Blog Posts: Discrimination & Harassment Compliance
6 Things You Shouldn't Do at the Office on Valentine's Day – Or Any Other Day
Ah, Valentine's Day. The time for love, kisses, flowers, chocolate and romance — all things that might get you in trouble at the office. There's a fine line between lighthearted fun and sexual harassment. Where do you draw the line? Where does harmless flirtation stop and sexual harassment begin? Here are examples of behaviors you should avoid in the workplace — on Valentine's Day and every other day:
Workplace Discrimination Complaints Soaring
Since the beginning of the Great Recession of 2008, American workers have filed record numbers of discrimination complaints with the federal government. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported that the all-time peak came in 2011 with nearly 100,000 complaints filed. However, that figure was only slightly higher than the number filed in 2010.
EEOC Sues Tire Company with Lone Female Employee
While many of the country's leading companies make a highly visible effort to welcome and encourage diversity, some companies seem stuck in the past. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently sued Mavis Discount Tire, a company that sells automobile parts and services. According to the lawsuit, Mavis hired 1,300 new managers, mechanics and tire installers over a three-year period -- and not a single one of those new hires was a woman.
Risk of Using Video Interviews to Screen Job Applicants
New Internet technologies are changing the way companies screen job applicants. Some companies don’t even want to look at traditional résumés any more, and are instead asking applicants to send links to their online activities or – the latest thing – to submit video interviews. Several start-up companies provide sites to record and transmit the pre-screening interviews, usually short sessions where applicants answer a few questions posed by the hiring firms. It’s convenient both for hiring firms, which get more information than they can glean from paper trails alone, and for applicants, who can record the videos on their home computers.
EEOC Received Record Number of Retaliation Complaints in 2011
Retaliation complaints are on the rise. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received 37,334 complaints of retaliation in fiscal year 2011. That's an increase from 36,258 complaints in FY 2010 and sets a record for the largest number of retaliation complaints in a single year. The 37,334 charges of retaliation accounted for 37.4% of all claims filed with the EEOC in the fiscal year and were the most numerous type of claim received. The EEOC awarded $147.3 million for retaliation complaints, not including awards obtained through litigation, in FY 2011.
Microsoft Supports Marriage Equality As "Good for Business"
In a January 19, 2012, post on the official Microsoft blog, the Redmond, Wash. software giant announced that it was supporting Washington state legislation that would legalize same-sex civil marriages.
EEOC to "Vigorously Pursue" Fight Against Discrimination
The number of older people in the workforce is going to continue to increase, according to projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau estimates that by 2018, there will be 43 percent more workers aged 55 and older than there were in 2008. The changing workforce makes it even more important for employers to take precautions against age discrimination.
Starbucks Settles EEOC Suit over Firing Woman with Dwarfism
Coffee mammoth Starbucks agreed to pay $75,000 to settle a case in which a barista claimed that the company fired her because of her disability of dwarfism.
Social Media for Background Checks: Grounds for Discrimination Claims?
Thanks to the Internet, employers can access private details about many job applicants with just a few computer clicks. But the use of social media to research and recruit job applicants sends red flags to the EEOC.
Faith-Based EEOC Claims Have a Prayer
Religious-Discrimination Complaints Rose by 75% Last Decade
