make the best of the day ahead of you.
December 29, 2011
Keeping Boomers Fit for Work
Source: James Haggerty, Wall Street Journal
Morning Stretches at Duke Energy, Ice Packs at Harley-Davidson; Firms Adjust to Aging Employees.
Man claims he was fired to make room for 'hot chicks'
Source: Fran Jeffries, Atlanta Journal Constitution
A bartender has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit claiming he lost his job after his employer implemented a 'hot chick' strategy to bring in customers.
We Don't Really Pay Them To Tweet All Day, Do We?
That's what the CEO of a $50M dollar company recently asked his VP of Marketing. "Because if we do we're wasting time and money." Unbelievable, I know.
December 23, 2011
DOL Wins Argument that Federal Law Doesn't Displace Stricter State and Local Safety Requirements
Source: Patricia Smith
In 2008 a construction crane collapsed on the East side of Manhattan, killing seven people and injuring more than twenty.
Millennials to business: Social responsibility isn't optional
Source: Michelle Nunn, Washington Post
Michelle Nunn is CEO of Points of Light Institute, a nonprofit nonpartisan volunteer organization with more than 20 years of history. She is also the co-founder of the HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of the Points of Light Institute.
Payroll tax bill: Impasse angers workers who could lose $20 a week or more
Source: Tammy Webber , Christian Science Monitor
Payroll tax bill would allow $50,000 a year earner to continue saving $1,000 in taxes annually. Americans are frustrated at the lack of compromise over a payroll tax bill.
December 22, 2011
Unions Win More Freedom to Organize in Workplace
Source: Melanie Trottman, Wall Street Journal
New federal rules unveiled Wednesday will make it tougher for employers to stall union-organizing drives inside the workplace, one of the biggest changes in decades to how workers join unions.
Court sets high bar for employers in discrimination case
Source: West Law, Thompson Reuters
A unanimous state appeals court ruled Tuesday that employers seeking to defeat discrimination actions brought under New York City's human-rights law must explain and prove beyond dispute the non-discriminatory motives for their actions.
Labor Board Adopts Rules to Speed Unionization Votes
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The National Labor Relations Board announced on Wednesday that it had adopted new rules that would speed up unionization elections.
December 21, 2011
Workplace Law: Judgment entered in sex discrimination case
Source: Joshua Sudbury , The Tennessean
In recent years, legal scholars and others have speculated as to whether a transgender individual had the right to sue for discrimination based on "sex."
Board adopts amendments to election case procedures
Source: Office of Public Affairs , NLRB
The National Labor Relations Board has adopted a final rule amending its election case procedures to reduce unnecessary litigation and delays. The rule will be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, December 22, and is due to take effect on April 30, 2012.
What Millennials want from the workplace
Source: Sang Tan, Washington Post
When it comes to life on the job, Millennials, who are slated to become half of the workforce in a matter of years, have markedly different goals from their parents. These include a demand for greater social responsibility on the part of their employers.
December 20, 2011
Working Through the Holidays, Sort Of
Source: Mellisa Korn, Wall Street Journal
A new report from office-space company Regus PLC says 64% of U.S. employees will be working the week between Christmas and New Year's, with 56% actually coming into the office.
The Coming War for the Social Workplace
Source: Quentin Hardy , New York Times
The hard-nosed competition for billions in corporate software spending is heading for an improbable showdown: Will the boss "like" that product prototyping cost projection?
The New NLRB Controversy [Article no longer available]
Source: Robert VerBruggen, National Review
While the Boeing and quickie-election crises have been addressed for the time being, the political fights over the National Labor Relations Board continue -- a predictable consequence of the law that created the board.
December 19, 2011
Jim Robinson Ford-Lincoln-Mercury to Pay $56,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Lawsuit
Source: Pam Fessler, EEOC
Car Dealership Fired Salesperson Because of Leg Condition, Federal Agency Charged.
Prepping for Your Annual Review
Source: Eilene Zimmerman , New York Times
It's time for your yearly performance review. You aren't expecting any big surprises, but you still feel a little nervous. How should you prepare for this meeting?
A holiday wish list for the workplace
Source: Rex Huppke, Chicago Tribune
Let's end this work year and start the new one with honesty, better feedback, a little attitude adjustment -- and doughnuts.
December 16, 2011
Wage Protection for Home Care Workers
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The Obama administration proposed regulations on Thursday to give the nation's nearly two million home care workers minimum wage and overtime protections.
Disability-Benefits System Faces Review
Source: Damian Paletta, Wall Street Journal
The Social Security Administration has commissioned an independent review of the federal disability system amid concerns it awards benefits to those who don't deserve them and denies benefits to those who do.
Former N.B.A. Employee Says Sexual Harassment Concerns Were Ignored
Source: Howard Beck, New York Times
A former N.B.A. security official says that he repeatedly warned his superiors that women in the office were being sexually harassed or discriminated against.
December 14, 2011
When Are Partners Really Employees?
Source: Joe Palazzolo, Wall Street Journal
At big firms with scads of partners, a pecking order develops.
Three Types of People to Hire Today
Source: G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón, Business Week
Add these individuals to your team, and watch your innovation quotient surge.
Senate to take up payroll tax plan opposed by Obama
Source: Ted Barrett, Kate Bolduan and Tom Cohen, CNN
Following House passage of a Republican plan that would extend the payroll tax cut and speed the process for government approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, attention shifted Wednesday to the Senate, where the measure was deemed unlikely to pass because of strong Democratic opposition.
December 13, 2011
Would You Rat Out Your Boss? Majority of Americans Say Yes - For a Price
Source: Sam Gustin, TIME
More than three-quarters of Americans would blow the whistle on wrongdoing at their workplace, according to a newly released survey -- but only if they could do so anonymously.
Lawyer Accused of Seeking Secretary with 'Benefits' Gets One-Year Suspension
Source: Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Journal
An Illinois lawyer accused of telling an applicant for a secretarial position that the job included "sexual interaction" has been suspended for one year.
Woman who underwent sex change wins workplace discrimination claim
Source: Bill Mears, CNN
Transgender groups are applauding a court ruling in favor of a Georgia woman who sued after claiming she was fired from her state position because of a sex change.
December 12, 2011
No Vacation or Bonus? Workers Say OK
Source: Mellisa Korn, Wall Street Journal
Workers will go to great lengths to hold onto their jobs, according to a new survey.
Dealing with depression difficult in workplace [Article no longer available]
Source: Diane Stafford, Kansas City Star
The way Ryan Lefebvre remembers it, fellow baseball broadcaster Fred White looked at him and asked, "Are you OK?
Dr. Pepper to pay over discrimination claims in LA [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, SF Gate
A federal jury has ordered Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc. to pay $18.3 million to six people who sued a Los Angeles bottling subsidiary alleging age discrimination.
December 9, 2011
Moving From Combat to Compassion in the Workplace
Source: Laura B. Martinez, Huffington Post
As concerns about workplace bullying and mobbing bring to light the damaging toll of interpersonal aggression, there remains a disturbing tenor to many of these discussions that leaves me wondering just how possible it will ever be to minimize workplace aggression.
Police dispatcher's Facebook postings lands her in jai
Source: Laura B. Martinez, Brownsville Herald
A police dispatcher has been arrested on harassment charges after she allegedly posted text messages and photos between her husband and a female police officer on her Facebook page.
Religious Discrimination: Right To or Protection From?
Source: Erica Keppler, Huffington Post
In a recent incident of open, hostile, aggressive discrimination against a transgender woman, a store clerk in a Texas Macy's attempted to bar a trans woman from entering a women's fitting room.
December 2, 2011
Job Seekers: Get HR on Your Side
Source: Amy Gallo, Harvard Business Review
Employers are dealing with more job applicants than ever. With thousands of submissions for a single vacancy, companies must be more diligent when sorting the wheat from the chaff.
For Angry Employees, Legal Cover for Rants
Source: Melanie Trottman, Wall Street Journal
Workers fired or disciplined for bad-mouthing employers on social-networking sites are fighting back using a decades-old labor law--a new front in the murky battle over what workers can do and say online.
Does Boeing settlement mean NLRB's actions were for naught?
Source: Alana Semuels, LA Times
Out of all of the Obama administration's appointees, those on the National Labor Relations Board have been among the most productive -- and controversial.
November 30, 2011
20 workplace truisms for up-and-comers
Source: Steve Tobak , CBS
Once in a great while, experience teaches us a lesson that can only be described as an axiom or a truism.
Help Wanted: In Unexpected Twist, Some Skilled Jobs Go Begging
Source: Ben Cassleman, Wall Street Journal
Ferrie Bailey's job should be easy: hiring workers amid the worst stretch of unemployment since the Depression.
US Labor Dept. alleges discrimination by Cargill
Source: Jeanie Nuss, Bloomberg
One of the nation's largest meatpackers systematically discriminated against more than 4,000 qualified applicants who sought entry-level jobs at a turkey processing plant in Arkansas, the U.S. Labor Department said Tuesday.
November 29, 2011
Senate Democrats Propose Extending Payroll Tax Cut
Source: Jennifer Steinhaur , New York Times
Senate Democrats introduced legislation Monday to extend and expand an expiring payroll tax cut, setting the stage for a showdown with Republicans who are almost certain to reject the Democrats' proposal for paying for the cut
Should Legislation Protect the Obese?
Source: New York Times
A recent Gallup survey of absenteeism among unhealthy American workers found that about 86 percent of full-time workers are above normal weight or have at least one chronic condition.
Dodge's Chicken To Pay $190,000 To Former Employee Fired After Suffering From Seizures
Source: Press Release, EEOC
D&H Company, Dodge Brothers, Inc., and Giant Oil Company of Arkansas, Inc., doing business as Savings Station Dodge Stores and Dodge's Chicken Store, will pay $190,000 to settle a disability lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
November 28, 2011
Sleeping Giant at Walmart Wakes -- Its Vast Workforce
Source: Jack Neff, AdAge
Measures to Motivate, Mobilize Staff Are Opening up Opportunities for Consumer Brands.
Sexually harassed interns often feel they have nowhere to turn
Source: Vikki Ortiz Healy, Chicago Tribune
It is not uncommon for the sexual harassment of interns to go unreported, experts say
Look beyond age for effective bosses
Source: Andrea Kay Gannett, USA Today
Some older workers with younger bosses think the latter are "fools with 2-second attention spans who don't know how to hold a face-to-face conversation."
November 23, 2011
Metallic Products Corp. Pays $60,000 To Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Company Fired Employee on His 70th Birthday Under Illegal Mandatory Retirement Policy, Federal Agency Charged.
Gen Y Women In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Unlearn And Relearn
Source: Debora Frett, Huffington Post
The key to recruiting, supporting and retaining Gen Y workers may require unlearning what we "know" about this cohort and relearning the importance of flexibility, equality and inclusivity for business success.
Des Moines to bar gender-identity bias
Source: AP, TH Online
The Des Moines City Council has voted to bar discrimination based on gender identity, becoming the ninth Iowa city to do so.
November 22, 2011
Jackson Park Hospital To Pay $80,000 To Settle EEOC Lawsuit For Race And Sex Discrimination And Retaliation
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Agency Charged Black Female Employees Were Segregated in Job Assignments.
Cutting Hours Instead of Jobs
Source: Justin Lahart, Wall Street Journal
Rhode Island, Other States Offer Partial Unemployment for Shortened Workweeks.
Next congressional battle: Payroll taxes
Source: Charles Riley, CNN
With the super committee's failure, lawmakers are now facing a year-end legislative challenge that could have an outsized impact on the economy.
November 21, 2011
Why Training Employees Is Always a High-Wire Act
Source: Rick Wartzman, Bloomberg
Designing the right employee-training programs is as complex as it is crucial
NLRB to Consider Speedier Union Votes
Source: Melanie Trottman, Wall Street Journal
National Labor Relations Board Chairman Mark Pearce has scheduled a Nov. 30 vote on a scaled-back version of a controversial proposal that would speed up union-organizing elections.
Redefining the Union Boss
Source: Kathleen Sharp, New York Times
NOT long ago, truckers pulled off highways across America and tuned in to someone whose CB handle was "Troublemaker."
November 16, 2011
Two decades after Anita Hill: how workplaces are handling sexual harassment
Source: Husna Haq, Christian Science Monitor
Sexual misconduct allegations against GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain have put a spotlight on secret settlements, which many businesses are turning to in sexual harassment cases.
Workplace harassment drawing wide concern
Source: Scott Clement, Washington Post
Nearly two-thirds of Americans say sexual harassment is a problem in this country.
November 15, 2011
Collaboration's Hidden Tax on Women's Careers
Source: Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt , Harvard Business Review
A few years ago we hosted a seminar for 150 businesswomen.
Transgender bill on the move, chairman sees house vote this week
Source: Kyle Cheney, Boston Herald
A legislative committee has begun polling its members on a long-stalled bill to include transgender residents in the state's non-discrimination laws, setting up a vote in the House this week, according to a top deputy to Speaker Robert DeLeo.
Proskauer Rose Asks Judge to Dismiss Discrimination Suit
Source: Chris Dolmetsch, Bloomberg
Proskauer Rose LLP asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Elly Rosenthal, its former chief financial officer, in which she alleged the law firm wrongly fired her after she took leave for treatment of breast cancer.
November 14, 2011
Victim of workplace sexual harassment? You may not be alone
Source: Christopher Sign , ABC
For more than a decade, Rebecca Currie has guided victims of workplace sexual harassment, but she says very few actually file a complaint.
Unpaid Interns: Real World Work Or Just Free Labor?
Source: NPR
Over 1 million Americans a year work as interns. About half of them are unpaid.
Framing Discrimination Law: Wal-Mart v. Dukes and Title VII
Source: Sandra Sperino, Jurist
JURIST Guest Columnist Sandra Sperino of the University of Cincinnati College of Law says that the frameworks courts currently use to examine employment discrimination cases are too narrow in scope to deal with the type of discrimination alleged in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
November 11, 2011
More boomers working past retirement
Source: Jennifer Kerr, USA Today
Ohio Ballot Win for Unions May Not Mean End of Labor Fights
Source: Mark Niquette and Holly Rosenkrantz, Bloomberg
Ohio voters' Nov. 8 repeal of a law limiting collective bargaining for public employees may not stop efforts across the U.S. to curb union power as states face fiscal struggles.
How to Recognize Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Source: Heather Huhman, US News & World Report
As the victim of sexual harassment in two different previous workplaces, I think it's important that everyone understands what constitutes sexual harassment and what steps they should take to alleviate the situation.
November 10, 2011
Health Law Survives Test in Court of Appeals
Source: John Schwartz, New York Times
A federal appeals court in Washington upheld the Obama administration's health care law on Tuesday in a decision written by a prominent conservative jurist.
Ohio Vote on Labor Is Parsed for Omens
Source: Steven Greenhouse & Sabrina Tavernese, New York Times
The landslide vote to repeal an Ohio law that limits collective bargaining has sounded a strong note of caution for Republican governors and lawmakers across the country.
California Supreme Court ponders work break rules [Article no longer available]
Source: Maura Dolan, LA Times
Jurists appear to be leaning toward flexibility for non-unionized hourly workers on whether to take breaks.
November 9, 2011
Obama Takes Aim At Contractors Who Discriminate
Source: Dave Jamieson, Huffington Post
With an unemployment rate of 13 percent among workers with disabilities, the Obama Administration is now wielding one of the few sticks it has to combat hiring discrimination against Americans with disabilities -- federal tax dollars.
Reported incidents down, but sexual harassment in workplace remains prevalent
Source: Katherine Yung & Patricia Montemurri, Detroit Free Press
A lot has changed in the American workplace since the "Mad Men" era, when sexual harassment was rampant.
Wal-Mart Plans Ambitious Expansion Into Medical Care
Source: Julie Appleby & Sarah Varney, NPR
Wal-Mart wants to be your doctor.
Ohio Turns Back a Law Limiting Unions' Rights
Source: http://tinyurl.com/cw5llra, New York Times
A year after Republicans swept legislatures across the country, voters in Ohio delivered their verdict Tuesday on a centerpiece of the conservative legislative agenda, striking down a law that restricted public workers' rights to bargain collectively.
November 8, 2011
Comfort Suites To Pay $132,500 For Disability Discrimination Against Clerk With Autism
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Hotel Fired Clerk After Denying Him a State-Paid Job Coach, Charged EEOC.
Senate Acts on 2 Pieces of Proposal on Hiring
Source: Mark Landler & Jennifer Steinhaur, New York Times
The Senate on Monday cleared the way for a measure that would repeal a tax withholding program on government contractors and provide tax incentives for companies that hire veterans.
Maverik Agrees To Pay $115,000 To Settle EEOC Lawsuit For Disability Discrimination
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Employee Unlawfully Fired Because of HIV Status, Federal Agency Charged.
November 7, 2011
Sexual Harassment's Legal Morass
Source: Curt Levey, Wall Street Journal
Even an employer who avoids trial and prevails on summary judgment will ring up a defense bill of $100,000.
Stop Avoiding Office Politics
Source: Linda H Hill & Ken Lineback , Harvard Business Review
"I won't do it," he said. "I don't care who they are; I won't buddy up to people I don't like and respect just because I want something from them."
Probation for a 48-Year-Old Employee?
Source: Liz Ryan, Business Week
Kevin's crime was speaking out too aggressively and his manager wanted to take him down. In stepped a human resources pro.
November 4, 2011
Racist picture center of discrimination lawsuit
Source: Christine Dobbin, ABC
Santa Claus, a Klu Klux Klan hood and a burning cross -- those three things are at the center of a discrimination lawsuit three workers have filed against their former employer.
Showing Disruption of Work Is Key to Success of Harassment Cases
Source: Brent Kendall & Ashby Jones, Wall Street Journal
People may have many different behaviors in mind when they talk about sexual harassment, but in the legal arena, making a case often hinges on whether the conduct is pervasive or serious enough to disrupt an employee's work, lawyers say.
Maternity leave: 4 tricks for going back to work
Source: Amy Levin-Epstein, CBS
The return from maternity leave is a key juncture in a woman's career.
November 3, 2011
Wal-Mart Discriminated Against Women Workers in Texas, Suit Says
Source: Margaret Cronin Fisk and Karen Gullo, Bloomberg
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. discriminated against female workers in Texas, shortchanging them on pay and promotion opportunities, lawyers for the women said in a complaint.
How Technology Is Eliminating Higher-Skill Jobs
Source: Chris Arnold, NPR
The U.S. economy hit an important milestone last week: gross domestic product, the sum of all goods and services produced in the country, returned to pre-recession levels.
What Herman Cain's fundraising bonanza says to women about sexual harassment
Source: Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, Washington Post
As the story of the sexual harassment allegations against GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain broke, Cain had his best 24-hour fundraising stretch.
November 2, 2011
Volunteering Rises on the Résumé
Source: John Leland, New York Times
Volunteer experience has long been a secondary consideration in people's career portfolios.
Reorganizing? Think Again
Source: Ron Ashkenas, Harvard Business Review
But what they won't tell you is the one sport that all managers play the most: The Game of Reorganization.
Health of U.S. Workforce Continues to Decline, Driving Up Employer Costs, According to Annual Index from Thomson Reuters
Source: Press Release, Reuters
The unhealthy behaviors of the U.S. workforce now cost employers an average of $623 per employee annually, according to the Thomson Reuters Workforce Wellness Index.
November 1, 2011
California's Retirement-Age Increase Puts State in Rare Company [Article no longer available]
Source: Christopher Palmeri, SF Gate
Governor Jerry Brown's proposal to raise the age when most public workers can retire with full benefits to 67, from 55, would put California in the company of just three other states.
California employers embrace E-Verify
Source: Matt O'Brien, Mercury News
Illegal immigrants will have a harder time securing a job -- some jobs, at least -- as more Bay Area employers screen new hires through an immigration records check.
Workplace incivility is no laughing matter
Source: Sarah Sutschek, Northwest Herald
Karla Dobbeck's clients tell her they have an employee with a bad attitude, a harassment issue, or a bully on hand.
October 28, 2011
Liberating Data for Mainstream America
Source: Deputy Secretary, Seth Harris, Department of Labor
In July the Labor Department launched its first-ever contests to spur the software developer community to create "apps," or smartphone and computer applications, that would be useful for the public.
What Happened to the Gen Y Work-Life Revolution?
Source: Samantha Parent Walravens, Huffington Post
The work-life conflict of my generation -- Generation X, or those born between 1965 and 1980 -- has been defined by the unrealistic expectations that women, primarily, have placed on themselves to "have it all".
Female Wal-Mart Employees File New Bias Case
Source: Andrew Martin, New York Times
Four months after the Supreme Court tossed out their national class-action lawsuit, lawyers representing women who claimed that Wal-Mart Stores had discriminated against them filed a new lawsuit on Thursday that narrowed their claims to the California stores of the retail chain.
October 27, 2011
Deep Backlog Is Detailed at New York City's Bias Watchdog
Source: David Chen, New York Times
New York City's watchdog on discrimination issues has fallen so far behind on its workload that it should consider private financing to compensate for chronic budget cuts, according to an audit from the city comptroller, John C. Liu.
Enough With the Corporate Pity Party, It's Time to Create Jobs
Source: Kimberly Freeman Brown, Huffington Post
The country is in crisis. Unemployment is still hovering at 9 percent, income inequality has soared to record levels, and 46 million -- one in six -- Americans are living in poverty.
Employers May Not Rush To Drop Health Coverage After All
Source: Julie Rovner, NPR
Despite claims to the contrary, a insightful economic analysis suggests that it wouldn't be in most employers' business interests to stop providing health insurance when the main coverage provisions of the federal health overhaul kick in.
October 26, 2011
Reality TV approach to job search can derail prospects
Source: Anita Bruzzese , USA Today
Sometimes it can be frustrating as a job seeker when you're trying to get the attention of an employer.
5 Steps To Taking Charge of Your Career
Source: Suzane Lucas , bNet
This isn't a question, just a thanks to helping me with my career. I've been at the same organization since I was 24 and I am about to turn 32.
AT&T settles EEOC nationwide age bias lawsuit
Source: Jonathan Stempel, Reuters
AT&T Inc has settled a nationwide lawsuit by a U.S. agency accusing it of age discrimination for refusing to rehire tens of thousands of workers who had retired from the largest U.S. telephone company.
October 25, 2011
US Labor Department publishes final regulation to improve access to quality investment advice
Source: News Release, Department of Labor
Regulation implements prohibited transaction exemption under 2006 Pension Protection Act.
Religion in the workplace is an issue on the rise
Source: Hugh Willet , Knoxville Biz
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Department of Justice statistics indicate that complaints of religious harassment in the workplace are on the rise.
Musician suing for age bias who complained about elderly judge reassigned same 88-year-old judge
Source: Scott Shifrel , New York Daily News
Violinist Martin Stoner, 60, is suing for age-discrimination because he was barred from the Young Concert Artists competition.
October 24, 2011
IRS Boosts Maximum 401(k) Contribution [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, NPR
The Internal Revenue Service is raising the maximum contribution that workers can make to their 401(k) pension plans without paying upfront taxes. The limit will rise by $500 to $17,000 next year.
Hertz fires 26 Muslims in Sea-Tac prayer dispute [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Atlanta Journal Constitution
More than two dozen Somali Muslim drivers for Hertz at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are being fired after refusing to clock out for daily breaks during which they normally pray.
No more hiding: Alzheimer's vs. the workplace [Article no longer available]
Source: Diane Stafford, Kansas City Star
Confronting an employee who exhibits symptoms of dementia requires careful navigation of Americans with Disabilities, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination and human rights acts.
October 20, 2011
Starting salaries for white-collar workers expected to get a boost
Source: Allison Linn, Life Inc.
If you're lucky enough to land a white-collar job next year, you also may get a slightly better salary offer than folks who were hired this year.
Occupy Wall Street reacts to Goldman Sachs pay
Source: CNN
Goldman Sachs has set aside $10 billion for staff pay so far this year, or roughly $292,000 per employee. That's down $78,000 from last year.
Labor Advocates Won't Let Up Against Jobless Discrimination
Source: Jordan Howard, Huffington Post
For the past several months one labor advocacy group has continuously hammered companies that list job postings discriminating against the jobless
October 18, 2011
As open enrollment starts, employers push health
Source: Carrie Teegardin, Atlanta Journal Constitution
Employers make push for wellness as costs go up, packages go out.
Is Religion Above the Law? [Article no longer available]
Source: Stanley Fish
The religion clause case recently argued before the Supreme Court -- Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC -- centers on the "ministerial exception.
Income Disparity And The 'Price Of Civilization'
Source: NPR Staff, NPR
The Occupy Wall Street movement has been criticized for lacking focus -- but its main slogan seems to be resonating.
October 17, 2011
Thomasville City Schools Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal Agency Obtains $25,000 for School Teacher Who Was Denied Promotion to Assistant Principal Due to Her Age.
Ohio Wages Fierce Fight on Collective Bargaining
Source: Steven Greenhouse, USA Today
The push to repeal the law, enacted by the Republican-led legislature in March, will be one of the biggest battles in the country this Election Day, with the law's supporters and opponents expected to spend in total more than $20 million in the fight.
Anita Hill still looking to make a difference
Source: Cassandra Spratling, USA Today
When Sandra Kent began working on bringing Anita Hill to Detroit, she was shocked that her 17-year-old granddaughter didn't know who Hill was.
October 13, 2011
Challenging Perceived Wisdom ... are our workplace preconceptions valid?
Source: Samantha Thorton, JC Associates
Our new study of workplace reality is the largest and most far-reaching in terms of both scale and scope.
Obama vows to break jobs plan into separate bills after Senate setback
Source: Alan Silverleib, CNN Politics
Shortly after his $447 billion jobs plan stalled Tuesday in the Senate, President Barack Obama vowed to break the broad initiative down into numerous, separate bills -- potentially setting up even more showdowns between Democrats and Republicans on how to boost the economy and where to get the money to do so.
Solving the Health Care Cost Crisis
Source: Michael Porter & Robert Kaplan , Harvard Business Review
Michael Porter and Robert S. Kaplan, Harvard Business School professors and authors of the HBR article How to Solve the Cost Crisis in Health Care, explain why providers must start with proper measurement.
October 12, 2011
Minimum wage to rise in eight states
Source: Tami Luhby, CNN Money
Minimum-wage workers in eight states could see their paychecks grow by hundreds of dollars next year, thanks to automatic annual increases in the rates.
Jobs Bill Defeated Despite Presidential Push
Source: Ari Shapiro, NPR
Ever since President Obama proposed his $447 billion jobs bill in a joint address to Congress last month, he has been campaigning for it nonstop. He has whipped up crowds all across America who chant, "Pass this bill!"
Workplace Confusion: Open Enrollment Benefits Season Begins
Source: Ashlea Ebeling , Forbes
If you've got a job with benefits, chances are you got an email recently from the human resources department reminding you that open enrollment is around the corner.
October 11, 2011
Should Companies Use Credit Checks to Screen Job Applicants?
Source: Adam Cohen, Time
It is a harsh catch-22, particularly in today's moribund economy: many companies routinely rule out job applicants who fail a credit check.
New Research Busts Myths About the Gender Gap
Source: Christine Silva and Nancy Carter, Harvard Business Review
The glass ceiling, a phrase popularized in a 1986 Wall Street Journal article, has been invoked for years as the barrier keeping women from reaching the executive ranks in numbers paralleling men.
Minimum wage to rise in eight states
Source: Tami Luhby, CNN Money
Minimum-wage workers in eight states could see their paychecks grow by hundreds of dollars next year, thanks to automatic annual increases in the rates
October 10, 2011
New site lets consumers monitor health insurance rate hikes
Source: Kelly Kennedy , USA Today
Beginning Thursday, consumers across the country can click their state on a federal Web page to see if a health insurer has raised its rates, as well as the company's reason for doing so.
Recent Flurry of NLRB Complaints Puts Focus on Evolving Social Media Disciplinary Issues
Source: Patricia Nemeth & Erin Behler , Law.com
The National Labor Relations Board's involvement with social media disciplinary issues first made headlines in October 2010.
Supreme Court Justices Find Government Line in Church-State Case 'Amazing'
Source: Warren Richey , ABC
In an important test of the boundaries of the separation of church and state, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments in a case examining whether a parochial school teacher may be barred from filing a discrimination lawsuit against her employer when the suit might entangle government in matters of religious faith.
October 7, 2011
As new immigration law in Alabama takes effect, construction and farm workers flee [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
Alabama's strict new immigration law may be backfiring. Intended to force illegal workers out of jobs, it is also driving away many construction workers, roofers and field hands in the country legally who do backbreaking jobs that Americans generally won't.
Judge upholds firing of Ohio teacher in Bible case [Article no longer available]
Source: Doug Whiteman, Associated Press
A judge has upheld the firing of a central Ohio public school science teacher who was accused of preaching religious beliefs in class and of keeping a Bible on his desk.
Employers Exhibit Bias Against Gay Job Seekers
Source: Elizabeth Auritt, Harvard Crimson
Men applying to jobs in the Midwest and the South who give evidence of being gay on their resumes are less likely to be called back for an interview than men perceived as displaying heterosexual qualities, according to a study published by a Harvard researcher this week.
October 6, 2011
Supreme Court hears religious-workplace firing dispute
Source: Joan Biskupic, USA Today
The Supreme Court struggled Wednesday with a case fundamental to the separation of church and state, testing when people who work for religious organizations can sue for job discrimination.
Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act: Transgender New Yorkers Still Waiting For Equality
Source: Matt Sledge, Huffington Post
Nine years ago gay and lesbian activists made a decision.
How to disagree with your boss -- without losing your job
Source: New York Daily News
You're at your weekly staff meeting, and you've just presented your brilliant idea on how to boost productivity and save money.
October 5, 2011
Federal judge finds union in contempt for failing to provide subpoenaed documents
Source: NLRB
A federal judge in Hawaii has granted the NLRB's motion for civil contempt sanctions against the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, Local 293, for failing to turn over documents sought by subpoena for more than a year.
The legacy of the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings
Source: Ruth Marcus , Washington Post
Even now, with the healing distance of two decades, the subject of Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas retains its power to provoke and divide.
Protesters Drawing Labor Support
Source: Andrew Grossman & Alison Fox , Wall Street Journal
The anti-Wall Street protesters camped out in a Lower Manhattan park are beginning to attract backing from some of New York's most powerful labor unions.
October 4, 2011
Princeton Club of New York faces racial discrimination suit
Source: James Chang, Daily Princetonian
A former Princeton Club of New York payroll manager, 51-year-old Jo-Ann Garcia, filed a $10-million lawsuit against her former employer in early August, contending that she was dismissed from her job due to her age and race.
Town of Clarence and Western New York Fire Companies Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Fire Companies Had Barred Older Firefighters From Receiving Service Credits in Retirement Benefit Plan, Agency Charged.
How Employers Raid Pension Plans
Source: Ellen Schultz, Wall Street Journal
When it comes to threats to your retirement, there's one you may have overlooked: your employer. In recent years, companies have been freezing pensions, slashing retiree health benefits and eliminating 401(k) contributions.
October 3, 2011
Administrative Law Judge rules Chicago car dealership had overly broad employee policy, but discharged employee's activity not protected
Source: Office of Public Affairs , NLRB
A National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge ruled on Wednesday that Knauz BMW, a Chicago area car dealership, did not wrongfully terminate an employee for his Facebook postings.
The Industries That Are Looking for Workers
Source: Wall Street Journal
The job market is tough for many.
Historical Sexual Harassment Cases
Source: The Daily Beast
Anita Hill brought sexual harassment front and center in 1991 when she testified that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had used explicit language when they worked together
September 30, 2011
Expert: If your boss is a psychopath leave
Source: UPI
One in 25 bosses may be a psychopath, and a U.S. researcher suggests if an employee suspects his or her boss fits the description, it's best to find a new boss.
Outsize Severance Continues for Executives, Even After Failed Tenures
Source: Eric Dash, New York Times
The golden goodbye has not gone away.
When Legal Sense Trumps Practical Sense
Source: Michael P. Maslanka , Law.com
In the "Alice in Wonderland" world of employment law, one of the hard parts of an in-house lawyer's job is telling an internal client that something that makes zero practical sense makes complete legal sense.
September 29, 2011
'Retirement Heist': How Firms Trimmed Pensions
Source: NPR Staff, NPR
As companies have been moving away from traditional pension plans, they have been shifting employees to new retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, that transfer the cost -- and the risk -- to workers.
Calif co. settles sex harassment case for $463K [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Sacramento Bee
An Orange County pool cleaning supply company will pay nearly $463,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a federal agency that found at least eight female employees had been sexually harassed.
Walmart Adds Transgender Provisions To Employee Non-Discrimination Policy
Source: Huffington Post
Walmart has passed provisions in its employee non-discrimination policy to protect transgender employees reports the Windy City Times.
September 28, 2011
Health Insurers Push Premiums Sharply Higher
Source: Reed Abelson & Nina Bernstein , New York Times
Major health insurance companies have been charging sharply higher premiums this year, outstripping any growth in workers' wages and creating more uncertainty for the Obama administration and employers who are struggling to drive down an unrelenting rise in medical costs.
Full Employment, for Lawyers [Article no longer available]
Source: Editorial, National Review
The Obama administration has the worst employment record in modern history, but it is pressing forward boldly to create a raft of new jobs -- for trial lawyers.
Online rants -- what's protected? [Article no longer available]
Source: Cindy Krischer Goodman , Miami Herald
Some bosses assume that they can fire workers who complain on Facebook about the company or its managers, but it's not a slam dunk.
September 27, 2011
Obama Proposes Protecting Unemployed Against Hiring Bias
Source: Robert Pear , New York Times
President Obama has not been particularly successful in fostering the creation of jobs.
Labor: Using class action waivers in employment arbitration agreements
Source: Steve Moore, Inside Counsel
In some states, such as California, unsuspecting employers can find themselves facing millions of dollars in liability for technical violations of an obscure state labor code provision that is inconsistent with the laws of every other state in which the company may operate.
Union says documents bolster NLRB case vs Boeing
Source: Reuters
The union representing Boeing Co (BA.N) workers in Washington state on Friday said internal company documents show Boeing intended to punish union members for past strikes when it located an airplane production line in non-union South Carolina.
September 26, 2011
Labor Department Postpones Guest Workers' Wage Increase
Source: Julie Preston , New York Times
The Labor Department late Thursday announced a 60-day delay in wage increases for foreign guest workers under the federal H-2B program.
Firings, discipline over Facebook posts lead to surge in legal disputes [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
In the age of instant tweets and impulsive Facebook posts, some companies are still trying to figure out how they can limit what their employees say about work online without running afoul of the law.
Mandatory E-Verify bill looks headed for House passage
Source: Gary Martin , Houston Chronicle
A Republican immigration bill that would require employers to check the immigration status of new workers has drawn protests from Latino and immigrant rights groups, but it seems certain to win passage in the House of Representatives.
September 23, 2011
Aware of Wrongdoing? Blowing the Whistle Can Net You Big Bucks
Source: Selena Maranjian, Daily Finance
If you get proof that a company's breaking the law, you have more than a moral imperative to step forward and expose that malfeasance.
Are "Years of Experience" Requirements Fair to Younger Workers?
Source: Suzane Lucas , bNet
I'm about six years into my IT career and like any business person I am always keeping my eye on the market.
IRS Gives Employers a Break on Payrolls
Source: Laura Sanders & Melanie Trottman , Wall Street Journal
Businesses that have been improperly labeling their employees as independent contractors got a surprise break Wednesday: A new Internal Revenue Service program will allow those businesses to reclassify workers and make only a small payment to cover past payroll taxes.
September 22, 2011
Most unusual resume mistakes
Source: Toni Bowers, Tech Republic
Takeaway: A recent CareerBuilder survey reveals some of the more outrageous statements hiring managers have seen on resumes.
EEOC files rare discrimination suit against Bass Pro Shops [Article no longer available]
Source: Scott Nishirama, Star Telegram
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Bass Pro Shops on Wednesday, alleging that stores illegally discriminated against black and Hispanic workers and job applicants, retaliated against employees who raised questions and destroyed records.
5 Ways to Deal with a Co-Worker Who Steals Your Ideas
Source: Auriela Flores, Fox News
There's nothing like coming up with a brilliant idea - one of your flashes of genius - and then having someone else take the credit.
September 21, 2011
The Twelve Attributes of a Truly Great Place to Work
Source: Tony Schwartz, Harvard Business Review
More than 100 studies have now found that the most engaged employees -- those who report they're fully invested in their jobs and committed to their employers -- are significantly more productive, drive higher customer satisfaction and outperform those who are less engaged.
Employers shift disability insurance costs to workers and trim benefits
Source: Michelle Andrews, Washington Post
Disability insurance is one of those under-the-radar benefits you may take for granted, especially if your employer picks up the tab for the coverage, as many firms do.
Obama Challenged To End Religious Discrimination In Federally Funded Jobs
Source: Josef Kuhn, Huffington Post
Dozens of religious and civil rights organizations challenged President Obama to fulfill a campaign promise to end religious discrimination in federally funded jobs.
September 20, 2011
NLRB Pushes Unions' Destructive Agenda [Article no longer available]
Source: Bob Confer, The New American
Although rarely looked at as such by the typical person, labor is an economic transaction.
Will restricting criminal background checks actually increase minority unemployment?
Source: Caroline May, Daily Caller
Actions with the best intentions do not always result in the expected outcomes.
Bias claim can lead to employee retaliation charge
Source: Judy Greenwald , Business Insurance
Retaliation charges, which are the most common type of employment claim against companies, create thorny issues for employers that must be carefully managed.
September 19, 2011
Why Some Men Earn Less Than They Did 40 Years Ago
Source: John Ydstie, NPR
Last Tuesday, the government's annual poverty and income report revealed that the earnings of male workers in the middle of the income ladder are lower today than they were almost 40 years ago.
Labor Dept. expands enforcement of wage violations [Article no longer available]
Source: Sam Hananel, Boston.com
The Labor Department is signing agreements to share information with nine states and the Internal Revenue Service as it gets more aggressive in its program to crack down on businesses that cheat workers out of their hard-earned wages.
EEOC takes stand on discrimination against obesity
Source: Andrea Tortora, Columbus Business First
With one third of U.S. adults considered to be obese, weight discrimination is becoming a big deal for employers.
September 16, 2011
Deal for Pa. mom who lost job after donating organ [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Forbes
A Philadelphia woman who lost her job after taking time off to donate a kidney to her son has been offered a deal that could allow her to work for the business again.
Bank of America's Failure to Accommodate Blind Employee Draws EEOC Disability Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal Agency Says Banking Giant Could Have Kept Data Entry Worker On the Job at Chicago Facility Instead of Firing Him
EEOC sues Walgreen for disability discrimination in diabetic worker firing
Source: Judy Greenwald , Business Insurance
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity is suing Walgreen Co., alleging disability discrimination for firing a worker with diabetes who ate a snack sold at the store because she was suffering from low blood sugar.
September 15, 2011
NLRB rulings favor card check, allow 'piecemeal' organizing
Source: Kent Hoover, BizJournals
Business groups accused the National Labor Relations Board of continuing to favor unions with two new decisions that will make it easier to organize workplaces.
Employee Rights Notice Posting
Source: NLRB
As of November 14, 2011, most private sector employers are required to post a notice advising employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The 11-by-17-inch notice should be posted in a conspicuous place, where other notifications of workplace rights and employer rules and policies are posted.
The Myth of Performance Metrics
Source: Dick Grote, Harvard Business Review
There's a bogus belief that gets in the way of managers when they evaluate performance.
September 13, 2011
Employers tell workers to get healthy or pay up
Source: Tom Wileman, The Tennessean
Dorinda Turnbull said she felt violated when an employer-based health plan offered savings if she and her husband would undergo blood work and agree to follow-up monitoring for any medical conditions.
Health insurance denial rates routinely 20%, data show
Source: Phil Galewitz, USA Today
Amanda Hite says she felt "really healthy" when she applied recently for health insurance. But Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield denied her, because she had seen a chiropractor a few months earlier for a sore back and later had visited an emergency room because of back pain.
House bill would block case against Boeing [Article no longer available]
Source: Sam Hananel, Associated Press
House Republicans, angry over the government's labor dispute with Boeing Co., are taking up a bill that would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any company to close plants or relocate workers, even if a company flouts labor laws.
September 12, 2011
EEOC: Work rule doesn't have a prayer
Source: Elizabeth Newman, McKnight's
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing a Florida nursing and rehabilitation facility for firing a certified nursing assistant who did not want to work on her religion's Sabbath day
Obama proposes sweeping changes to unemployment benefits
Source: Tami Luhby, CNN Money
The nation's unemployment benefits system would undergo extensive changes under the jobs proposal President Obama outlined Thursday.
Old-fashioned career advice from the 1940s still works today
Source: Andrea Kay Gannett, USA Today
I was lucky to grow up with parents who attended The Dale Carnegie Course in Effective Speaking and Human Relations.
September 9, 2011
Make sure you're not the problem with your boss
Source: Linda H Hill & Ken Lineback , CNN Money
If you believe your boss is terrible, there are a few questions you should answer before you do anything drastic like quitting -- or worse.
Labor Board: Fired-For-Facebooking Employees Must Be Rehired [Article no longer available]
Source: techcrunch.com, Washington Post
It's no secret that an employer can, and probably should, do a little check-up on your internet presence before hiring you, and possibly afterwards.
Making Partner, Sponsorship and Gender Bias
Source: Victoria Pynchon , Forbes
I'm talking to a senior partner in an AmLaw 100 firm and he's telling me the firm's women are saying you can't make all seven white guys who are up for partnership shareholders and deny shareholder status to the three women who are also "up."
September 8, 2011
A hiring tax credit isn't likely to create jobs
Source: Tami Luhby, CNN
Note to President Obama: Don't expect a hiring tax credit to spur much hiring.
Obama jobs plan to include $300 billion in tax credits, spending
Source: Nicholas Peters, LA Times
The president will propose job training for the unemployed, school renovation projects and a program to prevent teacher layoffs, a source says.
Auto Parts Distributorship to Pay $175,000 to Settle EEOC Sex Harassment Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Auto Parts Company Did Nothing to Stop Regional Director's Misconduct, Federal Agency Charged
September 7, 2011
Job, retirement, financial stress takes toll on baby boomers
Source: Anita Bruzzese, USA Today
Baby boomers use face serums, teeth whiteners, exercise programs and even plastic surgery to look younger for work, but it could be that the greatest change isn't happening on the outside -- but what they're going through on the inside.
Are new rules on health care and banks killing jobs?
Source: Jennifer Liberto, CNN Money
To many Republicans and business leaders, there's little doubt: The health care law and sweeping new Wall Street regulation -- two of President Obama's signature legislative victories -- are causing uncertainty and killing jobs.
Congressman: Dismantle the NLRB, give its duties to the Justice Dept
Source: Matthew Boyle, Daily Caller
To permanently eliminate the National Labor Relations Board, South Carolina Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy recommends transferring its responsibilities to the Department of Justice.
September 6, 2011
Have you heard...ways to control office gossip
Source: MSNBC
It's been said that "you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family." And unless you're in HR, chances are you aren't able to choose with whom you share an office space either.
How Productive Are You Really?
Source: Chrissy Scivicque, Forbes
As a career coach, I spend a lot of time working with people on their productivity.
Boeing case puts spotlight on little-known NLRB official
Source: Michael Fletcher , Seattle TImes
During nearly four decades at the National Labor Relations Board, Lafe Solomon was a mostly anonymous cog in the federal bureaucracy.
September 1, 2011
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis rips Rick Perry's Texas
Source: Tim Mak , Politico
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis on Wednesday slammed labor policy in Texas -- which has been overseen by Gov. Rick Perry for the past decade - by saying "there is a lot of need" to better the plight of workers in the state.
Nine Do's and Don'ts for Dealing with the Disgruntled
Source: Rosabeth Kanter, Harvard Business Review
In a volatile world, anxiety and uncertainty make people a little testy.
Labor's Criticism Of Obama Grows Louder
Source: Ari Shapiro, NPR
Organized labor is traditionally one of the strongest sources of money and organizing power for Democrats, but lately union leaders have strongly criticized President Obama.
August 30, 2011
Some Workers' Facebook Beefs Are Protected by Federal Law, NLRB Concludes
Source: Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Journal
Some workers who beef about the workplace on Facebook and Twitter may be protected from firing or discipline because they are engaging in "protected concerted activity," according to a report by the National Labor Relations Board.
House Republicans to target environment, labor rules
Source: Jim Abrams
The House Republican agenda this fall will focus on repealing environmental and labor regulations that GOP lawmakers say are driving up the cost of doing business and discouraging employers from hiring new workers.
Court rules against Wal-Mart in sexual harassment, retaliation case
Source: Judy Greenwald , Business Insurance
A Wal-Mart Stores Inc. unit must defend a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in a case in which its alleged negligence of the initial harassment complaints claim may have led to the retaliation claim, a federal appeals court has ruled.
August 29, 2011
The Economy Needs Women as Badly as Women Need Workplace Parity
Source: Victoria Pynchon , Forbes
The new international women's movement is not so much about rights and power as it is about necessity.
Obama's Labor Problem: Union Scales Back Support for Democratic Party
Source: Amy Bingham, ABC News
As if dismal economic growth, high unemployment and impending natural disasters weren't enough to dampen President Obama's vacation, the nation's largest labor union has announced that it will scale back support of the Democratic Party for the 2012 elections.
NLRB Rule Requiring Posters In Workplace Infuriates Business Groups
Source: Dave Jamieson, Huffington Post
The federal labor board announced Thursday that it has finalized a rule requiring employers to post notices in the workplace informing workers of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.
August 26, 2011
Two White Male Cops, Sue San Francisco Citing 'Racial Bias'
Source: Matt Smith, Huffington Post
A white male cop, reportedly reassigned in 2005 when his unit's refrigerator was found stocked with booze, claims he was passed over for a promotion in 2007 because of racial bias.
Employers Must Tell Workers of Rights to Unionize, NLRB Says
Source: Stephanie Armour , Bloomberg
U.S. employers must post notices informing workers about their legal rights to form a union and bargain on contracts, the National Labor Relations Board said in a rule that may help efforts to organize employees.
Why the Labor Movement Moved Left
Source: Steven Malanga, Wall Street Journal
Unions weren't so uniformly behind tax increases when most of their members worked for companies in the private economy.
August 24, 2011
Why Your HR Manager May Hate You
Source: Suzzane Lucas , bNet
So, hate is a strong word, and of course your HR manager doesn't hate you
Are coworkers dumping their work on your back?
Source: Stephanie Veale , Democray & Chronicle
Dear...I am a young professional with no children, and at my job, it often seems that people with children are able to leave work early, come in late, work from home and have a generally different set of standards for time at work.
Allstar Fitness to Pay $150,000 in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Settlement
Source: Club Industry Staff , Club Industry
Allstar Fitness, Seattle, has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
August 23, 2011
Employees bid goodbye to corporate America
Source: Elizabeth Alterman , USA Today
With the U.S. unemployment rate at 9.1 percent as of July 31 and a fragile economic recovery underway, many workers feel they are left with no choice but to take their careers into their own hands.
Workplace Conflict: How to Diffuse Battles with Co-Workers
Source: Meredith Livinson , Network Wolrd
No one likes to address workplace conflicts--not the employees who get embroiled in them and especially not the employees' managers, who pretend they don't exist. After all, conflict is messy, often political, and requires confrontation--an activity most people aim to avoid.
3M will pay $3 million to settle age-bias suit
Source: Jackie Crosby, Star Tribune
About 290 former employees will share in the settlement, which resolves an EEOC action.
August 16, 2011
401(k) Nation: Road To Retirement Gets Rockier
Source: Scott Neuman , NPR
Broker and financial adviser Jim Lacamp has been in the business long enough to remember when Americans had little stake and even less interest in the stock market.
Are Older Workers Job Hopping More?
Source: Alicia Munnell , Wall Street Journal
The labor force participation of older workers has reversed its long-run decline. A larger share of this group wants to work longer.
New Haven Faces A Reverse-Reverse-Discrimination Suit
Source: Patrick Lee, Wall Street Journal
Twenty firefighters - all white except for one Hispanic - won more than $2 million in settlements from the city of New Haven, Conn., last month, in what many thought was the end of (reverse) discrimination drama involving the city's fire department.
August 15, 2011
US Department of Labor's OSHA releases mobile app to help protect workers from heat-related illnesses
Source: News Release, Department of Labor
As part of continuing educational efforts by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration about the dangers of extreme heat, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of a free application for mobile devices that will enable workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index at their work sites in order to prevent heat-related illnesses.
Labor Department targets unpaid worker's comp penalties
Source: Randy Krehbial , Tulsa World
Among the surprises for the new regime at the state Department of Labor was the discovery that nearly 600 employers owed $1.6 million in delinquent penalties for failure to comply with Oklahoma's workers compensation law.
Former Booz Allen partner says gender bias was root of her firing
Source: Marjorie Censer, Washington Post
A former Booz Allen Hamilton partner, who once was the company's highest-ranking female employee, is suing the McLean-based contractor, alleging that the company fired her because of her sex and that it intentionally excludes women from high-level leadership positions.
August 12, 2011
Law Grads Sue Over Tuition
Source: Patrick G. Lee, Wall Street Journal
Plaintiffs Claim Alma Maters Misled Students on Job Prospects; Millions Sought.
Explosive B'klyn sex harass suit alleges torment and abuse at realty office
Source: William Gorta, New York Post
A Brooklyn woman was subjected to all kinds of sexual harassment and physical abuse from at least seven staff members in the real estate office where she worked, according to an explosive new lawsuit.
7th Circuit Says it's Still Racial Bias Even if Not All in Protected Class are Targeted
Source: Sheri Qualters, Law.com
Discrimination against some Hispanic employees violates federal anti-discrimination laws even if the company doesn't discriminate against others, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit has ruled.
August 11, 2011
Board Orders a Repeat of a California Union Election
Source: New York Times
The National Labor Relations Board said Wednesday that it was ordering a rerun of an election by 43,000 Kaiser Permanente employees in California to decide which union should represent them.
US Labor Department considers development of data tool to combat pay discrimination
Source: News Release, Department of Labor
Public invited to comment during early stage of development.
Princeton Club sued by long-time employee who charges Ivy League club with racial discrimination
Source: Karah Cesar & Jose Martinez , New York Daily News
The Princeton Club is getting smacked with a failing grade from a former employee who says the exclusive Ivy League enclave prefers white, English-speaking employees.
August 10, 2011
Social Media's Seven Deadly Sins
Source: Jonathan Segal , Bloomberg Business Week
Promiscuous friending, accidental implicating, and other social media mistakes that can render you unemployed or a defendant.
In a Down Economy, Heightened Scrutiny of Hiring Practices
Source: Catherine Dunn , Law.com
If the post-downgrade drop in the Dow moved with sharp suddenness, the August 5 report of July's employment numbers unfurled with a solemn steadiness--showing a slight increase, yes, though really more of the same, with unemployment just above 9 percent and underemployment at 16.1 percent.
Facebook Firings: Employers Need To Mind Labor Law, Report Finds
Source: Dave Jamieson, Huffington Post
American workers have been taking to Facebook and Twitter to passionately vent their workplace gripes, often in the most personal and vulgar ways possible.
August 8, 2011
Exiting Employees Are More Disgruntled Than Ever
Source: Joe Light, Wall Street Journal
More than three-quarters of departing employees say they wouldn't recommend their employer to others.
Crack the Hidden Job Market
Source: John Lees , Bloomberg Business Week
Employers fill at least one third of jobs via word of mouth. How can you network your way into the loop?
Woman sues boss for 'Mini-skirt Monday' dress code, claims she was sexually harassed for years
Source: Meena Hartenstein , New York Daily News
While many offices have dress codes, one Utah County woman claims her former employer crossed the line by trying to force her to follow a sexist schedule of attire including "Mini-skirt Monday."
August 5, 2011
Jewish Community Center Of Greater Washington Settles EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Hearing-Impaired Assistant Teacher to Receive $100,000
Twitter-Bombing the Boss Looms as U.S. Worker Right Dreaded by Companies
Source: Stephanie Armour , Bloomberg
A Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) worker said he was disciplined for using Facebook to rail against a boss's "tyranny." A crime reporter in Tuscon, Arizona, was fired for using Twitter to taunt that the city had too few homicides.
Labor's Decline and Wage Inequality
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The decline in organized labor's power and membership has played a larger role in fostering increased wage inequality in the United States than is generally thought, according to a study published in the American Sociological Review this month.
August 4, 2011
City paid $42K to settle harassment suit
Source: Jennifer Delgado, Trib Local
A former Des Plaines paralegal who claimed a local alderman grabbed and kissed her while he was dressed as Santa Claus received a $42,500 settlement in 2005, according to documents released Wednesday.
NYC kindergarten teacher, 80, sues over firing
Source: Lillie Leon, CBS
A kindergarten teacher with a squeaky clean record for more than 30 years says she was fired simply because she's old.
Alleging Racial Bias, Former Ropes & Gray Associate Sues Firm
Source: John Hazard, Am Law Daily
A former Ropes & Gray associate has filed a racial discrimination and retaliation suit against the firm, 13 of its partners, and the firm's former chief people officer in Boston federal court, sibling publication The National Law Journal reports.
August 3, 2011
Rock-Tenn To Pay $160,000 To Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Manufacturer Failed to Stop Co-Worker's Harassment of Women, Federal Agency Charges
Facebook Firings: Feds, Managers Navigate 'New Territory' In Employment
Source: Dave Jamieson, Huffington Post
The federal agency tasked with enforcing labor law has been fielding complaints from workers across the country who have been fired or disciplined for their work-related indiscretions on Facebook.
Millions of Workers Are in the Dark About Their Pensions
Source: Kelly Greene , Smart Money
People with pensions are planning for retirement in the dark.
August 2, 2011
10 Signs Your Boss Just Isn't That Into You
Source: Alison Green, US News & World Report
One of the biggest determinants of your quality of life at work is the relationship you have with your boss.
Worker who sued after 40 years on job can press age-bias claims
Source: Thompson Reuters , Linda Coady
A woman who claims she was constructively discharged after working for New York Life Insurance Co. for 40 years can pursue her age discrimination lawsuit against the company, a California federal judge has ruled.
Boeing tries to limit "sunshine" in NLRB case [Article no longer available]
Source: David Slade, The State
Boeing Co. sought a sweeping court order Thursday to limit public access to documents and other materials the company considers confidential, as a lawsuit brought by the National Labor Relations Board inches forward.
August 1, 2011
Who Cares About LGBT Workers?
Source: Darren Hutchinson , Huffington Post
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act would prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Workplace Discrimination Charges at Record High
Source: Venessa Wong, Bloomberg
Last year employment discrimination charges reached a record high, and early indications suggest 2011 could be a new record-setter.
Why We Need to Protect Ex-Con Job Seekers from Discrimination
Source: Adam Cohen, Time
Should employers have the right to discriminate against job applicants who have been convicted of crimes?
July 29, 2011
Boeing Seeks to Seal Documents in Labor Case
Source: Susanna Ray, Bloomberg
Boeing Co. (BA) argued yesterday that some information related to a 787 Dreamliner factory should be sealed from the public as the planemaker tries to overturn a National Labor Relations Board complaint alleging anti-union retaliation.
Facing Call for Concessions, Verizon Workers Vote to Authorize Strike
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
Verizon Communications is seeking major concessions from 45,000 unionized workers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, as it copes with a long-term drop in revenue and profits in its old-fashioned telephone business and intense competition in television and Internet services.
Bank Of The West To Pay $48,000 To Settle EEOC Sex Bias Hiring Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Banking Giant Failed to Hire Oklahoma City Woman Because of Gender, Federal Agency Charged
July 28, 2011
Raymond Jefferson leaves Labor Department after ethics finding
Source: Steve Vogel, Washington Post
A high-ranking Labor Department official appointed by President Obama to oversee a job-training program for veterans has resigned after an inspector general's investigation found that he had violated federal procurement rules and ethics principles.
Employers to hike pay, but only for a select few
Source: CNN, Jessica Dickler
Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, companies are betting on their best workers -- and are willing to pay more to prove it, according to a report Wednesday.
NLRB Rebuffs Issa Demand for Boeing Documents. Subpoenas Next?
Source: Melanie Trottman, Wall Street Journal
The National Labor Relations Board defied a documents request from the House Oversight committee investigating its labor complaint against Boeing Co., putting the agency at risk of being subpoenaed by committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).
July 27, 2011
$100k settlement reached in school sexual harassment case
Source: Natalie Neysa Alund, Knox News
The Campbell County Board of Education has reached a $100,000 settlement with a former teacher who filed a federal sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against a former school board chairman.
Lawyer Accused of Harassing Employee, Asking Her to Wear Swimsuit to the Office
Source: Martha Neil, ABA Journal
Already defending legal ethics charges because of his alleged sexual harassment of six women, including four employees, a Chicago class action lawyer is now facing additional accusations concerning his treatment of a female associate.
Boeing asks NLRB to conduct some hearings in private
Source: Dominic Gates, Seattle Times
Boeing is asking an National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative judge for a protective order that will seal documents and restrict access by the public and press to parts of the ongoing NLRB hearing in Seattle.
July 26, 2011
Legal Secretary's Discrimination Suit Against Jones Day Is Dismissed
Source: Martha Neil , ABA Journal
A discrimination suit filed against Jones Day by a former secretary at the law firm's office in Los Angeles has been dismissed.
Study Shows Racial Wealth Gap Grows Wider
Source: Pam Fessler, NPR
But the Great Recession has made it much worse -- the divide is almost twice what it used to be.
21 endangered workplace benefits
Source: Emily Brandon , Chicago Tribune
Employers are cutting many benefits and perks, from the traditional pension plan to the company picnic
July 25, 2011
Goldman Sachs fights bias lawsuit, cites Wal-Mart
Source: Moira Herbst, Reuters
Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) said a recent landmark decision throwing out a class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart (WMT.N) means it should not face a wide-ranging case accusing it of systematic bias against women.
EEOC reconsiders policy on criminal background checks
Source: Washington Post, Lisa Rein
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is reexamining its requirement that employers do criminal background checks on job applicants, scheduling a hearing Tuesday on whether arrest and conviction records are a hiring barrier for minorities
Virtual Workplace: Next Frontier Of Employer Liability
Source: Beverly Garofalo and Takunbo Akinbajo, Conneticut Law Tribune
Dating back to the invention of the computer, technological advancements have continually altered how employees complete their work.
July 22, 2011
Attacks on NLRB imperil due process
Source: Fred Feinstein , Politico
Since issuing a complaint against The Boeing Co., the National Labor Relations Board's acting general counsel -- and the board itself -- has been the target of intense political attacks.
House Committee Passes Bill to Rein In NLRB
Source: Melanie Trottman, Wall Street Journal
Republicans on the House workforce committee passed a bill Thursday that would bar the government from dictating where companies can do business - taking direct aim at the National Labor Relations Board's complaint that Boeing Co. illegally shifted work from union plants in Washington state to a new nonunion facility in South Carolina
Plaintiffs in Wal-Mart Bias Case Return to Court
Source: Reuters, Insurance Journal
Plaintiffs in a huge sex bias class-action case against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court will begin to unveil plans Friday for how they will try to resuscitate their lawsuits.
July 21, 2011
Why Hasn't Employment of the Elderly Fallen?
Source: Casey Mulligan, New York Times
While employment rates have fallen sharply among the general population, they have not done so among the elderly.
Corporate America's chokehold on wages
Source: Harold Meyerson, Washington Post
If you're wondering why American consumers are still flat on their backs, rendering the economy similarly supine, the answer is both fundamental and simple.
Labor Deal Roils Conn. Employees
Source: Shelly Banjo, Wall Street Journal
A decision by Connecticut's public unions to ease their voting rules and forge a deal with Gov. Dannel Malloy is stirring up rank-and-file members, whose reactions are running the gamut from lunch-hour grumbling and angry web postings to threats to disband or sue.
July 20, 2011
Trust your employer? You're in the minority
Source: Allison Linn, Life Inc.
In these times of economic uncertainty, it's nice to trust that your employer will be able to lead you through the really tough challenges facing so many companies today.
How To Handle a Workplace Bully
Source: Laurie Tarkan, bNet
Targets of workplace bullying often think, "if only I do this, he'll stop bullying," "If only I do that."
NLRB Under Fire for Proposed Changes to Union Election Process
Source: Amy Bingham, ABC News
Members of the business community faced off against the National Labor Relations Board again today to voice their opposition to the board's proposed election changes.
July 19, 2011
Cavalier Telephone Pays 1MM To Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Company Engaged in Unlawful Age Discrimination, Including Refusing to Hire Older Workers, Federal Agency Charge.
Proposed NLRB rules are sensible and should be adopted
Source: Julius G. Getman , LA Times
Despite attacks by anti-union activists and employers, the National Labor Relations Board's proposed rules to streamline representation elections should be adopted.
Former Mercer Island official settles harassment suit for 1MM
Source: Keith Ervin , Seattle Times
Former Mercer Island Deputy City Manager Londi Lindell will receive $1 million in a settlement of her federal lawsuit in which she claimed she was a victim of sexual harassment and was fired in an act of retaliation.
July 18, 2011
$3.2M sex harassment verdict against ex-judge
Source: AP , Your Houston News
A federal jury in Houston has awarded $3.2 million to three female co-workers in their sexual harassment lawsuit against a former judge.
The Industries That Are -- and Aren't -- Hiring
Source: Cristina Lourosa-Ricardo, Wall Street Journal
There are many reasons U.S. companies give for their lack of robust hiring -- from weak consumer spending to uncertainty over the direction of government policies on debt and spending.
Businesses find loopholes in Healthy San Fran Law
Source: Joshua Sabatini , SF Examiner
More than 80 percent of the money that companies set aside in special funds created by The City's landmark Healthy San Francisco health care program apparently goes back into the bosses' pockets without benefiting workers.
July 15, 2011
N.Y. labor row hints unions are setting sights on Target
Source: Anne D'Innocenzio, Boston.com
Until recently, Target Corp., the Minneapolis-based retailer, largely had avoided the labor disputes and public relations challenges that have plagued Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer.
Hilda Solis: Dealing with Our Changing Workforce
Source: Ronald Brownstein , National Journal
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis sat down with National Journal Editorial Director Ronald Brownstein on July 12 to discuss the workforce's evolving demography at a National Journal Live event on "The Workforce Mosaic." Edited excerpts of their conversation follow.
Massachusetts legislators hear pitch for law targeting workplace bullying
Source: State House News Service, Mass Live
With a law on the books targeting bullying in schools, it is time to look at another common arena for bullying: the workplace, according to supporters of another bullying proposal.
July 14, 2011
Green jobs pay better as clean-tech sector booms
Source: Scott Martin , USA Today
The green jobs movement is putting more greenbacks in workers' pockets
Diagnose and Eliminate Workplace Bullying
Source: Baron Hanson , Harvard Business Review
As a turnaround strategist, I see a lot of companies in dire straits, where tempers flare easily and interpersonal problems have been allowed to flourish unchecked.
EEOC says Fred Meyer failed to protect employees from harassing customer
Source: Laura Gunderson , The Oregonian
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of three female employees of Fred Meyer Stores Inc.
July 13, 2011
Congress may force release of NLRB Boeing records
Source: Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune
The chairman of a congressional committee investigating the ongoing labor dispute over a South Carolina Boeing plant is prepared to use subpoenas to force labor officials to hand over documents from their investigation, according to a letter sent Tuesday to the National Labor Relations Board's chief attorney.
Where Have America's Jobs Gone?
Source: Justin Lahart & James Hagerty, Wall Street Journal
Hiring at McDonald's; Wireless Networks' Job-Killing Effect; One Machine Doing The Work of Three
Labor: Courts keep sanctioning EEOC in class litigation
Source: Steve Moore, Inside Counsel
The EEOC recently has been quick to pull the trigger and convert most single-claimant charges into class litigation cases.
July 12, 2011
U.S. workforce: permanently downsized?
Source: Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun
Who's to say U.S. corporations aren't all too comfortable with high unemployment and plenty of cash?
4 Ways to Regain Control of Your Identity in the Workplace
Source: Glenn Llopis, Forbes
There is a severe identity crisis in the workplace that is reducing productivity, minimizing trust and setting people back in their careers.
The Concentrated Pain of Job Loss
Source: New York Times, David Leonhardt
I wanted to add one other explanation -- to those Catherine Rampell cited, in her much-discussed Sunday article -- for why unemployment has not become a larger political issue.
July 11, 2011
As Income Gap Balloons, Is It Holding Back Growth?
Source: NPR, NPR Staff
Members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors tend to speak cautiously: Their words can move markets.
Seeking Investment Flexibility In a 401(k)
Source: New York Times, Ron Lieber
In a perfect world, we could buy whatever investments we wanted for our 401(k) or similar workplace retirement account.
Wal-Mart sex-bias ruling implications debated
Source: Kristin Samuelson, Chicago Tribune
A Chicago lawyer and professor debate the implications of the ruling that Wal-Mart employees are not a class in seeking damages against the retailer regarding sex-discrimination charges
July 8, 2011
Learning how to be a union activist
Source: Alana Semuels, LA Times
Amid efforts to limit the power of unions nationwide, labor activists try to galvanize members and recruit new blood by holding one-day Troublemakers School sessions that are part pep rally, part instruction.
Connecticut Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bill Signed By Governor Dan Malloy
Source: AP, Huffington Post
Making Connecticut the 15th state in the country to protect transgender people from discrimination.
401(k) Law Suppresses Saving for Retirement
Source: Ann Tergesen , Wall Street Journal
A 2006 law designed to boost employees' retirement-savings is having the opposite effect for some people.
July 7, 2011
New workplace dynamics: Older employees find themselves under rule of younger bosses
Source: Carolyn Kepcher, New York Daily News
There's nothing quite like that nervous feeling when you are about to meet the new boss.
Conn. becomes 1st state requiring paid sick time [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Associated Press
Connecticut has become the first state to require businesses to offer employees paid sick time.
Retaliation Remains Most Frequent Allegation Among Federal-Sector Discrimination Complaints
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal employees and applicants filed 17,583 complaints of employment discrimination during fiscal year 2010, a 3.75 percent increase over the previous year, according to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) Annual Report on the Federal Work Force Part I: EEO Complaints Processing for Fiscal Year 2010.
July 6, 2011
Is the workplace home of the free and entitled?
Source: Daneen Skube, Chicago Tribune
If the demands of younger employees are dragging you down, you may have to teach them such basic concepts as following the rules and delaying gratification.
Target, EEOC settle disability discrimination suit [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Mercury News
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has settled a lawsuit with Target Corp. over the rights of a disabled cart attendant in Orange County.
Maine's LL Bean rehires 4 after discount error [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Associated Press
The Maine outdoor retailer L.L. Bean says four workers fired for buying a leather tote bag after its price had been inadvertently reduced on the company's website are getting their jobs back.
July 5, 2011
California overtime-pay laws protect nonresidents too, court rules
Source: Maura Dolan, LA Times
Employees of California companies who are in the state on business trips must be paid in accordance with California overtime laws, the state Supreme Court says.
Genesco/Journeys Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment And Retaliation Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A large national shoe retailer, Genesco, Inc., doing business as Journeys, has agreed to settle a sex discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for $20,000.
Workplace Atmosphere Keeps Many In The Closet
Source: Jennifer Ludden, NPR
A recent study finds that about half of gay and lesbian white-collar workers are not "out" when they're in the office.
July 1, 2011
Employee morale ebbs along with workforce
Source: Gail MarksJavis, Chicago Tribune
They are the walking wounded -- the people who still have jobs but are growing weary after all the cuts and pressures at work as companies continue trying to do more with less.
Unemployment rule changes start Friday
Source: Bowdeya Twey, NW Times
Mandatory drug screening for employment seekers is one of the several rule changes for people collecting employment insurance benefits from the state of Indiana.
President Obama tips his hand on Boeing and the NLRB
Source: John Healey, LA Times
Business groups and their allies in Washington have been trying for weeks to get President Obama to denounce the complaint that the National Labor Relations Board brought against Boeing, to no avail.
June 29, 2011
Brown vetoes card-check legislation for farmworkers
Source: Maris Lagos, SF Gate
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have made it far easier for farmworkers to join labor unions, 36 years after making history in his first term by signing a law giving the low-wage employees the right to organize.
Fewer families get health coverage from workplace
Source: Jackie Crosby, Star Tribune
A University of Minnesota study finds that more Minnesotans are winding up uninsured or in taxpayer-funded programs.
EEOC Settles Sexual Harassment Suit With Dollar General for $50,000
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Dolgencorp, LLC, doing business as Dollar General, will pay $50,000 to three former female employees and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
June 28, 2011
Immigration Holds Key to Labor Shortage
Source: Andre Sterk & Robin Van Daalen , Wall Street Journal
European employers are likely to face an increasingly tough time finding qualified workers, even as production facilities continue to move to lower-cost countries, says Randstad Holding NV's Chief Executive Ben Noteboom
Groups Say Changes to Labor Law Won't Do Enough for Veterans
Source: Heather Timmons, New York Times
Even before President Obama said last week that he would speed the pullout of American troops from Afghanistan, the Department of Labor was trying to strengthen a Vietnam-era law designed to make sure returning soldiers get jobs.
The Plane Truth: Unions Don't Equal Quality
Source: Marty Robins, Huffington Post
There's been a lot of overheated rhetoric around the pending National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)/Boeing matter, in which the NLRB is considering whether Boeing's attempt to move plane production to South Carolina from Washington State, because of the more employer-friendly labor laws in the former, violates federal labor law.
June 27, 2011
What Toyota Is Still Doing Right
Source: Brad Power, Bloomberg Business Week
Guaranteeing quality via worker empowerment is more than just a platitude at Toyota.
Unions Fend Off Right-to-Work Bill in New Hampshire
Source: Kris Maher, Wall Street Journal
Amid a year of relentless challenges to their power around the country, unions notched a victory this week when New Hampshire Republicans failed to muster enough votes to override the governor's veto of a right-to-work bill.
NLRB and Boeing: A Long Summer Ahead
Source: Melanie Trottman, Wall Street Journal
The National Labor Relations Board dodged a bullet last week in the formal hearing about its labor-law violation complaint against Boeing Co., an initial step in a hearing that is expected to last through the summer.
June 24, 2011
Costco Women's Suit May be Imperiled by Supreme Court's Wal-Mart Decision
Source: Margaret Cronin Fisk and Karen Gullo , Bloomberg Business Week
Costco Wholesale Corp. may be able to block women accusing it of gender bias from suing as a group.
Lawmakers urged to pass transgender discrimination bill
Source: Colleen Quinn, Boston.com
Transgender residents pushed lawmakers yesterday to pass a bill to include them in the state's antidiscrimination laws, continuing a fight they have waged for five years.
Finally, Nurses Are Set to Vote on Unionizing
Source: James Warren , New York Times
It's easier to be elected president than to win a union representation election these days.
June 23, 2011
An ICE Storm of Immigration Audits is Coming
Source: Dana Olsen , Law.com
For the second time this year, auditors at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement branch of the Department of Homeland Security are cracking down on employers to ensure compliance with workplace eligibility laws.
Disparate Treatment in Hiring Remains Major Problem, Experts Tell EEOC
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Employers Still Barring Large Groups of People from Jobs Based on Race, Sex, Age, Other Prohibited Bases.
Wal-Mart Gets a Free Pass for Bias From the Supreme Court
Source: Rinku Sen, Huffington Post
The Supreme Court issued its decision in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart sex discrimination case this week, a frustrating ruling that doesn't challenge the existence of bias, but that exempts the company from accountability.
June 22, 2011
NLRB rules would streamline unionizing [Article no longer available]
Source: Steven Greenhouse, Star Tribune
Unions applauded, and U.S. Chamber decried, labor board's proposed changes.
Court limits gov't employees' speech rights
Source: AP, Bloomberg Business Week
The Supreme Court has limited the First Amendment right of government employees, saying a police chief cannot sue over employer retaliation that came after he spoke out on a pay matter.
Workplace Discrimination: Transparency Key in Fight for Equality
Source: Ben Forer, ABC News
In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in the Walmart case, women across the country are reexamining the weapons they have in the fight against discrimination in the workplace.
June 21, 2011
LensCrafters Settles Female-On-Male Sexual Harassment Case
Source: Davie Jamieson , Huffington Post
LensCrafters, the largest optical chain in the country, has settled a lawsuit accusing the company of allowing a male employee to be sexually harassed by a female co-worker
US Labor Department announces proposed rule concerning reporting on use of labor relations consultants
Source: News Release, Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a proposed rule to revise the interpretation of "advice" as it pertains to the employer and labor relations consultant persuader reporting requirements of Section 203 of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. The proposal adopts the plain meaning of the term "advice" as "an oral or written recommendation regarding a decision or course of conduct."
Decision in Wal-Mart case a blow to class actions [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Mark Sherman
Mounting a large-scale bias claim against a huge company will be more difficult in light of a Supreme Court decision that found no convincing proof of discrimination on which to allow a class action against retail giant Wal-Mart on behalf of as many as 1.6 million women.
June 20, 2011
Should I Quit My Job?
Source: Elizabeth Garone, Wall Street Journal
I'm not very happy in my current job, and it doesn't seem like there is much opportunity for movement or advancement at the company where I work. What should consider when evaluating if this is the right time to make a move?
Workers Reject Union at Target Store
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The nation's main union for retail workers lost a unionization vote on Friday at a Target store in Valley Stream, N.Y., in what was an effort to make it the first of Target's 1,750 stores in the United States to be unionized.
Best Buy settles class-action bias lawsuit
Source: Martinne Geller and Dhanya Skariachan, Reuters
Best Buy Co agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the largest U.S. electronics retailer of job discrimination.
June 18, 2011
Former SEIU President Stern Splits With Labor, Backs Tax Holiday
Source: Stephanie Armour , Bloomberg
Andy Stern, former president of the second-largest labor union, said he backs easing tax rules to encourage companies with overseas profits to return the cash to the U.S., a position that puts him at odds with organized labor.
Former SEIU President Stern Splits With Labor, Backs Tax Holiday
Source: Stephanie Armour , Bloomberg
Andy Stern, former president of the second-largest labor union, said he backs easing tax rules to encourage companies with overseas profits to return the cash to the U.S., a position that puts him at odds with organized labor.
Teachers Union Confronts Some Crucial Decisions
Source: Rebecca Vevea, New York Times
The newly seated Chicago Board of Education may have won the first battle with Chicago teachers this week when it rescinded a 4 percent pay raise, but it may also have ended a relatively peaceful era in labor relations and created a more pugnacious adversary.
UMass gets $364,000 penalty in bias case [Article no longer available]
Source: State House News Service, Boston.com
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has been fined $10,000 and ordered to pay one of its English professors $154,000 in lost wages and $200,000 in damages for emotional distress as part of a decision issued by the state's antidiscrimination agency.
June 17, 2011
Employers Spruce Up Benefits to Keep Older Workers, BofA Says
Source: Margaret Collins, Bloomberg
Employers are sprucing up benefits such as flexible work schedules and retirement planning to retain older workers, according to Bank of America Corp. (BAC)
Separate Bills Focus on Two Pieces of Immigration Puzzle
Source: Julia Preston, New York Times
For many lawmakers in Congress, the immigration issue has become too hot to touch, especially with presidential campaigns starting up and voters, burdened with persistent unemployment, in a volatile mood.
Sonic Drive-In Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment And Retaliation Suit For 2M
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Manager Harassed Numerous Female Workers, Including Teens, and Retaliated Against Victims Who Complained.
June 15, 2011
Wis. Supreme Court upholds controversial union law [Article no longer available]
Source: CNBC
Wisconsin's polarizing union rights law will take effect thanks to a sharply divided ruling by the state Supreme Court that determined a judge overstepped her authority when she voided the governor's plan to strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights.
Suit challenges Tenn.'s anti-discrimination limits
Source: Kristin Hall , Business Week
Tennessee cities and counties that want to make it tougher to discriminate against gays and lesbians face a stumbling block under a new state law.
Wal-Mart Workers Try the Nonunion Route
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
Workers at a Wal-Mart in Lancaster, Calif., have been organizing to push for better pay and conditions from the retailer.
June 14, 2011
Labor Agency Challenges Boeing Factory Location
Source: Wendy Kaufman, NPR
The National Labor Relations Board has accused Boeing of retaliating against its union workers by setting up a new non-union factory in South Carolina. The NLRB says in doing so, Boeing broke federal labor law.
Here's how to avoid sabotaging your 401(k) plan
Source: Sandra Block, USA Today
Your front porch sags, your kitchen is the size of a broom closet, and you can't run the vacuum and the dishwasher at the same time without blowing a fuse.
To Create More Jobs, Go Where the Jobs Are
Source: Scott Shane, Wall Street Journal
The Obama administration is trying to spur job growth by helping tech start-ups get off the ground. But job-growth statistics suggest the plan may rest on some faulty assumptions.
June 13, 2011
Former Employee Breaks Silence About Landmark Sexual Harassment Case [Article no longer available]
Source: Betsey Bruce , Fox2Now
Tuesday a federal jury in East St. Louis found Alford's former employer, Aaron's, a lease to own store, and her former boss, Richard Moore liable for sexual harassment. The jury awarded Alford a near record $95 million. Caps on federal cases of this sort mean the most she will receive is $40 million.
Strike could be near for Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons workers, union warns
Source: Sharon Bernstein and P.J. Huffstutter, LA Times
President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 says the two sides are primarily battling over health coverage. The supermarkets' employees have already approved a walkout.
16 AGs weigh in on NLRB's suit against Boeing [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Washington Post
Attorneys general from more than a dozen states on Thursday weighed in on a lawsuit filed by the National Labor Relations Board.
June 10, 2011
Obama prods employers to invest in displaced workers
Source: Christi Parsons, LA Times
President Obama touts a plan to tailor job-training programs to meet the needs of manufacturing firms.
Jury awards 95M in Fairview Heights sex harassment suit
Source: Robert Patrick, St. Louis Today
The Aaron's Inc. chain of more than 1,800 stores made a profit of 118M last year, and a jury here says it owes the vast majority to a former employee of the Fairview Heights branch in a sexual harassment case against her boss.
Dems defend NLRB against GOP pushback on Boeing suit
Source: Kevin Bogardus, The Hill
Democrats and liberal groups are fighting back against criticism of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as they grow worried that the attacks could diminish the labor board's authority.
June 9, 2011
Hearing held on transgender rights bill [Article no longer available]
Source: Brian MacQuarrie, Boston.com
Depending on the arguments heard yesterday at the State House, a bill to ban transgender discrimination is either the next leap for civil rights in Massachusetts or a way for predators to gain access to bathrooms and locker rooms used by the opposite sex.
Report documents dramatic shift in immigrant workforce's skill level
Source: Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post
Highly skilled temporary and permanent immigrants in the United States now outnumber lower-skilled ones, marking a dramatic shift in the foreign-born workforce that could have profound political and economic implications in the national debate over immigration.
White House to announce more on initiative to link skilled workers, manufacturers [Article no longer available]
Source: Barbara Barrett, Miami Herald
The White House will announce today plans to build on an initiative that officials say will link American manufacturing companies to the kind of skilled workers they'll need in the near future.
June 8, 2011
Wis. justices hear arguments in union law case
Source: Todd Richman, Business Week
Conservative justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court questioned a Madison judge's authority to block the state's polarizing union rights law as they listened Monday to arguments on whether they should rule in a lawsuit challenging the plan.
Bill Aims to Protect Hotel Workers From Sexual Abuse
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to require hotel and motel owners in New York State to provide sexual harassment training to their employees and to provide a clear system for reporting episodes of sexual abuse.
Lawyer Bets Big on Wal-Mart Discrimination Ruling
Source: Nathan Koppel, Wall Street Journal
Soon, the Supreme Court should issue its ruling in Wal-Mart v. Dukes, the high-profile case concerning whether a million-plus women can band together to bring a discrimination class action against the retailer.
June 7, 2011
Conn. Poised To Be First State To Mandate Sick Pay
Source: Jennifer Ludden, NPR
As many Americans watch their job benefits shrink amid tight budgets, Connecticut is about to defy the trend: It's set to become the first state to mandate paid sick days for some low-wage workers
National View: Court ruling threatens rights of women in workplace
Source: Susan Antilla, Southern Coast Today
Fifteen years after female brokers sued Smith Barney & Co. in a lawsuit famously known as the Boom-Boom Room case, financial firms have set up harassment training, torn racy photograp
Columbia Women's Shelter to Pay $103K to Settle Lawsuit
Source: James Jobes, KOMU
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said Monday that a Columbia shelter for women has agreed to pay $103,000 to settle a lawsuit for unlawful retaliation.
June 6, 2011
Labor Board Broadens Delta Probe
Source: Mike Esterl, Wall Street Journal
The National Mediation Board is widening its probe into union allegations that Delta Air Lines Inc. interfered in a failed organizing drive last year, further heightening scrutiny of the big U.S. carrier and the federal agency that oversees it.
EEOC Obtains $600,000 Verdict Against AutoZone For Failure To Accommodate Disabled Employee
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A federal court jury in Peoria has returned a verdict of $600,000 against AutoZone, Inc. for failing to provide a reasonable accommodation to a disabled sales manager, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.
Temporary Staffing Firm and Client Company To Pay $42,500 to Settle EEOC National Origin Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
A group of South Carolina temporary staffing firms and one of its clients, a subcontractor, have agreed to pay $42,500 and provide other relief to settle a national origin discrimination lawsuit brought by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
Dots To Pay Nearly A Quarter Million To Settle EEOC Race Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Merrillville, Ind., Store Denied Jobs to White Applicants on a Systemic Basis, Federal Agency Charged
EEOC proposes records rule on Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
Source: Judy Greenwald , Business Insurance
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued a proposed rule under which employers would be required to maintain all relevant employment and personnel records until any charge filed under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act is resolved.
NYPD sergeant files sexual harassment complaint against his male boss
Source: John Marzulli , New York Times
An NYPD sergeant has filed a complaint that claims he's being sexually harassed by his male boss, the Daily News has learned.
June 3, 2011
Career Journal: Email Etiquette at Work
Source: Nikita Garia, Wall Street Journal
Since emails are not as formal as letters, experts say that many employees don't pay attention to the tone and composition of work-related email. But that can hurt professional credibility.
Updating a Résumé for 2011
Source: Elizabeth Garone, Wall Street Journal
While the résumé as you know it from 10 years ago is still alive and kicking, there have been a number of modifications to it.
EEOC proposes records rule on Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
Source: Judy Greenwald, Business Insurance
WASHINGTON--The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued a proposed rule under which employers would be required to maintain all relevant employment and personnel records until any charge filed under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act is resolved.
June 1, 2011
In Shift, Justice Department is Hiring Lawyers With Civil Rights Backgrounds
Source: Charlie Savage, New York Times
Under the Obama administration, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has reversed a pattern of systematically hiring conservative lawyers with little experience in civil rights, the practice that caused a scandal over politicization during the Bush administration.
Post-Feminist Equality: Do Women Have Real Choice in the Modern Workplace?
Source: Alice G. Walton, Forbes
I am a young career woman. And I want to have kids in the near future while pursuing a career.
Longs Drugs Settles EEOC Race, Gender Discrimination and Retaliation Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
African-American Female Buyer Held to Unequal Standard, Federal Agency Charges.
May 30, 2011
Wal-Mart Is Being Pressed to Disclose How Global Suppliers Treat Workers
Source: Stephanie Clifford, New York Times
Wal-Mart is facing new pressure to monitor and disclose how its international suppliers treat their workers.
Pressured to quit, older workers start fighting back in courtroom [Article no longer available]
Source: Nelson D. Schwartz (New York Times), Detroit News
Last year, the EEOC filed suit against Kelley, Drye & Warren in New York, arguing that it acted illegally when it forced a partner to give up his equity stake when he turned 70, and cut his bonus. The agency termed the suit "a wakeup call for law firms," and specifically cited the firm's mandatory retirement age.
May 27, 2011
Law Firm Is Sanctioned Over Client's Concealment in Bias Suit
Source: Mark Hamblett, New York Law Journal
The law firm of Thompson Wigdor & Gilly has been sanctioned $15,000 for allowing a client in an employment discrimination suit to conceal that she had obtained a new job for substantially more money.
What If You Had Unlimited Vacation?
Source: Suzanne Lucas, bNet
There are companies that are trying this approach. The Wall Street Journal reported on companies that had "name your own vacation" policies.
May 26, 2011
Conn. Senate OKs paid sick leave legislation
Source: Stephen Singer (AP), Bloomberg Business Week
The Connecticut Senate narrowly passed legislation Wednesday requiring businesses to offer employees paid sick time, moving the state closer to becoming the first in the nation to impose the mandate.
Judge Voids Wisconsin Law Curbing Unions
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The law, which Governor Walker proposed and vigorously pushed, and which generated huge protests in Madison, the state capital, bars public-sector unions, except those representing police officers and firefighters, from bargaining over health benefits and pensions. It allows bargaining over wages, but does not permit raises higher than the inflation rate unless they are approved in a public referendum.
May 25, 2011
Comparing Wages Across the U.S.
Source: Sara Murray, Wall Street Journal
For employees in most occupations, it pays to work on the coast.
Act Teleconferencing to Pay $40,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Law Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
ACT Teleconferencing Services, a Colorado-based provider of audio, web, and video conferencing services to companies in the United States and abroad, will pay $40,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
Three-Quarters of Employers Plan to Hire New Graduates
Source: Sara Murray, Wall Street Journal
Three out of four companies plan to hire recent college graduates, a new survey shows, in the latest sign of an improving job market for the Class of 2011.
May 24, 2011
New Hampshire On Cusp Of Approving Right-To-Work
Source: Josh Rogers, NPR
A vote in New Hampshire will decide whether the Granite State becomes the 23rd state to forbid union contracts that charge nonmembers a share of collective bargaining costs.
Employers see benefits of workplace flexibility
Source: Ruth Mantell, MarketWatch
Workplace flexibility -- telecommuting, flexible hours and other employee accommodations -- is an idea growing on employers who are trying to grow their companies out of the recession.
May 23, 2011
US appeals court reverses decision on skycap tips [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Forbes
A federal appeals court has reversed a ruling that awarded more than $333,000 to nine skycaps at Boston's Logan International Airport who claimed they were cheated out of tips when American Airlines started charging curbside baggage fees.
More employers are offering on-the-job health care
Source: Michelle Andrews, Washington Post
Day in and day out, workers troop into the office, spending the better part of their waking hours there. What better place to have medical staff on hand, not only to treat sore throats and cut fingers but also to help employees stay healthy by offering on-site preventive tests and screenings, and coaching to encourage healthful habits?
Lawmakers reach likely deal on workers' comp
Source: Andrew Garber, Seattle Times
State lawmakers apparently cleared a major hurdle Sunday, reaching an agreement to overhaul the state workers' compensation system.
Dealing with your workplace Debbie Downer
Source: Tom Fox, Washington Post
It can be hard to inspire a team when you're faced with dissension from another team member.
May 19, 2011
Okla. Legislature approves workers' comp overhaul
Source: AP, Bloomberg Business Week
A plan to overhaul Oklahoma's workers' compensation laws has been given final approval in the state Legislature.
Online College To Pay $260,000 To Settle EEOC Lawsuit Charging Sex Harassment By Supervisors
Source: Press Release, EEOC
High-Tech Institute, Inc., doing business as Anthem College Online, will pay $260,000 as part of a settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
New York bill would ban unemployment discrimination
Source: Jessica Dye (Reuters)
New York Democrats introduced legislation Thursday that would make it illegal for employers to disqualify out-of-work job-seekers solely because they are unemployed.
The Most Awkward Meeting
Source: Katherine Rosman, Wall Street Journal
New Elevators Sort Employees, Foiling Manners And Face Time
The Workplace Whodunit: Navigating a Culture of Blame
Source: Francesca Donner, Wall Street Journal
Ben Dattner, an organizational psychologist and founder of Dattner Consulting, believes that credit and blame lie at the psychological core of the workplace.
May 18, 2011
How to find a job in 2011
Source: Jessica Dickler, CNN Money
Good news: The job market is improving and employers are starting to hire again. But the rules of landing a job have changed.
NLRB Faults Company for Firing Workers Over Facebook Posts
Source: Melanie Trottman, Wall Street Journal
The National Labor Relations Board said Wednesday a nonprofit in organization in Buffalo, N.Y. was wrong to fire five workers for Facebook postings that criticized working conditions, and disclosed that it has more than two dozen cases involving worker complaints aired on the social media site.
Senate Bill Would Limit Savers Using 401(k)s as Rainy-Day Funds
Source: Margaret Collins, Bloomberg
Workers will be limited in tapping their 401(k) retirement plans for loans under legislation two senators introduced today that's designed to counter the erosion of retirement assets.
The secret life of a resume
Source: Tami Luhby, CNN Money
Just where does your resume go after you hit the submit button on a job application?
Tech distractions for workers add up
Source: Tim Mullaney, USA Today
Distractions caused by social media, e-mail and badly designed office technology may cost a 1,000-worker company more than $10 million a year, a survey says.
May 17, 2011
Legislature OKs six state worker contracts
Source: Marisa Lagos, San Francisco Chronicle
Overall, the six contracts - covering workers in prisons, scientists, engineers and others - would, among other things, do away with imposed furloughs, increase state employees' pension contributions and temporarily cut pay for a year before giving top earners a raise in 2013.
Starbucks sued for firing barista with dwarfism
Source: Amy Rolph, Seattle P-I
The federal government is suing Seattle-based Starbucks for firing a barista with dwarfism in 2009.
Companies tie more of workers' pay to performance
Source: Ruth Mantell, MarketWatch
Labor costs generally are a large portion of a company's spending. Continued emphasis on pay gains that vary based on employees' performance reflects companies' efforts to control costs and focus on spending for results, according to human resources consultancy Aon Hewitt.
The Great Recession's lost generation
Source: Chris Isidore, CNN Money
The brutal job market brought on by the recession has been hard on everyone, but especially devastating on the youngest members of the labor force.
May 16, 2011
Dillard's to Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Dillard's, Inc., a major department store chain, will pay $50,000 and furnish other relief to settle an age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The EEOC had charged in its lawsuit that Dillard's discriminated against a manager when it discharged her because of her age, 61.
America's CEOs: Jobs outlook better, but ...
Source: Paul R. La Monica, CNN Money
Business leaders believe the economy is getting better and many even said they are hiring more workers as a result.
But chief executive officers remain nervous about many things, most notably higher gas prices and debt problems in the United States and Europe. That's according to a CNNMoney survey of 24 CEOs conducted over the past few weeks.
May 15, 2011
Nursing Homes Seek Exemptions From Health Law
Source: Robert Pear, New York Times
It is an oddity of American health care: Many nursing homes and home care agencies do not provide health insurance to their workers, or they pay wages so low that employees cannot afford the coverage that is offered.
May 14, 2011
Cardiologists Accuse Hospital of Discrimination
Source: Emily Ramshaw, New York Times
But whether racial animus led Citizens Medical, a 344-bed county-owned hospital, to close its cardiology unit to non-staff doctors -- effectively revoking the privileges of Drs. Harish Chandna, Ajay Gaalla and Dakshesh Kumar Parikh to practice there -- is the subject of fierce debate and a discrimination lawsuit filed by the three doctors in Federal District Court in the Southern District of Texas.
May 12, 2011
Extreme Multitasking: Surviving the Superjob
Source: Anne Kadet, Wall Street Journal
A majority of Americans have taken on extra duties at work, often without more pay. How the up-and-down economy has redefined multitasking.
Hyundai Ideal Electric Company to Pay $188,000 to Settle EEOC Sex Bias and Retaliation Suit
Source: EEOC
Hyundai Ideal Electric Company (HIEC), located in Mansfield, Ohio, will pay $188,000 to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
Bill prohibiting 'captive audience' meetings moves to Conn. Senate after 11-hour House debate [Article no longer available]
Source: Associated Press
A bill that would forbid employers from requiring their workers to attend certain mandatory meetings is heading to the Connecticut Senate, where it likely faces a lengthy debate.
Your mother was right: Manners matter as etiquette goes to work
Source: Carolyn Kepcher, New York Daily News
Your mother was right: Manners matter. However, the concept of etiquette extends beyond which fork to use at dinner - especially when it comes to proper behavior in the workplace.
May 11, 2011
EEOC targets gender gap in wages
Source: Luci Scott, Arizona Republic
Andrea Baran, supervisory attorney in the agency's district office, spoke Tuesday at a seminar, Phoenix Fair Pay Day, attended by dozens of employers and employees at the EEOC offices, 3300 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix.
NH gov vetoes anti-union bill [Article no longer available]
Source: Norma Love (AP), Boston Globe
New Hampshire's Democratic Gov. John Lynch kept his promise and vetoed a bill Wednesday that bars unions from collecting a share of bargaining and administrative costs from non-members.
Want to live longer? Supportive co-workers may help
Source: Reuters
Having supportive colleagues not only makes the workday easier, it may also help people live longer, according to a new study.
Mass. health workers seek job retraining funds [Article no longer available]
Source: Associated Press, Boston Globe
Unionized health care workers in Massachusetts say money for job retraining should be part of any effort to reform the health care payment system.
Typhoon discriminated against Thai chefs, Oregon workplace investigators conclude
Source: Brent Hunsberger, Oregonian
State workplace regulators say the Typhoon restaurant chain discriminated against its Thai workers, asserting the Tigard-based company leveraged their visas to pay them less, work them longer and subject them to less favorable contract terms and working conditions than their non-Thai peers.
May 10, 2011
Yankee Stadium concession workers sue over tips
Source: Erin Geiger Smith, Reuters
Three current and former waiters who served fans in premium seats at Yankee Stadium have filed a lawsuit against their employer over the withholding of tips automatically charged on food and drink orders.
General Motors to add or keep 4,000 jobs, invest $2B, at 17 plants in the US [Article no longer available]
Source: Tom Krisher (AP), Washington Post
GM said Tuesday that it will add or keep 4,000 jobs in the U.S. by hiring new employees or calling back furloughed workers over the next year and a half.
Quit your job? Make a graceful exit
Source: Dawn Klingensmith, Philly.com
When you resign, you will have final words with someone, be it an HR rep in an exit interview or your boss in a less formal context. To whomever you bid your final farewell, do it calmly and with class.
May 9, 2011
3,055 file for unemployment from Alabama storms [Article no longer available]
Source: Phillip Rawls (AP), Forbes
More than 3,000 Alabama workers have filed for unemployment compensation benefits because the tornadoes April 27 knocked them out of work, and that could cause a slight increase of about one-tenth of a percentage point in the state's unemployment rate.
Kansas Senate approves compromise pension bill [Article no longer available]
Source: John Hanna (AP), Forbes
The Kansas Senate approved a proposal on Monday for attacking the long-term funding problems facing the state pension system without starting a 401(k)-style plan for new teachers and government workers.
NLRB pursues secret-ballot lawsuit in AZ
Source: Ashley Fletcher Frampton, Charleston Regional Business Journal
As promised earlier this year, the National Labor Relations Board on Friday filed a lawsuit challenging an Arizona constitutional amendment on secret-ballot votes for union elections.
May 6, 2011
Workplace 'Rights' That You Don't Have
Source: Suzanne Lucas, bNET
I get tons of emails where the writer tells a story and then ends with, "is that even legal?" Most of the time it is legal.
Help Wanted on Factory Floor
Source: James R. Hagerty, Wall Street Journal
U.S. manufacturing companies, long known for layoffs and shipping jobs overseas, now find themselves in a very different position: scrambling for scarce talent at home.
Citizens Republic Settles Detroit-Bias Claims
Source: Matthew Dolan, Wall Street Journal
Federal law-enforcement officials reached a $3.6 million settlement with Citizens Republic Bancorp over allegations that branches of its banks discriminated against Detroit's black residents by improperly favoring white residents in southeastern Michigan.
April 27, 2011
StoneRidge Health and Rehab Center to Pay $22,000 to Settle EEOC Retaliation Lawsuit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
StoneRidge Health and Rehab Center, LLC, a long-term care facility located outside of Little Rock, will pay $22,000 to settle a lawsuit for retaliation brought by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
Mo. governor condemns discrimination law changes
Source: Wes Duplantier , Bloomberg Business Week
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon spoke out Monday against legislation that would make it harder for employees to prove they were fired because of discrimination.
Bellevue settles age-bias case
Source: John Ferak, Omaha World Herald
The City of Bellevue has agreed to pay $100,000 to a former longtime code enforcement worker who accused the city of age discrimination in a federal lawsuit.
April 26, 2011
NJ worker fired over Quran burning gets job back [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Kansas City Star
The New Jersey Transit employee fired for publicly burning pages of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is getting his job back
Los Angeles officials want workers to trade furloughs for pay cuts
Source: David Zahniser, LA Times
City employees who have lost money because of unwanted days off are interested, but a number who are exempt from unpaid leave are urging opposition.
Labor Board Plans to Sue 2 States Over Union Rules
Source: Steven Greenhouse, New York Times
The National Labor Relations Board has told state officials that it will soon file federal lawsuits against Arizona and South Dakota in seeking to invalidate those states' constitutional amendments that prohibit private sector employees from choosing to unionize through a procedure known as card check.
April 25, 2011
Ralph Jones Sheet Metal Settles EEOC Racial Harassment Suit for $160,000
Source: EEOC
White Supervisor Routinely Insulted and Demeaned African-Americans, Federal Agency Charges
Best Companies to Work For: Happy Campers
Source: CNN Money
Taking care of top talent is taking precedence as the economy picks back up. Here's how Zappos, DreamWorks Animation, and Teach for America do it
A Minimum-Wage Job?
Source: Dennis Nishi, Wall Street Journal
After sending out 100 résumés and getting no responses, Joel Lueck, 52, took a part-time job at a Harris Teeter grocery store making $8 an hour.
April 22, 2011
Privacy is potentially a costly workplace issue
Source: Jennifer LeClaire, Boston Business Journal
Protecting Americans' personal, private information is vital to making the Information Age everything it should be.
NH Senate says no to union costs for non-members
Source: Kathy McCormack, Bloomberg Business Week
The New Hampshire Senate on Wednesday voted to end the practice of requiring non-union members to pay a share of collective bargaining costs, a bill Gov. John Lynch has said he plans to veto.
EEOC Underestimates Impact of ADA Amendments Act
Source: Jill Jusko, Industry Week
More people likely affected at greater cost to employers.
April 21, 2011
Working With Five Generations In The Workplace
Source: Rawn Shah, Forbes
From a recent conversation with Jeanne Meister, we are facing a new future in terms of demographics at work: we will soon have five generations in the workplace at once.
77 Cents on the Dollar Isn't Fair
Source: Editorial, New York Times
In a disappointing defeat for women, Senate Republicans worked overtime in December to ensure that a measure addressing gender-based wage discrimination never reached the Senate floor where it likely would have passed by a sizable majority.
Cases Target Illegal Labor
Source: Miriam Jordan & Julie Jargon , Wall Street Journal
The federal government deepened its crackdown on employers of illegal immigrants, charging the owners of one restaurant chain with hiding the employment of hundreds of undocumented immigrants and launching a criminal probe into the practices of another chain.
April 20, 2011
Florida Gives Superhero Capes to Jobless
Source: Conor Dougherty, Wall Street Journal
States have come up with a lot of ideas for reducing the nation's high unemployment rate, but Florida labor officials have come up with an unique approach to reduce the state's 11.1% unemployment rate (the nation is at 8.8%).
L.A. County to pay $900,000 to settle deputy's harassment suit
Source: Robert Faturechi, Los Angeles Times
Deputy Robert Lyznick had alleged that his supervisor sexually harassed him and threatened him with violence.
Bill barring transgender bias in workplace awaits gov's OK
Source: Chris Mikesell , Honolulu Star Advertiser
A proposal to solidify civil rights protections for transgendered employees is headed for the governor's desk after the state House agreed to a Senate draft of the bill earlier this week.
April 19, 2011
Workplace Bias Against Breastfeeding Moms Persists
Source: PsychCentral
Breastfeeding tends to improve baby and maternal health, and most health agencies recommend that when biologically possible, women should breastfeed infants exclusively for the first six months.
The Top 5 Reasons Why Your Boss Is Ineffective and How You Can Help
Source: Glenn Llopis, Forbes
Don't you often wonder why there is so much dysfunctionality in your workplace?
State launches probe into campaign to provide superhero capes to jobless
Source: Jim Stratton, Orlando Sentinel
State labor officials asked their inspector general Monday to investigate why a Central Florida agency wants to spend public money to furnish the unemployed with capes.
April 18, 2011
Rebuilding trust in the workplace
Source: Dennis Reina and Michelle Reina, Burlington Free Press
The importance of trust in the workplace is universally understood.
Georgia governor to sign law targeting illegal immigration
Source: Gustavo Valdes, CNN
Gov. Nathan Deal of Georgia plans to sign into law what may be one of the nation's toughest anti-illegal immigration measures, his spokesman, Brian Robinson, said Friday.
Wall Street Women of Golden Seeds Give Cash to Female CEOs
Source: Alexis Leondis, Bloomberg Business Week
Sarah Endline asked Golden Seeds, a group of mostly women angel investors, to help contribute $1.5 million to expand her candy company.
April 15, 2011
Returning To Work: The Satisfaction Of Having A Job
Source: Tamara Keith, New York Times
The Labor Department reported on Wednesday that first-time claims for unemployment benefits jumped by 27,000 last week.
Mayor Bloomberg gets snippy in deposition for E.E.O.C. discrimination case of pregnant women
Source: Adam Lisberg, New York Daily News
Hizzoner couldn't resist making snide and snippy asides while being questioned in a sex-discrimination case against the company he founded, newly released court documents show.
Walmart workers get $440k [Article no longer available]
Source: Robert Rodriguez , Fresno Bee
Walmart has agreed to pay $440,000 to a group of Hispanic employees in Fresno who say they were subjected to ethnic slurs and derogatory remarks by a co-worker.
April 14, 2011
Work-Life Balance for Everyone
Source: Kimberly Weisul, bNet
A new study from the Center for WorkLife Law looks at the impact of so-called just-in-time scheduling on absenteeism and turnover among hourly employees, and makes some creative suggestions for getting more flexibility to those who need it to be productive employees
Merkley introduces bill to protect gays from workplace discrimination
Source: Charles Pope, Oregon Law
Reviving a campaign of more than three decades, Sen. Jeff Merkley will offer legislation today outlawing workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
April 13, 2011
Fire officer's racial-bias suit dismissed [Article no longer available]
Source: Kathy Lynn Grey , Dispatch Politics
A Columbus Fire Division battalion chief who was the first woman in that position has lost the discrimination lawsuit she filed against the city in federal court.
Teamsters rally to fight Pa. right-to-work bill [Article no longer available]
Source: Tracie Mauriello, Philly.com
Teamsters rally today drew almost 400 laborers to the Capitol, where union leaders promised to bring thousands next time if lawmakers push through anti-worker legislation.
Texas company sued for abuse of Iowa workers
Source: Michael J. Crumb, Bloomberg Business Week
A Texas company is accused of severely abusing and discriminating against 31 mentally disabled men who worked at an Iowa turkey processor, in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
April 12, 2011
Montana governor signs work comp compromise
Source: AP, Bloomberg Business Week
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed the compromise plan he worked out with Republican leaders to reduce worker's compensation insurance rates universally regarded as among the most expensive in the country
S.C. Democrats call anti-union legislation a 'political ploy' [Article no longer available]
Source: Gina Smith, Miami Herald
Gov. Nikki Haley and the Republican-controlled Legislature are working with increasing fervor to ensure that South Carolina -- long an anti-union state -- is a place where businesses can set up and grow without fear of organized labor.
Women, Northeasterners Would Like More Pay
Most Americans think they are paid fairly, but some groups are more likely to think this than others.
Analysis: Discrimination case may not go all Wal-Mart's way
Source: Moira Herbst, Reuters
Oral arguments had barely finished in the Wal-Mart sex-discrimination case at the U.S. Supreme Court when many commentators declared total victory for the retail behemoth
April 11, 2011
Farmworker Sexual Harassment Suit Settled for $27K [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Mercury News
A California farm company is paying $27,500 to settle a federal sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed on behalf of a teenage vegetable packer.
State ordered to pay $467K in age-bias claims
Source: Paul Walsh, Star Tribune
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has been ordered to pay $467,000 to resolve age-discrimination claims filed on behalf of 29 people who were denied employer contributions for retiree health and dental insurance.
The Hidden Job Crisis for American Men
Source: Bloomberg Business Week
Men are disappearing from the workplace in ways that don't always register on the official unemployment rate.
Ex-Employees File Title VII Suits Against Dallas Firm
Source: Miriam Rozen , Texas Lawyer
Two former employees of Dallas' Simon, Eddins & Greenstone have sued the firm in federal court, alleging they were discriminated against based on their sex, subjected to a hostile work environment and unlawfully discharged in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
April 8, 2011
Limits Sought to Employers' Use of Credit Reports
Source: Byron Acohido, USA Today
Battle lines are being drawn in state capitals over whether workers should be judged by their creditworthiness.
Walmart and Women: Why the Discrimination Suit Matters
Source: Amy Levin-Epstein, CBS
Walmart's treatment of female employees is under fire, both in the courts and in the media. The corporate behemoth has about a billion reasons to closely examine its corporate policies and their store-level implementation.
FACT CHECK: Are federal workers overpaid? [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, AP
Republican leaders in Congress think so, and they are calling for an overhaul of the entire federal pay system to help slash government spending.
Adam Brothers Farming Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment And Retaliation Suit
Source: EEOC, EEOC
Adam Brothers Farming, Inc., a farm in Santa Maria, Calif., that harvests and cans vegetables, will pay $27,500 and furnish other relief to settle a federal sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of a teen Latina female, the agency announced today.
April 7, 2011
Who Now Qualifies as a Disabled Employee?
Source: Stephanie Rabiner, Reuters
So what is a disability, anyway? Well, the feds have changed the definition and it may mean changes for business owners.
Township to pay $140K to employee who claimed gender discrimination
Source: Lindsey Hiltey, Middletown Journal
Financial settlement reached with Denise Bruce, who filed a civil rights lawsuit claiming gender discrimination.
Baby boomers turn 65 with retirement prospects uncertain
Source: Alan Fram, USA Today
Baby boomers are starting to retire, but many are agonizing about their finances and believe they'll need to work longer than they had planned, a new poll finds.
April 6, 2011
McDonald's will hold hiring day April 19 to fill 50,000 jobs
Source: AP, USA Today
McDonald's (MCD) plans to hold its first national hiring day April 19 to fill 50,000 jobs at its restaurants na
Women's pay gap often starts with no negotiation on salary
Source: Anita Bruzzese, USA Today
If you're a mid-career woman wanting to make the same amount of money as -- or more than -- a male counterpart, you may have only one avenue open to you: Quit your job
Transgender non-discrimination bill passes Judiciary -- without any amendments
Source: Daniela Altimari , Courant
The legislature's Judiciary Committee on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would add gender identity and expression to the state's non-discrimination statutes
April 5, 2011
Maine's Labor Mural Prompts Lawsuit, Recall Effort
Source: Michelle Morris , NPR
The removal by Maine Gov. Paul LePage of a huge mural depicting the state's labor history has prompted a lawsuit seeking the painting's return and a citizen's effort to recall the Republican.
Iranian-born worker can sue Raytheon for bias over security clearance firing
Source: Judy Greenwald , Business Insurance
A federal appeals court has allowed a discrimination lawsuit filed by an Iranian-born engineer who was terminated by his firm after he failed to obtain Homeland Security clearance even though two fellow non-Iranian workers were permitted to continue working despite their clearances being rescinded
Lawmakers To Ban Transsexual Workplace Discrimination [Article no longer available]
Source: Daryl Huff, KITV - ABC News
Rights For Transgenders Brings Heated Opposition From Religious Groups.
April 4, 2011
Class-Action Lawsuits: Not The Answer for Workplace Gender Discrimination
Source: Barbara B. Brown , Harvard Business Review
Class action litigation can illuminate trends in the workplace, and the gender class actions of the Walmart v Dukes and others of recent vintage are no exception.
Do We Need a Brown v. Board of Education for Women?
Source: Francine Mcknenna , Forbes
The most thought provoking comment on the viability of the Wal-Mart class action heard by the Supreme Court last week was Daniel Fisher's observation that "the allegations against Wal-Mart could be made against the entire country."
New batch of gender bias suits reflective of a glass ceiling that keeps women from the ranks of management
Source: Joyce Gannon, Post Gazette
In a lawsuit filed last month that seeks [] in lost salary and benefits, six current and former female employees of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals in Wayne, N.J., say they worked in an atmosphere where executives were openly hostile to women -- especially working mothers, pregnant women and those who took maternity leave
April 1, 2011
Ex-Marc Jacobs COO accuses company president Robert Duffy of fostering x-rated workplace
Source: New York Daily News
A new sex discrimination lawsuit - by a former chief operating officer - accuses the president of Marc Jacobs International of lording over raunchy workplace hijinks, including mandatory employee pole dances.
Outsourcers Are Criticized on Visa Use
Source: Julia Preston , New York Times
Major outsourcing companies from India have been the biggest recipients of visas in recent years under a program intended to allow American companies to bring highly skilled foreign workers temporarily to the United States.
Anti-union mood moves to Nebraska's modest unions
Source: Grant Schulte, Bloomberg Business Week
In the struggle between governors and unions over public employee costs, Nebraska would seem like an unlikely battleground.
March 31, 2011
Wis. GOP pressing ahead with anti-union law [Article no longer available]
Source: AP, Associated Press
Wisconsin's Republican leaders appear to be taking the same confident and bullish approach to implementing their divisive collective bargaining law that they took to passing it, suggesting they may ignore a judge's warning that there would be consequences to moving ahead while challenges to the law are pending.
Obama threatens veto of FAA bill over labor provision
Source: John Crawley, Reuters
President Barack Obama would veto sweeping aviation legislation if Republicans in Congress succeed in gutting a rule favorable to airline and railroad union organizing, the White House said on Wednesday
The Walmart Class Action and the Culture of Discrimination
Source: Ken Greenfield , Huffington Post
If the questions earlier this week at the Supreme Court hearing about the huge discrimination suit again Walmart are any indication -- and, with this court, they usually are -- it looks like hundreds of thousands of women are about to lose.
March 28, 2011
Who's Disabled? Feds Expand the Definition
Source: Nathan Koppel, Wall Street Journal
Labor and employment lawyers are busy Friday reading, parsing, fretting, lecturing and a few other present participles after the EEOC yesterday issued new regulations governing when employees qualify as disabled.
Workers eager to job hunt as morale plunges
Source: Laura Petrecca, USA Today
Wal-Mart sex-bias case could have wide impact
Source: Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC
The nation's highest court will hear arguments Tuesday in a case pitting employee rights advocates against corporate America, and the outcome could have a sweeping impact on working women and the work world at large.
March 25, 2011
Wisconsin: No Ruling on Union Law
Source: Reuters & AP , New York Times
The battle over a state law curbing the union rights of public workers is headed for the State Supreme Court after a lower court declined to weigh in on the issue
Rolling Back Pay? Pregaming Next Week's Big Discrimination Argumen
Source: Ashby Jones, Wall Street Journal
Next Tuesday, down at One First St., N.E., arguably the most important sex-discrimination case to hit the Supreme Court in many years will receive a full airing.
EEOC Announces Final Bipartisan Regulations for the ADA Amendments Act
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Regulations Implement Congressional Intent to Simplify Definition of Disability.
March 24, 2011
Wal-Mart Pushes (Shoves?) Law Firms to Promote Minority Lawyers
Source: Nathan Koppel, Wall Street Journal
The Supreme Court is due next week to consider whether potentially hundreds of thousands of women can band together to sue Wal-Mart for alleged sex discrimination.
Collective Bargaining Rights Are Key for Workplace Equality
Source: Barbara R. Arnwine, Huffington Post
Women's History Month is a very special time to reflect upon both the particular challenges that women continue to face in the workplace and upon the new opportunities that will arise for economic equity.
Online etiquette flubs could crush your career
Source: Anne Fisher , CNN Money
More than three-quarters of HR executives said in a recent survey that technology-related gaffes can be hazardous to your job.
March 23, 2011
Justices Back Employee in Wage Complaint Case
Source: Adam Liptak, New York Times
Workers who complain to their employers about wage violations are protected from retaliation whether the complaints are oral or written, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in a 6-to-2 decision.
Union workers 'ready to fight' over 'right to work' bills
Source: Matt Wickenheiser, Bangor Daily News
Roughly 300 union members flooded the State House on Tuesday to urge legislators to oppose two so-called "right to work" bills.
Bayer is target of $100M gender bias lawsuit
Source: AP, Bloomberg Business Week
A subsidiary of the Bayer Corporation faces a class-action lawsuit that claims the company discriminated against women, particularly pregnant women and mothers.
March 22, 2011
Workplace discrimination bills considered by Missouri lawmakers would hurt employees [Article no longer available]
Source: Michele T. Johnson , Kansas City Star
For Missouri employees the bills are potentially bad, because they basically mean that the people with power in their lives -- their employers -- have stronger armor to protect themselves even when they abuse that power.
Wisconsin Asks Appeals Court to Block Order Halting Union Bargaining Law
Source: Marie Rohde and Andrew Harris, Bloomberg
Wisconsin's attorney general asked an appeals court to block a state judge's order that temporarily halted a law curbing government employee unions' collective- bargaining power.
Wal-Mart sexual discrimination case could redefine class action
Source: Greg Stohr , Dallas Morning News
More than 100 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. workers paint a similar picture in sworn complaints about the company: Local managers made sexist decisions about promotions and pay, and top officials did nothing to stop them.
March 21, 2011
Judge blocks contentious Wisconsin union law
Source: Chris Bury, ABC News
Law Limiting State Unions' Collective Bargaining Rights Subject of Temporary Restraining Order.
Utah's New Immigration Law: A Model For America?
Source: Mara Liason, NPR
Ever since Arizona passed its tough immigration law penalizing undocumented workers, other states have been considering similar laws.
3M settles age-discrimination suit for up to $12M
Source: AP, Bloomberg
3M Co. has agreed to pay up to $12 million to settle an age-discrimination lawsuit with as many as 7,000 current and former employees.
March 18, 2011
Attitude of Bosses and Money Matter the Most
Source: Angela Henshall, Wall Street Journal
While government efforts to recruit and retain female talent in the workplace focus on flexible working and childcare support, women in financial services rank their relationship with their boss as the most important criteria of fa
Walker: Union Bosses Out of Touch
Source: Althea Fung, National Journal
If most Americans knew what the Wisconsin labor debate was really about, says Gov. Scott Walker (R), they wouldn't be up in arms.
Social-media policies can be potential pitfall for employers
Source: Mary Stuart, Denver Business Journal
Last fall, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint against an employer that supposedly fired an employee for posting negative comments on Facebook about her supervisors
March 17, 2011
Wal-Mart Gender Bias Case May Mean 'Rough Justice' for Companies
Source: Greg Stohr , Bloomberg
More than 100 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) workers paint a similar picture in sworn complaints about the company: Local managers made sexist decisions about promotions and pay, and top officials did nothing to stop them.
Labor threats carry poignancy for Irish-Americans [Article no longer available]
Source: Associated Press
In a year when the questions of union power and the responsibility of governments to their employees have taken center stage, St. Patrick's Day is taking on dual meaning for many Irish-Americans, with their rich ties to the labor movement.
New Bill Would Ban Discrimination Against The Jobless
Source: Laura Bassett, Huffington Post
The Fair Employment Act of 2011 (H.R. 1113), drafted by Johnson and co-sponsored by Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), would amend the Civil Rights Act.
March 16, 2011
Senate OKs letting Texans keep guns in car at work
Source: AP, Business Week
Texans would be allowed to keep firearms and ammunition in their cars and trucks while they are at work, under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate over the objections of business groups
Unpaid internships gain popularity among the jobless
Source: Alana Semuels, LA Times
Working for no pay isn't the preferred route out of unemployment, but it offers valuable experience and the inside track to jobs once they do open up
Myths and Stereotypes About Mental Disabilities Greatest Barrier to Employment
Source: Press Release, EEOC
EEOC Hears Experts and Individuals with Mental Disabilities Detail Struggles to Gain Employment at Meeting.
March 15, 2011
Indiana Health Centers, Inc. To Pay $45,000 To Settle EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Suit
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Agency Charged That Indiana Health Care Provider Terminated Dental Hygienist Due to Her Pregnancy and Upcoming Maternity Leave
Dealing with Negativity and Harassment at Work
Source: Dr. Woody, Fox Business
The overwhelming drop in national workplace morale has most certainly caused a rise in negativity at work.
A 'Pro-Business' Supreme Court? Recent Rulings Favor Workers and Injured Plaintiffs
Source: Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Journal
Recent decisions indicate the U.S. Supreme Court isn't reflexively pro-business, despite some assertions to the contrary.
March 14, 2011
Court Enforces EEOC Investigative Subpoena And Imposes Sanctions Against Osceola Nursing Home
Source: Press Release, EEOC
Federal Judge Also Imposes Sanction for Company's Unresponsive Conduct in Sex Discrimination Case
Unions frame bargaining as civil rights issue [Article no longer available]
Source: Associated Press
Labor unions at the heart of a burning national disagreement over the cost of public employees want to frame the debate as a civil rights issue, an effort that may draw more sympathy to public workers being blamed for busting state budgets with generous pensions.
The New Wisconsin Anti-Collective Bargaining Law Primer - What's Actually In It?
Source: Rick Ungar, Forbes
On the day when the largest protest to date is set to begin in Wisconsin, it seems like a good idea to review some of the key aspects of the law Governor Walker signed into existence on Friday.
March 11, 2011
Sexual harassment suit is halted against American Apparel chief Dov Charney
Source: Andrea Chang , Los Angeles Times
Case is delayed until March 25 by a New York judge, responding to a motion by the L.A. clothing maker that the issues in the suit by Irene Morales should be settled in confidential arbitration and not at trial.
Commission to Meet Tuesday on Employment of People with Mental Disabilities
Source: Press Release, EEOC
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a public meeting on employment of people with mental disabilities on Tuesday, March 15, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E. In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the meeting is open for public observation of the Commission's deliberations.
Companies Rally Behind Wal-Mart as Bias Suit Heads to High Court
Source: Ann Zimmerman & Brent Kendall , Wall Street Journal
More than 20 major U.S. companies, ranging from General Electric Co. to Costco Wholesale Corp., have lined up to support Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ahead of a March 29 Supreme Court hearing on one of the largest sex-discrimination suits in history.
March 10, 2011
The Broad Spectrum of Workplace Violence
Source: Bill Whitmore, Huffington Post
While news coverage of workplace shooting incidents defines the public consciousness of what "workplace violence" is, the true definition of workplace violence is far broader.
Wisconsin Senate Limits Bargaining by Public Workers
Source: Monica Davey, New York Times
The bitter political standoff in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker's bid to sharply curtail collective bargaining for public-sector workers ended abruptly Wednesday night as Republican colleagues in the State Senate successfully maneuvered to adopt a bill doing just that.
American Apparel Exec Calls $250 Million Sex Harassment Suit 'Extortion'
Source: Russell Goldman , ABC News
American Apparel and its often-sued CEO Dov Charney have been hit with a $250 million suit by a teenage employee who claims Charney turned her into his sex slave, but the company is firing back by calling the young woman's suit "extortion."
March 9, 2011
California labor market recovery to go more slowly than predicted, report says
Source: Alana Semuels, LA Times
UCLA economists project the state's unemployment rate won't crack single digits until early 2013.
EEOC Seeks Public Comment on Plan To Review its Significant Regulations
Source: Press Release, EEOC
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is inviting the public to comment as it develops a plan to review its significant regulations pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 13563, "Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review." 76 Fed. Reg. 3821 (Jan. 21, 2011).
Cigna sued on claims of gender bias
Source: Katie Johnston Chase and Chris Reidy, Boston.com
A Boston Cigna HealthCare employee is seeking $100 million in damages in a lawsuit that alleges the company systematically discriminates against women.
March 8, 2011
Wellness and workplace productivity
Source: Kristyn Schiavone, Chicago Tribune
Healthy workplace habits can lead to better productivity. Here are some simple lifestyle changes you can make to keep you working -- and playing -- hard.
Jobs Open, but Filling Them Slows Down
Source: Joe Light, Wall Street Journal
Hiring has yet to hit a rapid clip, but it's not for lack of job openings.
Democrats to End Union Standoff
Source: Kris Maher & Amy Merrick, Wall Street Journal
Playing a game of political chicken, Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin to stymie restrictions on public-employee unions said Sunday they planned to come back from exile soon, betting that even though their return will allow the bill to pass, the curbs are so unpopular they'll taint the state's Republican governor and legislators.
March 7, 2011
The Best Way for Retirees to Leave the Workforce
Source: Glenn Ruffenach, Smart Money
Last year at this time, Ken Bottoms, senior vice president at First Horizon National, was working his usual five days a week at the Tennessee-based financial-services company. Last summer, though, he reduced his schedule to four-and-a-half days a week. And in January, he cut it further, to four days.
America's union story: Blood, struggle and bargaining for good and bad
Source: Ashley Fantz, CNN
Eighty-one-year-old labor historian Ken Germanson watches the news from home in Milwaukee every night, mystified.
A System That Encourages Small Businesses Not to Hire Older Workers
Source: Paul Downs, New York Times
In my last post, I noted that older workers face hiring discrimination because they increase health insurance costs. Which elicited this comment
March 4, 2011
Channel 25 Settles EEOC Race And Sex Bias Suit
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