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Discrimination / Harassment

Calif. State Senate pays ex-staffer $350,000 after sexual assault

02/22/2019
A former California State Senate staffer who alleged she was sexually assaulted by another Senate employee after a night out in Sacramento has accepted $350,000 to settle charges she was fired in retaliation for reporting the incident.

Document the factors you weigh for promotions

02/22/2019
Keep careful records of the factors you consider when making promotion decisions. That’s especially true if you don’t give much weight to objective factors such as past performance reviews.

Beware sexist slights, which can quickly add up to a hostile work environment

02/22/2019
Courts are becoming more sensitive to claims that what some may have long considered “harmless” behavior has a real effect on women’s careers and can create a sexually hostile work environment.

Workplace fight? OK to punish based on severity of injuries

02/22/2019
If two workers fight, employers are free to issue harsher punishment to the worker who inflicts the most severe injuries. Just make sure you document exactly why you believe the more aggressive worker deserves greater punishment.

‘Bro culture’ in West L.A. brings suspension, lawsuit

02/22/2019
Riot Games, developer of the “League of Legends” e-sport game, has suspended Chief Operating Officer Scott Gelb following an investigation of his alleged workplace antics.

No-fighting rule? Punish combatants equally

02/22/2019
You probably have a rule against any form of violence in the workplace. Make sure you uniformly discipline everyone involved in any altercation.

No absolute requirement to notify laid-off workers that their jobs are open again

02/22/2019
Sometimes, workers who are laid off are told they’re eligible for rehire. But absent a specific promise to call if there’s a job opening, employees can’t wait months or years to complain about discrimination when they discover the job was open and someone else filled it.

MHRA mandates 45 days to file complaints, but court opts to give employees much longer

02/22/2019
The Court of Appeals of Minnesota has made it a bit easier for employees to sue for discrimination under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

Guthrie Theater wins arbitration case alleging unfair hiring

02/22/2019
The renowned Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis has prevailed in a case alleging two employees were unfairly denied job opportunities.

Harassment training has changed in the #MeToo era

02/21/2019
The #MeToo movement has resulted in a sharp increase in the number of employers doing preventative training to head off sexual harassment claims, says a Bloomberg Law report.