Posts by Joe Boone
OFCCP Reopens Door to Request Employers’ Reported Pay Data
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs rescinded Sept. 2 a Trump administration notice that it did not intend to request, accept or utilize pay data collected under Component 2 of EEO-1 forms. In November 2019, OFCCP announced that it would not request, accept or use Component 2 data collected as part of…
Read MoreAs COVID-19 Cases Rise Again, New Federal and State Health and Safety Rules Diverge Dramatically
Employers are having to keep on their toes when it comes to protecting employees from COVID-19. Shifts in the outbreak continue to drive rapidly changing workplace health and safety rules in the Pacific Northwest, and this is leading to dramatically different requirements being imposed by federal and state authorities. No sooner had many employers considered…
Read MoreTiming Matters – Failure to Respond and Act Promptly Can Create Liability
A recent case emphasizes the importance of timing – both in terms of reacting to reports of employee misconduct and in imposing discipline (particularly termination). As the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit recently found, terminating an employee, based on conduct that occurred months earlier, shortly after they complain of discrimination certainly seems…
Read MoreFDA Approval of Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Provides Cover for Employer Mandates
In a milestone for the public health response to the ongoing pandemic, regulators from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued Monday full approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine. The two-dose mRNA vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech has been available to individuals 16 years of age and older under the FDA’s emergency use authorization since…
Read MoreRequiring Proof of Vaccination? What You Need to Know
In connection with the recent surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant, many businesses have begun to require that employees—and sometimes contractors, volunteers and patrons—provide proof of vaccination. This may come in the form of requests for voluntary disclosure, or in connection with employer vaccine policies, or pursuant to newly issued mandates from…
Read MoreMotorcycle Dealership Sales Manager Wins $500K in Sex Discrimination Suit
Backed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a female sales manager at a Harley-Davidson dealership based in Tampa, Florida, won $500,000 in punitive damages after being denied a promotion based on her sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A jury of eight unanimously found in her favor. According to…
Read MoreEEOC Makes Final Extension to EEO-1 Reporting Deadline
Covered employers now have until Oct. 25 to file their 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 reports, according to a recent announcement from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Although the reporting deadline has been delayed several times during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said it will not authorize any more extensions. The EEOC cited “the continuing impact…
Read More’90s-Era Sexual Harassment Training Won’t Cut It Anymore
Sexual harassment trainings may leave out guidance for digital interactions and tend to be heteronormative, experts say. Undeniably, workplace sexual harassment is top of mind. Employees at Activision Blizzard rallied together earlier in the year to expose their workplace’s alleged “frat boy culture.”California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a civil suit, which included…
Read MoreWalmart Applicant Alleges Retailer’s Criminal History Test is Discriminatory
Walmart’s criminal history screening process is overly broad, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an applicant alleged in a proposed class-action lawsuit (Ramos v. Walmart, Inc., No. 21-cv-13827 (D.C.N.J., July 19, 2021)). The store fails to assess whether an applicant’s convictions are job-related, the plaintiff said. Furthermore, Walmart’s process…
Read MoreEmployers React to Workers Who Refuse Vaccination as COVID-19 Cases Rise
As mandatory COVID-19 vaccines become more widespread, many employers are asking what they can do if workers refuse. Some employers are firing workers who won’t take the vaccine and others are requiring unvaccinated employees to submit to weekly testing and take other safety precautions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has weighed in with guidance that…
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