It will come as no surprise to most of our readers that, in the 12 to 14 months following the advent of the #MeToo movement, we have seen a marked uptick in the request for advice and assistance in the conduct of sexual harassment investigations. Below are some thoughts to keep in mind when approaching this issue, and when to bring in the professionals. Continue reading
Category Archives: Discrimination
McDonald’s says #MeToo
The news has primarily focused on the effects of the #MeToo movement in high-profile industries. The numerous falls from grace of once-prominent men (and occasionally women) in politics, comedy, and film have percolated throughout news cycles for the last twelve months. Often, the women reporting the harassment or assault had their careers stunted or completely derailed by their harassers, typically (but not universally) men who were in a position of power. But on September 18 a group of women who have been previously largely overlooked came forward. Fast-food workers from McDonald’s chains in ten different cities went on strike to protest both the sexual harassment they endure, and the indifference with which their complaints are met. Continue reading
Why the Next Supreme Court Nomination Is Important for Employment Law
The 2018 Supreme Court spring rulings were undeniably victorious for employers. Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis ruled that workers have to abide by arbitration agreements, and that such provisions do not violate the collective bargain rights of the National Labor Relations Act. A second, Janus v. AFSCME, ruled that public-sector unions cannot require fair share fees from workers who do not wish to join the union. The impact of these decisions has been significant for public- and private-sector employers, nationwide. Continue reading
New Trend in Maternity Leave
Here’s a headline that caught our eye: “Donating vacation time to new moms is a trendy co-worker baby shower gift.” That’s right, according to Good Morning America, it is becoming more popular for employers to allow their employees to donate their paid time off to their pregnant coworkers to allow them to have a longer maternity leave. Continue reading
Revenge of the Angry Hippos
We’ve all heard the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, a few weeks ago employees at the Ohio State University found their words coming back to hurt them and their employer in a big way. Continue reading
Woah, Baby! Pregnancy Discrimination Update
Regular readers of this blog will know that we have written pretty extensively on Women in the Workplace and Pregnancy (First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes Flex-Time and a Baby Carriage, The Maternal Profiling Debate Continues, to name a few). In 2008 we wrote about a new study that focused on trends in Pregnancy Discrimination. 10 years later we are still having problems. Continue reading
Starbucks’ Racial Bias Training
Training seems to be all the rage these days. From a possible new bill here in Delaware that would require sexual harassment training for employers with more than 50 employees, to implicit bias training, it seems that employers are realizing that the old standards of training aren’t enough. This has come about for many reasons. Continue reading
Third Circuit Ruling Regarding ADA, FMLA
From the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, we have a reminder that employees who request reasonable accommodations are not immune from disciplinary action, including termination. Stanley Kieffer was an employee of CPR LLC from 2003 to 2008, and again from 2010 to 2013. He began working at CPR LLC’s sister company, CPR Inc., in January 2014, and left in June of that same year. While he was employed at CPR LLC, Kieffer worked supervising disaster cleaning projects, and it was in this capacity that he injured his shoulder. From there, his troubles only continued. Continue reading
This Takes the Cake: The Supreme Court Sides with Colorado Baker Who Refused to Make a Cake for a Gay Couple
One of the most anticipated rulings of the Spring Term was issued by the Supreme Court on June 4, 2018. In a 7-2 decision, the Court ruled that baker Jack Phillips was treated with hostility for his religious views by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission when they ruled that he could not refuse to make a gay couple a wedding cake. Continue reading
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit Sides with Transgender Students’ Rights
A three-judge panel decided, after less than 30 minutes of conferring, to uphold a 
decision from the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, allowing transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.
In 2016, Boyertown School District updated their school policy, allowing transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity (rather than their anatomical sex). The school district also provided single-stall showers and single-stall bathrooms that students who felt uncomfortable using another bathroom could use. Continue reading
