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Texas

EEOC: Longview Popeye’s violated ADA

10/31/2013
The EEOC is suing a Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits franchisee, alleging it illegally refused to hire an HIV-positive man for a job at a Longview restaurant. In its complaint, the EEOC claims Famous Chicken of Shreveport violated the ADA when it refused to hire the well-qualified applicant because of his condition.

Car dealership faces ­disability bias charges

10/31/2013
A former general manager at Benny Boyd Chevrolet-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep in Lubbock claims he was denied partnership in the company when he developed multiple sclerosis.

5 steps you must take to prevent and address sexual harassment

10/31/2013
In 2012, the EEOC received 7,571 complaints from workers alleging they were sexual harassment victims (17.8% of whom were men) and recovered $43 million for har­­assed workers. Don’t let your organization add to those statistics. Take these steps to prevent and address sexual harassment.

Consult lawyer before firing returning service member

10/31/2013
Members of the armed forces are protected from discharge for being called to duty. That includes those who must take short training leaves. Once released from brief active-duty periods, they must get their jobs back. Firing a returning service member without a solid reason may spark a lawsuit.

No unemployment after rejecting lower-paying job

10/31/2013
Consider this scenario: A former em­­ployee is collecting unemployment. You have an opening that matches his skills and abilities, but which pays less than the previous position. If you make an offer and the former employee rejects it, he may lose his unemployment compensation benefits.

Feel free to change schedules if it will save money or improve operations

10/31/2013
Do you need to change someone’s job duties to economize? Don’t fear that doing so will trigger a lawsuit—as long as you can show the changes were necessary and not just an excuse for discrimination.

Vague or nonexistent harassment policy? In same-sex cases, prepare to pay

10/31/2013
Judges don’t have much patience with employers that don’t understand their obligations to prevent or stop sexual harassment, including same-sex harassment.

Harris Health System pays out $4M for back OT

10/31/2013
Harris Health System in Houston will pay out more than $4 million in back pay after it failed to include incentive pay when calculating overtime for thousands of hourly staff members.

Kroger to pay $450,000 for disability bias in Plano

10/31/2013
A federal jury has awarded $450,000 to a mentally disabled former Kroger grocery store employee in Plano whose manager constantly insulted him. The EEOC filed a disability discrimination lawsuit on the employee’s behalf in 2012.

When bias claims fly, beware lenient courts

10/31/2013
Here’s an important factor to consider when terminating an employee who has recently complained about alleged discrimination of some sort: If she can show at least a tenuous connection between her complaint (like its timing) and her discharge, she will probably be able to proceed with her lawsuit.