Our Blog: Workplace Discrimination

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 …

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Questions about Politics in the Workplace Raised in the Aftermath of the Election

In the wake of last week’s contentious Presidential election, political conversation has engulfed us. And the conversation is fiery.  People are sharing passionate views with each other from all sides of the electorate and in every forum where they can be heard, including raising discussions about …

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Seventh Circuit Allows Employer to Terminate Employee for Failing to Make his Internal Complaint of Sexual Harassment Quickly Enough After Harassment Occurred.

Dollar General Stores learn a hard lesson about the cost of failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

On September 16, 2016, a federal jury awarded a teenage ex-employee of the chain, Dollar General Stores, more than $277,566.00 in back pay and compensatory damages for her former employer’s violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The teenager was a cashier who was an …

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Newly Proposed Congressional Bill Targets Wage Gap

Just after returning from summer recess, Congress is off to a promising start with exciting proposed legislation for employees. On September 15, 2016, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, democratic delegate from the District of Columbia, introduced the Pay Equity for All Act of 2016 (H.R. 6030). The Bill aims to narrow the wage gap for …

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Under What Circumstances are Job-Related Medical Inquiries Allowed

We’ve all been hearing a lot this campaign season about the relative health conditions of the candidates for President of the United States.  We have been privy to letters from doctors attesting to the well-being of both candidates as well as significant commentary about whether those letters are true and accurate.  Everyone, from …

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There has been a lot of buzz over the last week about recent reactions to the sexual harassment suit which Gretchen Carlson filed against Fox News and its former chairman, Roger Ailes.  In case you missed it, a quick recap: Ms. Carlson filed a lawsuit against Fox and Ailes alleging that Ailes sexually harassed her in the newsroom, including “ogling” …

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Gender Gap Persists in the Tech Industry

Undoubtedly tech companies continue to make their mark as employment visionaries. In recent months, tech companies have chartered the way for creative, employee-favorable practices such as paid parental leave, unlimited vacation time, and open pay policies to name just a few commendable achievements.  Yet, while these innovators stride ahead in many notable areas of …

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Argues Sexual Orientation Discrimination Prohibited by Title VII

Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) took a big step forward in protecting employees from sexual orientation discrimination and harassment in the workplace.  In U.S. EEOC v. Scott Medical Health Center, P.C. and U.S. EEOC v. IFCO Systems North America, two cases filed last week in Pennsylvania and Maryland respectively, the …

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With new generations emerging in the workforce, shifts in corporate thinking have begun to occur that have many talking. One of those shifts is toward the adoption of greater transparency between management and employees.  The thinking about transparency has started to change in one particularly controversial area: employee salaries.

Most companies treat compensation information as one of the most strictly protected, …

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