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Discrimination / Harassment

‘Exception’ could let church off hook in race discrimination case

05/28/2008
A magistrate has recommended that a federal judge dismiss a race discrimination lawsuit brought by the Rev. Derrick Gomez against the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America … 

Discrimination claims are up in North Carolina

05/28/2008
North Carolinians filed 15% more discrimination complaints in 2007 than they did in 2006, according to the director of the EEOC’s Charlotte office …

Bash away!

05/28/2008
The North Carolina Office of State Personnel has removed from its web site an online copy of its personnel handbook, which included a ban on anti-gay discrimination …

What does N.C.’s civil rights act provide?

05/28/2008
Q. Does North Carolina have a state civil rights act that applies to private employers? …

Follow These 5 Rules for Documenting HR Decision-Making

05/27/2008
The best way to prevent lawsuits or to get a quick dismissal of unfounded charges is to document every employment decision carefully. Following these five simple rules can convince judges and juries that your HR decision-making is legit, above board and fully in line with the law.

Good news: No personal liability for age discrimination claims

05/27/2008
It’s hard enough being a manager, supervisor or HR professional without worrying that a court may second-guess your decisions. It’s even harder in cases where making a mistake means personal liability. Fortunately, you don’t have to add age discrimination claims to those for which you can be held personally liable …

Managers can pay for their bullying behavior—And so can you

05/27/2008
For the first time, the Indiana Supreme Court has endorsed a claim brought by a former employee against a supervisor (rather than the company for whom he worked) on the grounds that the general harassment was so severe as to constitute illegal bullying …

What should we include in our updated employee handbook?

05/27/2008
Q. Our company is looking to revise and update its employee handbook. This will be the first update in several years. Is there anything specific that we should focus on to make sure that we are up-to-date? …

Objective evaluations get lawsuits dismissed

05/27/2008
The quality of your performance evaluation process—whether it is objective or subjective—can determine how a discrimination lawsuit turns out. Handle evaluations improperly, and a case can linger for months. Do it the right way, and the case may be dismissed immediately …

Supreme Court Opens the Door to More Race-Based Retaliation Lawsuits

05/27/2008
Bad news for employers: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on May 27 that employees who suffer retaliation after voicing complaints about on-the-job race discrimination can file lawsuits under a little-known Civil War-era law. The result: increased risk of retaliation lawsuits and bigger jury awards.