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Discrimination / Harassment

Trying to ensure pay equality? Be sure to account for even slight differences in duties

09/09/2015

Under the Equal Pay Act, workers of one sex who perform substantially similar jobs are entitled to the same pay as their counterparts of the opposite sex. But it doesn’t take much to make jobs dissimilar enough to thwart direct comparisons. Keep this in mind when preparing job descriptions and explaining pay differences.

Dallas doctors’ service to pay for CEO’s harassment

09/09/2015
Dallas-based physician outsourcing group EmCare will pay dearly for its CEO’s raunchy behavior. Following a jury verdict awarding $499,000 to three former employees for sexual harassment, the federal judge in charge of the case has ordered the firm to pay an additional $183,000 in attorneys’ fees to the lead plaintiff in the case.

Worker worships on Saturday: What to do

09/08/2015
Business is booming, so you’re adding hours. That’s great news for everyone—except Joe, one of your top employees. He says he can’t work the company’s new mandated Saturday shift. His religion won’t allow it, he says, and he wants an accommodation.

Harassment: Avoid these 8 common mistakes

09/07/2015

The EEOC handled 6,862 charges of sexual harassment in fiscal year 2014, collecting $35 million on behalf of victims. Almost all those cases could have been prevented—here’s how.

Repeat after me: Never fire anyone for wearing a religious headscarf!

09/03/2015
Rotten Ralph’s, a popular Philadelphia restaurant, has been sued by the EEOC, which alleges that the eatery violated federal law when it refused to allow a Muslim server to wear a religious headscarf as a reasonable accommodation of her religious beliefs and instead fired her.

Comcast settles sex bias charges involving call centers

09/01/2015
Philadelphia-based Comcast has settled charges it manipulated women into taking lower paying jobs at a call center in Washington.

Different starting salaries for same job? Be prepared to explain why

09/01/2015
Do you sometimes offer new employees different salaries for the same positions? If so, be sure you document why one applicant is worth more than another.

Commitment to diversity doesn’t prove bias

09/01/2015
Employers that make public commitments to creating a more diverse workplace don’t risk losing a lawsuit solely based on that stated objective. An employee alleging discrimination because he isn’t part of the targeted demographic for diversity still has to show that he was fired or not promoted for a discriminatory reason. He can’t simply argue that the diversity commitment proves his case.

No proof required: Heart disease automatically a covered disability under California’s FEHA

08/26/2015
Under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, heart disease is a disability. The employee doesn’t have to prove that in his particular case, the condition limits a major life activity.

Justify change that will affect older workers

08/26/2015
Are you planning to change the way you schedule work or provide overtime opportunities? If the proposed changes would affect your older employees, make sure you document solid business reasons to justify the new system, just in case it is challenged in court.