When I was in my teens ( we won’t say how many years ago) I remember being in a restaurant staring at a picture of Michael Jackson. Something was wrong with the picture and at first, I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then it hit me. The picture showed him as white– at a […]
1.1 Million Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Fire a Transgender Employee
The world has changed, and therefore the workplace — and employers’ obligations– has along with it. People can now decide whether they want to identify as male, female or a number of other non-binary variants. As an employer, you don’t have to agree. But can you make employment decisions on that basis? For example, let’s […]
Think You’re Not Liable For Discrimination Against a “Temp”? Think Again…
Suppose you work at or own, a staffing agency. Your company provides contingent workers “temps” to companies looking to, well, temporarily, augment their workforce. Maybe your client has specific preferences as to who it hires. Maybe they prefer their workers be of a particular ethnic background or a certain age. Maybe they don’t state such […]
Yes, Just One — or Two–Slur(s) CAN Create a Hostile Work Environment!
Do you handle HR issues? Notice I didn’t ask if you are an HR practitioner. Some companies do not have an HR Department but designate someone to handle HR issues that arise. Either way, let’s assume you do handle HR issues. What would you do if an employee complained to you about a supervisor that […]
But IS It (Same) Sex Harassment??
An employee comes to you with a sexual harassment complaint. Unfortunately, that’s not so uncommon. You immediately conduct a full interview with the employee, and then you start to have doubts. The employee is a man, and he is complaining that the harasser is his male supervisor. You know that federal and state laws recognize […]