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Indiana

Ability to conceive irrelevant to pregnancy discrimination

01/01/2008

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination against pregnant women and those who may become pregnant. It also makes it illegal to retaliate against these women. In an interesting twist, the actual ability to become pregnant isn’t particularly relevant as long as the employee who claims discrimination can show her employer thought she might become pregnant …

Overturning human rights commission decisions is an uphill battle

01/01/2008

When defending the termination of an employee who has filed a complaint with a local human rights commission, you must take the commission’s process seriously. Always get your attorney involved early, so you can defend yourself during the crucial initial stages. And don’t count on getting the commission’s findings overturned on appeal. Indiana courts have shown they won’t readily overrule commission conclusions …

Supervisors who say ‘What happens here, stays here’ invite retaliation claims

01/01/2008

Sometimes managers want to handle problems themselves and not involve the HR department or others in the chain of command. But telling employees to keep quiet and not complain to higher-ups actually may amount to retaliation. Threats and warnings, standing alone with no actual consequences, may be “materially adverse employment actions” when retaliation is the charge …

Employee’s infection proves costly to Liz Claiborne store

01/01/2008

When an employee with an unidentified infection came to work at the Liz Claiborne Outlet Store at Lighthouse Place in Michigan City, management feared it might be MRSA and closed the store to disinfect it …

St. Vincent Hospital fires worker over threatening note

01/01/2008

A white environmental services attendant recently sued St. Vincent Carmel Hospital, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation. He was fired for violating the hospital’s anti-violence policy …

Indianapolis company accused of breaking Muslim sharia law

01/01/2008

HDG Mansur, a multinational property company based in Indianapolis, is poised to launch the first global real estate investment fund compliant with Islamic sharia law. But the firm has drawn complaints from a U.S. imam, Indiana clergy and unions …

Talk about getting ‘Scrooged’

01/01/2008

Shortly after South Bend Plastics of Mishawaka sold its injection molding facility in Alabama to a Muscle Shoals, AL, man, the general manager was fired and paychecks began to bounce …

Health insurance surcharges mean you’ll pay for bad habits

01/01/2008

Starting in 2008, Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Tribune, began applying a monthly surcharge of $100 to the family health insurance premiums of workers who use tobacco or whose insured dependents do. Employees who kick the habit through the company’s smoking cessation program lose the surcharge …

The 10 rules every HR pro must know

01/01/2008

Lawsuits may be inevitable in today’s litigious society, but losing them is not. Follow these 10 rules to prevent the most common employment-related lawsuits—or at least increase your chances of winning them.

Romance at the office, liability later?

01/01/2008

Q. At a recent office get-together, two members of my staff announced they were officially dating. Our company has a strict policy that prohibits dating between a supervisor and a direct subordinate, but our handbook is silent as to relationships such as this one between co-workers. Are there any steps I should take to protect the company from liability? …