Tag: discrimination

October 24, 2019

Discriminating against people with disabilities is illegal and there are many state and federal laws that serve to shield this protected group from discriminatory practices. While there are always going to be those bad actors that purposefully discriminate against people […]

September 12, 2019

President Donald Trump’s recent Tweet suggesting that four Democratic congresswomen should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came” has sparked robust debate across the country. So what happens when an employee […]

August 8, 2019

“We have Filipino maids!” announced one Instagram ad, aimed at wealthy expats in the Middle East who may want to hire a live-in housekeeper. This ad wasn’t aimed at job seekers (although it certainly would discourage non-Filipinos from applying for […]

July 31, 2019

I have a boss that is extremely condescending and a control freak, so to speak. She is rather rude and makes a comment about my appearance quite often, specifically my nails. I wear my nails with the latest trends but […]

July 8, 2019

With the majority of people in the United States being either overweight or obese today, you wouldn’t think it would be in an employer’s best interest to be discriminatory against someone who is overweight. Yet, this happens all the time. […]

June 17, 2019

Imagine this: Two individuals start a job at the same time. Quickly, management recognizes one employee’s hard work and dedication and promotes her. In a short time, the employee ascending the corporate ladder becomes the superior of the employee with […]

June 13, 2019

Are you an older worker in tech and have wondered why you are not getting ahead in your job? A recent study, reported on by Valerie Bolden-Barrett in the HR Dive, shows that age discrimination is alive and well in […]

May 8, 2019

Workplace harassment isn’t illegal unless it is harassment because of some protected characteristic (sex, race, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other class protected by law). Generalized workplace bullying or other mistreatment is not illegal unless it falls into […]

April 26, 2019

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether an employee who brings a discrimination claim must always exhaust the administrative remedies available through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before filing a lawsuit or if the employee can go straight […]

April 9, 2019

Microsoft has over 130,000 employees, so it’s not at all surprising that there are bad employees in that bunch. Most companies have them. But, Quartz says they have an email chain from “dozens of women” detailing incidents where they felt […]

March 26, 2019

HR has a responsibility to investigate claims pointing to possible violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. How workplaces respond to alleged race, sex, age or disability discrimination; claims of sexual harassment; reports of retaliation and […]

March 25, 2019

When companies settle harassment, discrimination, or retaliation cases, it’s pretty standard that all parties sign non-disclosure agreements. For example, a Florida man had to give back an $80,000 settlement for discrimination after his daughter blabbed. But, New Jersey has decided […]

March 25, 2019

Many states, like Massachusetts, are “at-will” states, which means employers are free to terminate employees for any reason or no reason, with or without cause or advance notice. But there’s a critical exception to the employment-at-will rule: an employee may […]

February 28, 2019

Progress has been made in terms of women’s equality and protection over the past 10 years. In fact, it was recently the 10th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill signed into law by President Barack […]

February 26, 2019

A bipartisan bill that has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate would make it easier for older employees to prove when they are victims of age discrimination in the workplace. The House bill (H.R. 1230), […]

February 21, 2019

New York City this week is issuing the country’s first-ever ban on employer policies and practices that discriminate against how black people wear their hair. Guidelines from the New York City Commission on Human Rights state that while employers can […]

February 21, 2019

For the past 10 years, Adam Catlin has worked as the store greeter at the Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania Walmart. Catlin has cerebral palsy which affects his ability to walk, lift, and even hold a pen. But, he was able to greet […]

February 13, 2019

When I train about sexual harassment or discuss it in a class, one area I mention is that companies can be liable for harassment from a nonemployee. The example I give most often is a delivery person who “flirts” with […]

January 16, 2019

Last year, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), issued a directive related to federal contractors’ compliance with Executive Order 11246. In conjunction with a variety of federal statutes, Executive […]

December 14, 2018

Effective January 1, 2019, California law will extend protections against discrimination in employment to military reservists. Existing law prohibits various types of discrimination against people serving in any branch of the military armed services, either at the state or federal […]