Kristin Case April 11, 2017 Employee Rights, Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Uncategorized 0
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals hands down a seminal ruling holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects LGBT employees from workplace discrimination.
I have long bemoaned the fact that federal law does not protect LGBT employees from discrimination. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outlaws discrimination based on “sex” but courts have always interpreted that to refer …
Kristin Case March 1, 2017 Uncategorized 13
Recording workplace conversations will bring you nothing but heartache.
Many of the clients or potential clients with whom I speak tell me that they either have been or are currently surreptitiously recording workplace conversations. They are usually so excited when they tell me this because they assume the recording will be a smoking-gun piece of evidence to support their claims. I cringe every …
Kristin Case February 6, 2017 Blog 0
Employment Law Optimism
Because the world feels just a teensy bit tense lately, we are going to start every week with a list of Monday Morning Good Things for Employees–a compilation of the previous weeks’ good news. Last week, proving good things often come from chaos, there seemed to be quite a bit of good news for employees.
Kristin Case January 9, 2017 Blog 0
Companies cannot turn a blind eye to third-party sexual harassment.
A Chicago jury recently awarded a woman $250,000 in emotional distress damages after her employer failed to protect her from third-party sexual harassment. In this case the third-party was a customer.
In EEOC v. Costco, the EEOC filed suit on behalf of the Plaintiff after Costco failed to take steps to protect her …
Kristin Case January 4, 2017 Blog, Uncategorized 0
Cheers to More Employee Protections
Ok, we realize that not everyone gets as excited about employment law as we do. Nevertheless, there are eight new employments laws on the books that we think you should know about and which we think warrant some celebration.
Kristin Case December 7, 2016 Blog, Uncategorized 0
Office holiday parties cause hangovers and headaches for companies and employees.
Every year around this time employment lawyers start feeling anxious. No, it’s not the end of the year push or the rush to hit deadlines. It’s the dreaded office holiday parties.
Our friends on the other side of the bar who represent employers collectively shudder at the thought of …
Kristin Case September 12, 2016 Blog, Firm News 1
Our Firm participated in a pediatric cancer fundraiser which was truly inspiring.
As many of you know, we represent a lot of employees who need medical leave for various reasons. Federal law gives certain employees the right to 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave to care for themselves, their spouse or children. Some employers are more generous than this and the federal …
Kristin Case August 2, 2016 Blog 0
Can you believe in 2016 that it is still legal under federal law to discriminate against someone at work because of their sexual orientation discrimination? Us either.
I have a bulletin Board above my desk. For years now (I can’t remember how many) I’ve had a bumper sticker pinned to it that says, “Pass ENDA now.” ENDA is a bill that …
Kristin Case June 22, 2016 Blog, Non-Compete Agreements and Restrictive Covenants 0
Jimmy Johns says it won’t require low-wage workers to sign non-competes.
In follow up to my post from a couple of weeks ago, the Chicago Sun Times is reporting that Jimmy John’s has agreed to stop forcing their low-wage workers to enter into non-compete agreements. Jimmy John’s required all sandwich makers and freaky-fast delivery drivers to agree not to work for another nearby …