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North Carolina

Not so funny: Pinnacle Amusements charged with bias

04/28/2010
Charlotte-based Pinnacle Amusements will have to defend itself against charges it created a racially hostile work environment for black workers.

Lowe’s to offer free employee health screenings

04/28/2010
Home improvement giant Lowe’s is offering free health screenings to its employees. Lowe’s partnerships with health care providers throughout North Carolina mean employees will be able to get free checks of their blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, waist size, hip size, weight, height, body fat percentage and body-mass index.

Follow your own rules, and be confident you’ll win lawsuits

04/28/2010

Any employee can file a lawsuit for any reason. But filing and winning are two different things. Most lawsuits end up dismissed after the employer shows the court it followed its own rules and fairly disciplined the employee.

OK to differentiate between probationary, other employees

04/28/2010
Occasionally, you can tell early on that an employee isn’t going to work out. Perhaps she doesn’t seem to be catching on very well, or maybe she treats co-workers or supervisors with disrespect. While you might put up with some level of poor behavior from a proven long-term employee, you don’t have to do so with a probationary one.

Document all personality conflicts–your records could disprove discrimination in court

04/28/2010

Employees don’t always get along with their bosses. Personality conflicts can destroy morale and create tension that kills productivity. Plus, when a subordinate belongs to a different protected class than his supervisor, the subordinate may suspect some form of discrimination. That’s why you should document personality conflicts—even if you’re sure bias isn’t the cause.

Don’t marginalize harassing behavior–you could trigger constructive discharge suit

04/28/2010

If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to remind everyone in HR to avoid playing down or dismissing the impact of supervisor harassment on employees. It may be tempting to tell a complaining employee that she’s making a mountain out of a molehill. But understand that telling an employee she should get over it and return to work may prompt her to quit—and then sue you.

Ensure workers know how to report harassment

04/28/2010

One of the best ways to protect your organization from sexual harassment lawsuits is to make sure all employees know what sexual harassment is and what to do about it. The more you publicize the policy, the harder it will be for an employee to argue she didn’t lodge a complaint because she didn’t know she should.

Change company culture to stop sex bias suits

04/28/2010

When it comes to sex-based stereotyping, some industries are more resistant to change than others. The “company culture” may be a bastion of outdated beliefs about what women can and cannot do. Decision-makers may not even fully understand that their preferences for hiring employees of one gender can create liability. If that’s the case where you work, you may want to use the following case to explore that corporate culture—and then push to change it.

¡Que chiste! Bilingual staffer fired for speaking Spanish

04/20/2010
When Ana Mateo was hired as a bilingual secretary for a school district, she never imagined her Spanish fluency would be her downfall. Now that the EEOC has taken up her case, somebody has some explaining to do — in federal court.

Good news: Supreme Court eases path from N.C. to federal court

04/02/2010
A seemingly simple question—which court should decide a lawsuit—that made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court has sent ripples through the corporate law world in general and employment law in particular. It’s an example of the kind of case HR professionals need to understand.