Harassment

Employees come to work to perform a job, but they also bring their social, political and personal ideologies, which they may choose to express in conversations with co-workers, on their clothing or in other ways. Thousands of Americans are actively engaging in social justice movements and standing up for causes such as Black Lives Matter.…

Par Ventures, Inc., a North Carolina corporation that operates seven McDonald’s restaurants, has agreed to pay $12,500 to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit alleging that a teenage worker was subjected a sexually hostile work environment. EEOC alleged in a statement announcing the agreement that a “people manager” at one of the…

Legislation from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the Americans with Disabilities Act help define the boundaries of the U.S. workplace. Is it discriminatory to terminate a worker who can’t attend a Friday-night shift due to religious obligations? Could an employer demote someone who can’t carry out the essential functions of…

Romance at work isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can create consequences ranging from irritating to legally actionable. Employees can spend most of their waking hours at work, so, naturally, friendships can form; and out of some of those, romantic relationships will blossom. But sometimes those work romances cross a line or spawn consequences. The…

Republican, Democrat and independent employees have something in common in these partisan times: Nearly half have had a disagreement in the workplace over politics, according to new research released today. The survey, fielded Oct. 7-14, suggests that many workers are involved in political discussions in the workplace and that those discussions are leading to conflicts: 56 percent of U.S. employees say…

Often—and without much thinking—when an employer faces a claim of sexual harassment, the knee-jerk response is to discipline or terminate the man accused. It is the easiest way to go, especially if the alleged harasser is a mid- or lower-level employee, is not a stellar performer, and involved in a largely he said/she said situation.…

Charges of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) (and similar charges with state and local human relations agencies) are a critical first step in an employee’s discrimination claim. For employers, the importance of responding strategically to such charges cannot be understated. This article will cover what to expect, and will provide a few key strategic…

Take care of yourself! In medicine, sometimes the practices that get people in trouble are pretty simple. Too many nachos, and not enough leafy greens. You’d rather binge-watch Seasons 1-3 of Stranger Things than go for a walk. You hate needles, so you haven’t been to the doctor in 20 years. The same principle often applies…

Sexually explicit rumors, affairs to influence promotion, jealous male coworkers, sexist remarks by a high-ranking manager, and ultimate retaliation and termination—an episode of Mad Men? The plot of a new show on Netflix? No. Real sexual harassment—at least according to Evangeline Parker, who filed a claim alleging discrimination under Title VII against her former employer,…

When one thinks of a hazard at a workplace what may come to mind are falls from heights or getting caught in a pinch point of industrial machinery. In general we think of something that is traumatic and may cause a physical injury such as a broken arm or leg, concussion or even death. But…

How HR Should Respond to Social and Political Expression at Work

McDonald’s Franchisee Settles Claim That ‘People Manager’ Harassed 16-year-old Employee

HR’s Anti-Discrimination Law Primer (Part 1)

Shades of Gray: Should HR Regulate Romance at Work?

Political Discord Is Disrupting the Workplace

Has #MeToo Created a New Claim of Male-Bias Discrimination?

Your Employee Filed An EEOC Charge. Now What?

Ten Ways Employers Get Themselves Sued (Part One)

Employers Beware: Workplace Gossip about Sex May Risk Liability under Title VII

Bullying: An Occupational Health and Safety Hazard