Author: Casey E. Waughn, Attorney, Armstrong Teasdale LLP

What Employees Must Show to Prove Title VII Claims Against Federal Employers

Claims filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 require employees to demonstrate several specific elements to prove race discrimination, retaliation, hostile work environment, or constructive discharge by a federal employer. To be successful, they must show an adverse employment action, intolerable working conditions, or harassment affecting their terms, conditions, or privileges […]

HR Pros Can Improve Their Influence

Note: Kerry was recently a guest on HR Works 5-Minute Friday. You can listen to that here. In my latest “Faces of HR” interview, I discussed how HR professionals can improve their influence within their organizations and within their career with Kerry Unflat, Chief People Officer at Zipari. In this interview, I was also joined […]

Hiring on Values Can Build Success

An organization’s culture is a critical element in the motivation of staff and the recruitment of those who will shape the company’s future. Many see it as an asset and a differentiator for a company that must be protected.

Sha’Carri Richardson and Workplace Drug Testing

As previous pieces I have written for this blog demonstrate, I am a huge track and field fan, so much so that I listen to multiple track-related podcasts, watch meets on television whenever I can, and once got embarrassingly excited when I came across sprinter Mike Rodgers DJing in an Austin bar during the weekend […]

ADA

MN Employer’s Attendance Policy Outweighs Former Employee’s ADA, FMLA Claims

Regular attendance at the worksite can be an essential job function, the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Minnesota employers) recently reminded employers, upholding the termination of an employee who had violated the employer’s attendance policy. As a result, the former employee can no longer pursue her Americans with Disabilities […]

Best Practices for IT Staffing

Information technology (IT) staffing shortages can have a tremendous impact on businesses. Between missed deadlines, lower worker morale, and reduced productivity, both product and service quality can suffer when staff are unable to access or fully utilize the technology tools that are part of their daily responsibilities. Organizations need to make sure their IT staffing […]

Taking on Mental Health Challenges Post-Pandemic

Until relatively recently, companies that focused meaningfully on their employees’ mental health were few and far between. Employees who struggled with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, or other mental health issues were largely expected to manage those issues outside of work or face the possibility of being seen as not “cut out” for the job.