Title VII, the federal law that prohibits most workplace harassment and discrimination, covers all private employers, state and local governments, and educational institutions that employ 15 or more individuals.
In addition to prohibiting discrimination against individuals because of race, color, national origin, religion, and sex, those...
The U.S. Supreme Court declared sexual harassment to be a form of sex discrimination that violates federal law under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Before that, sexual harassment wasn't really a phrase Americans were accustomed to hearing, and few knew exactly what it meant in the employment law sense.
As the law has evolved, the...
Most employers have policies prohibiting harassment. If your supervisors and employees are not trained on your policies and harassment occurs, your organization could face significant liability.
Bailiff alleges sexual harassment by supervisor
Camille Kramer was employed as a jailor and bailiff by the Wasatch County (Utah) Sheriff's Department...
Penn State University put the issue of sexual harassment and abuse back in the news. What are your obligations when the individual being harassed isn't an employee but a member of the public? While it's an issue employers deal with less frequently than the harassment of employees, you have an obligation to protect the public from discriminatory...
Next time your organization does its annual antiharassment training, you might want to shake things up. How about opening the session by asking your employees the following questions:
Raise your hand if you have previously received antiharassment training at work.
Raise your hand if you know we have an employee handbook.
Raise your hand if you...
Workplace cyber-harassment (like other forms of cyber- harassment) may now be subject to criminal sanctions following enactment of new legislation in New Jersey.
On January 22, 2014, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law a bill that criminalizes cyber-harassment. New Jersey joins a growing list of states that have made cyber-...
Do we ever get tired of hearing about pop sensation Justin Bieber's antics? Let's hope not, because today's reality HR lesson comes from none other than the Biebs.
Flight of fancy
For those of you who haven't been paying attention or don't know any tweens, Justin Bieber blasted onto the music scene at the tender age of 14 after he was...
Last month, we presented you with the first five on our list of the top 10 costliest employer mistakes. Many of us make the same mistakes, not so much as a result of intentional thoughts or actions, but rather out of habit. It's sometimes easier to let bad habits creep into our routine — and business practices — than to take action to...
We hope that by the time you read this, the snow and ice is melted and spring is around the corner. Just like spring cleaning your home, it's always a good idea to freshen up your workplace policies and procedures. Here are some ideas.
Employee manual/handbook
One of the first things to review is your employee manual or handbook. Is it current...
You can have all the right policies, communicate all the right legal messages, and hire the best people but still face liability because your supervisors just don't get it. We see it all the time: a sophisticated company with a shiny employee handbook, top-level supervisors who know the ins and outs of their legal obligations, and low-level...
