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Employment Law

Netflix beats harassment claims—for now

11/22/2022
A California judge dismissed allegations of harassment and emotional distress against a supervisor at Netflix. The plaintiff, a former business and legal affairs director at the streaming service, sued for race and gender discrimination and wrongful termination, alleging a supervisor failed to stop a male subordinate’s racist and misogynistic comments.

EEOC commissioner targets abortion travel benefits

11/22/2022
An EEOC commissioner launched probes of companies offering abortion travel subsidies to employees. The commissioner alleges discrimination against pregnant workers who are not offered equivalent benefits.

Bill voids NDAs in sexual harassment cases

11/22/2022
The Speak Out Act voids any nondisclosure agreements in sexual assault or harassment cases. The bill passed Nov. 16 in the House, and the Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent in September.

Time is now for overtime pay scrutiny

11/22/2022
Some commentators predict that the DOL might only raise the minimum wage. Others think the delay might mean the wage will rise with inflation. But while we wait, lawsuits and pay transparency trends are not off the clock.

Sexual harassment and retaliation at funeral home

11/17/2022
A mortuary will pay $135,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit. The EEOC sued on behalf of female employees who alleged the owner made crude sexual comments.

“No facial hair, no exceptions” causes EEOC to sue

11/17/2022
A company with a “no facial hair” policy violated Title VII when it hired an EMT who could not shave his beard due to his religious beliefs and fired him when he refused to shave, alleges an EEOC lawsuit.

Dismissal valid if based on “unprofessional” behavior

11/17/2022
East Carolina University dismissed a student with bipolar disorder from its master’s degree program. The student sued, alleging a violation of the ADA.

Hiring disabled workers? No time like the present

11/17/2022
For disabled workers, the pandemic has been both a crisis and an opportunity—a crisis because so many suffer from disability-related morbidities that make getting infected very dangerous, and an opportunity because remote work flourished. Plus, the shortage of workers has meant more chances for disabled applicants to be hired than ever before.

Conduct a self-audit before finalizing terminations

11/17/2022
There’s a compelling reason to conduct a routine HR office review of all employment decisions before they’re finalized. That way, your HR professionals can do their jobs and confirm that the decision is based on objective information and business necessity.

Housekeeper for Bezos sues, alleges racial discrimination

11/17/2022
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has been sued close to home. His former housekeeper, who is Hispanic, accuses him and two of his investment firms of racial discrimination.