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Discrimination / Harassment

Cutting senior staff to save salary costs? Check impact on older workers

11/10/2008

One way to reduce your labor budget is to terminate staff members who are paid the most and replace them with employees who earn less. But be careful before you implement a layoff based on seniority.

Kroger Company accused of race discrimination

11/10/2008

Luther Spears worked for the Kroger Company for 24 years. He repeatedly applied for management positions in the produce department, but was never promoted. Meanwhile, Spears, who is black, trained younger white employees who were promoted over him. Spears finally filed a complaint with the EEOC …

HR and the bailout: Bill includes key mental health coverage

11/10/2008

The massive $700 billion financial rescue bill that President Bush signed into law on Oct. 3 contained dozens of measures that have nothing to do with bailing out Wall Street or shoring up credit markets. Among them: long-awaited legislation that bans health insurers from imposing stricter limits on coverage for mental health and substance-use conditions than those set for other health problems.

Take it seriously when employee yells, ‘Stop!’

11/10/2008

Employees who suffer reprisals after complaining about possible discrimination or harassment can sue for retaliation. But they can do so only if they can show they “engaged in protected activity”—that is, that they told their employer about the alleged discrimination or harassment.

Something’s fishy in aftermath of Tampa discrimination trial

11/10/2008

Trevor Johnston, who served on a jury last April that awarded to a former employee of Ernie Haire Ford $5.8 million for age discrimination, claims someone from the Tampa dealership later offered him a bribe to report juror misconduct.

Safety Harbor employee wins discrimination judgment

11/10/2008

A Tampa jury awarded $60,000 to Geno Baker, a former maintenance worker in the Safety Harbor Public Works Department, for race discrimination he suffered during his 14-year career with the department.

Sterling Jewelers faces EEOC class-action discrimination suit

11/10/2008

Eight women from the Tampa Bay area have joined an EEOC class-action lawsuit against Sterling Jewelers, owner of Jared, Kay Jewelers and Marks & Morgan stores. The lawsuit alleges that Sterling pays women in retail sales positions less than men and denies them promotions …

FGCU discrimination settlement unsettles athletics department

11/10/2008

Carl McAloose, the former Florida Gulf Coast University athletic director, said it only took him “about five seconds” to decide to resign after he heard the university had agreed to settle with Holly Vaughn, former women’s golf coach, and Jaye Flood, former women’s volleyball coach.

Track all discipline to show unbiased process

11/07/2008

The key to a sound discipline policy is equal treatment for all who commit similar offenses. You can’t decide to treat some employees more leniently than others without very good reason. And you’d better nail down that reason at the time you make the decision—not months or years later, after another employee has sued.

Suit: Times Square waitresses had to serve more than drinks

11/07/2008

Four women who once worked at Hawaiian Tropic Zone—the Times Square restaurant that The Gothamist says “makes Hooters look like Chuck E. Cheese”—have filed a $600 million lawsuit claiming supervisors forced female employees to have sex.