A company’s termination of a female worker’s employment for missing work in violation of an attendance policy is illegal discrimination if the termination decision is sufficiently related to the woman’s exercise of her right to an abortion. On May 30, 2008, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in Jane Doe v. C.A.R.S.
Discrimination & Harassment
Carnival of HR # 34
The Carnival of HR has its usual compliment of excellent postings on interesting topics.
Leading off is a discussion of the two sides of generational differences in the workforce. Dr. Ira Wolfe from the Perfect Labor Storm 2.0 posts on Gray ceiling disrupts succession plans for Gen Xers which discusses the recruiting challenges created by older…
On-Line Postings And Your Corporate Image: Can You Terminate Employees For Personal Postings?!?
Freedom of Speech is a right granted by The United States Constitution and enjoyed by all Americans. Employees exercising their free speech rights by blogging, posting on MySpace and YouTube may be surprised to learn limits of their Constitutional protections and should acquaint themselves with the term “dooced”.
Generally, employees of private sector employers have…
Applicants with Criminal Records: The Pros and Cons
Anyone who has spent any time recruiting knows that it is difficult to sift through a pile of applications without finding several job seekers with criminal convictions. About 3.2 percent of the U.S. adult population, or one in every 31 adults, was in the nation’s prisons or on probation or parole at the end of …
Legal issues in Telecommuting: Gas Prices make Businesses Reconsider Policies
As gas prices approach $4.00 per gallon, more employees desire the telework options that have typically been of greater interest to workers for “family reasons”. Companies that formerly dismissed telework programs now find that attracting and retaining employees may depend on increased flexibility around attendance at the office. While productivity and IT issues abound, there are…
Managing Workplace Romance requires more than a “Love Contract”
Kris Dunn at the HR Capitalist has a post on The "Love Broker" – Making Your Employees Sign A Workplace Relationship Prenup… Are such contracts really necessary and do they offer any legal protection?
While taboos on workplace romance may have eased, legal and morale problems persist. Office surveys show that 40% of workers admitted…
Sex may Sell, but Gender-based Employment Decisions are Unlawful Discrimination
The EEOC announced a $1 million settlement for sex discrimination against men arising from a restaurant’s preference for hiring and promoting only women into bartending positions. The lawsuit highlights the tension between a business’s marketing efforts and legal compliance. What marketers may pander to in the name of “customer preference,” employment laws prohibit as discrimination.
Businesses spend…
Supreme Court allows Intake Questionnaire to proceed as a Charge
In Federal Express Corp. v. Holowecki, the United State Supreme Court ruled that the EEOC’s Intake Questionnaire adequately meets the requirements of a “Charge” to trigger an employee’s rights to sue his or her employer in court. The plaintiff submitted to the EEOC an Intake Questionnaire with an affidavit contending that her employer was engaging…