Tag: Employment law

Massachusetts Court Green-Lights Nurses’ Defamation Claims

The following case is a cautionary tale about decisive action and one type of legal risk: defamation claims. Although this particular case turned on a legal technicality, it’s useful to show how communicating about your reasons for taking an adverse action can turn into litigation.

fired

Firing Employee Who Made Threats: Opposition Isn’t Always Protected

The Iowa Court of Appeals recently found that an employee who made violent threats on Facebook couldn’t sue her former employer for retaliation after she was terminated. The court’s decision is important because it allows employers to make termination decisions when a protected complaint is pending. In other words, not all opposition is protected.

transgender

6th Circuit Rules Title VII Prohibits Transgender Discrimination

On March 7, 2108, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee—granted summary judgment to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on its claim that a former employee of a funeral home in Michigan was fired from her job because of her transgender status in violation of Title VII of the […]

Oscars Delve into Legal Territory with Two Words: Inclusion Rider

At the end of her Oscars acceptance speech for Best Actress this year, Frances McDormand, after having spoken about equality, concluded with the following statement: “I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider.” And with that, McDormand was done and making her way off stage, leaving the audience and […]

Women as Warriors: What Black Panther Teaches Us About Women in the Workplace

Coming off the heels of a fantastic Blockbuster first few weeks, nearly $900 million made at the box office globally, and premiering during Black History Month, there is no denying that Black Panther is just the start of a monumental cultural movement. Black Panther is being touted as not only one of the year’s best […]