Tag: Employment law

High Profile or Not, Sexual Harassment Claims Require Employer Action

Sexual harassment — the subject has exploded in recent weeks as people from all walks have spoken up about a menacing workplace problem. Even though antiharassment efforts are a priority in human resources circles, recent revelations about the actions of some high-profile executives are likely to cause employers to ask the question, “Are we doing […]

Conducting unbiased investigations: tips from the Russia probe

With the recent indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 election is front-page news once again.  While most of the press and President Donald Trump’s initial tweets focused on whether Mueller could be fair and unbiased in his investigation, the most recent attacks on […]

Halloween at work: Don’t get BOOed by your employees!

Halloween can be such a fun holiday for kids of all ages. When October 31st falls on a weekday, as it does this year, ghoulish fun will certainly creep its way into the workplace. How can you, as a human resources professional, ensure that the day is more fun than it is scary? Simple. Just […]

Marijuana

Connecticut’s Workplace Protections for Medical Marijuana Trump Federal Law

Employees and job applicants are now further protected from employment discrimination based on their legal use of medical marijuana under Connecticut state law. Recently, a federal district court judge determined that marijuana’s illicit status under federal law doesn’t preempt Connecticut’s explicit workplace protections for the use of medical marijuana.

The erosion of employers’ managerial rights

by Mikael Maher In a recent arbitration case, Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc. v. Steelworkers, Local 7065-75, the arbitrator, Bruno Leclerc, and the Superior Court of Quebec challenged a well-established principle in labor relations, which is that an employer retains managerial rights in the absence of limiting provisions in the collective agreement. In this case, the […]

gender gap

Going Against the Grain: Worker Fired After Unequal Pay Complaint

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota—recently reversed an Arkansas district court’s dismissal of a former employee’s retaliation claim against a grain company under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act (EPA), and the Arkansas Civil Rights Act.

age discrimination

Was CEO’s ‘New Face’ Comment a Mask for Age Discrimination?

“Peter,” a senior information technology (IT) director of a retail order fulfillment company, was terminated when his position was eliminated in an IT department restructuring. Was the CEO’s statement that the company wanted a “new face” enough for Peter to establish direct evidence of age discrimination?

High profile or not, sexual harassment claims require employer action

Sexual harassment—the subject has exploded in recent weeks as people from all walks have spoken up about a menacing workplace problem. Even though antiharassment efforts are a priority in human resources circles, recent revelations about the actions of some high-profile executives are likely to cause employers to ask the question, “Are we doing enough?”  And […]

payroll

Take this off your fall ‘to do’ list: EEO-1 delayed in part and suspended in part

by Brian Bouchard As you may have heard, we recently received some good news regarding the EEO-1 pay data collection that would have gone into effect in March 2018.  On August 29, acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Victoria Lipnic issued a statement indicating that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs […]