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Discrimination / Harassment

Don’t punish employees for participating in legal probes

02/01/2003
Kimberly Hill, a 10-year employee at the Kentucky Lottery Corp., testified at an unemployment compensation hearing on behalf of a co-worker who alleged discrimination. Soon …

Heads up: Workers can sue over ‘potty parity.’

02/01/2003
A manufacturing firm’s new plant had only one restroom, which was designed for men. Female workers were told they had to use that restroom during work hours, …

Monitor hiring process for subtle ‘name discrimination’

02/01/2003
Remind managers that it’s illegal to make hiring decisions based on a person’s race or ethnicity, even if that race is assumed because of the applicant’s name. A high-profile …

Keep your credibility intact: 12 lessons from the courtroom

02/01/2003
To avoid becoming the target of discrimination lawsuits, you need to protect your credibility as a leader and manager. Reason: It’s one of the top ways plaintiffs’ attorneys …

Don’t stray from layoff procedures

01/01/2003
A 65-year-old employee was laid off as part of a reduction in force. She claimed her supervisor had made age-related comments, and the company failed to follow its published RIF criteria …

Beware new court trend: Employees use expert to shift blame for failure

01/01/2003
If an employee drags you into court, don’t be surprised if the worker totes along his own expert witness to put your company in a bad light. More employees are …

Transfer to more demanding job doesn’t add up to retaliation

01/01/2003
After railroad laborer Sheila White complained that her foreman sexually harassed her, her employer investigated and temporarily suspended the foreman without pay. Soon after, the company gave White’s forklift duties to …

Failed romance frustration doesn’t equal sex harassment.

01/01/2003
A corporate officer had an on-again/off-again dating relationship with his direct subordinate. After the couple’s third dating stint ended, the boss sent e-mails and gifts to his lost love, asking her …

Wise up to national-origin bias rules; claims spiked in 2002

01/01/2003
Acquaint yourself with newly updated guidelines from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that teach employers how to foster work environments free of national-origin discrimination. Coming on the heels of 9/11, …

ADEA: Prevent fastest growing, most expensive type of bias

01/01/2003
Expensive mistake Median award by type of bias: ’94-’00 cases Age $268,926, Disability 175,001, Race 120,951, Sex 100,000. Source: Jury Verdict Research …