You have harassment policies, right? You already know that you can’t allow sexual harassment to happen in your workplace without likely legal consequences, right? You might even have investigated allegations that one of your employees sexually harassed another employee and taken disciplinary action. OK, that’s all well and good. Your obligations to ensure a safe, […]
Give It a Rest: When Do You Have to Accommodate an Employee’s Sabbath Request?
You run a retail establishment. You hire a new Manager. The position requires work on the weekends. The candidate tells you that s/he is a practicing Seventh Day Adventist and needs Saturdays off to observe his Sabbath. What do you do? Can you rescind the offer? Are you obligated to honor your offer and allow […]
Transgender Employees Are Not Waiting for the Supreme Court…
Most of you probably know that the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in October on three consolidated cases regarding the rights of homosexual and transgender employees in the workplace. Those cases are Gerald Lynn Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia; Altitude Express v. Melissa Zarda; and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment […]
Are Hairstyles Protected Under Anti-Discrimination Laws? Maybe, in Part…
Does your company have a dress code, or an appearance or grooming policy? Many companies do. What exactly is a dress code or appearance/grooming policy, and why is it important? Generally speaking, these policies are a set of standards set by a company to provide its employees guidance about what is and is not appropriate […]
Regardless of What the Supreme Court Rules on Title VII, an Employee CAN Win a Sexual Orientation Discrimination Case…
Many of us are waiting with interest for the US Supreme Court’s decision as to whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition against sex discrimination includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. While we’re waiting though, the issue is not on hold. Last month a police sergeant in Missouri won just […]