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Discrimination / Harassment

Rating system for job reassignments has to be scored fairly

12/01/2000
When a medical supply company reorganized its sales force, it rated existing employees on a “matrix” of skills. Although Deborah Goosby had won several sales awards, she was put in …

Stray remarks add to suspicions of bias

12/01/2000
With nearly 30 years of experience and several awards for selling animal health products, Marvin Fisher was assigned to a top sales unit after a company merger. About a year later, the company…

Tally up payroll to find out if Title VII covers you

12/01/2000

Q. We have about 15 employees, many of whom work part time. A former employee filed a charge of discrimination against the company under Title VII. We don’t think our company is covered by Title VII because we don’t have 15 workers scheduled to work in most weeks. Do you think the case could be dismissed with that argument? —R.B., Texas

Cut legal risk during layoff

12/01/2000

Q. In recent months, a sharp decline in revenue has forced us to consider downsizing. What are the legal risks associated with a layoff and how can we minimize them? —L.C., Hawaii

Year-old pay comparisons can show bias

11/01/2000
Carol Broadus did it all, from building computers to training employees to fixing problems, all for an hourly rate that equaled about $22,000 a year. But within …

Series of ‘minor’ incidents
can add up to hostile environment

11/01/2000
Cheryl Conner blew away her male co-workers in skills training for her new metal-processing job. The trouble started when she went from the classroom …

Don’t ‘shoot the messenger’, retaliation claim will usually stick

11/01/2000
Restaurant manager Peter Ball knew that one of his waiters was preparing to sue the restaurant for unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). When Ball alerted the company …

Use new EEOC manual to ensure your benefits don’t discriminate

11/01/2000
Whether you’ve been revving up employee benefits to find and keep top talent or paring them down to control costs, take a closer look at the impact. The Equal Employment …

Adapt work schedules to worship, religious TV shows included

11/01/2000
Employers are required to adjust work schedules to accommodate their employees’ religious observances, even for nontraditional beliefs. In a recent case, an employee …

Sexual orientation: Adapt policy to local, state law

11/01/2000
Although Congress has debated the idea, no federal law specifically prohibits job discrimination based on an employee or applicant’s sexual orientation. Employees …