The First Circuit Court of Appeals answers this question in her 60-page opinion, upholding a $700,000 judgment against the Providence Rhode Island Fire Department in Franchina v City of Providence. This isn’t just any harassment case. The firefighter-plaintiff is/was a woman and a lesbian. Now, you may remember that Title VII does not explicitly prohibit […]
Sexual Orientation May Not Be Covered Under Title VII, But…..
Suppose one of your employees complains that co-workers, believing him/her to be homosexual, are harassing him/her. You look into the complaint, but you kind of drop the ball and nothing is really done. The co-workers, having found out about the complaint, step up the harassment. You also learn that the complainant may have violated a […]
More Employment Law Cases and Issues to Watch in 2017
I promised last week to cover one more Hot Button employment law issue to look for in 2017. Of course I didn’t tell you what it would be. I doubt you will be surprised to hear it though. The last Hot Button issue revolves around the rights of LGBT employees. Yes, I know I already […]
Wal-Mart, the Army, and LGBT Employee Rights
While I have previously posted on issues affecting LGBT workers, which you can access here, here, here and here, 2015 saw three cases involving the rights of LGBT employees that for one reason or another we did not address. Two of them involve Wal-Mart and issues regarding harassment of a transgender employee, and denial of health benefits to […]
Obergefell v Hodges — How Much Does It Really Change for Employers??
I’ve blogged here and here about the impact of Obergefell v Hodges on certain state-regulated benefits and on family leave laws. (This is the case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states must allow and recognize same-sex marriages.) Now, don’t get me wrong. Those are potentially significant changes. Beyond that, however, does Obergefell really […]