Sometimes you're faced with the difficult task of dealing with an employee who claims that someone in the workplace sexually harassed her. A recent case from the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Pennsylvania) provides insight on how the court evaluates harassment claims and when you are able to respond with an...
Valentine's Day is this month, and Cupid is drawing back his bow to let his arrows go. But what happens when those arrows go straight through the hearts of two coworkers at the workplace? Should you prohibit the two from dating? Mind your own business and do nothing? What if the relationship goes sour and the two can't stand...
No one loves the messenger who brings bad news.
- Sophocles
Granted, we all hate bad news. But shooting the messenger doesn't make the bad news go away; it just makes the next messenger less likely to deliver bad news. Without accurate information, we can't make good decisions about how to respond to the bad...
In our June edition, we provided you with an informal report on filing trends from January through May 2008. This article follows up and provides employment-related filing trends in Virginia federal courts from June through December 2008. It is an informal and imprecise report and is not a complete representation of all employment...
Our "Case & Legislative Tracker" provides synopses of recent cases and statutes relevant to today's employment law in Virginia. This month, we look at a new law requiring employees who regularly enter customers' homes to be fingerprinted and undergo background checks. We've tracked some noteworthy cases from 2008, including a...
February means cards, hearts, and flowers. Love is in the air, right? Like all the other holidays lately, it seems the decorating and advertising for Valentine's Day started much earlier this year - and it was everywhere! Since we're all apparently supposed to be caught up in the romance of it all, it seems like a good time to...
The holidays are supposed to be a time to eat, drink, and be merry. A company's annual holiday party can be one of the most critical morale-boosting events of the year. Unfortunately, it can also result in lawsuits if you don't take precautions to ensure that your employees safely enjoy themselves during and after the party. These...
A Rapid City federal jury recently found that a county custodian was retaliated against after she complained about harassing behavior from her supervisor. The case is a good reminder that even if a complaint has no merit, punishing the employee for making it may cost you.
Facts
Linda Bishop started working as...
When does $274,000 feel like a loss? When you asked for $565,000 and more than $160,000 in court costs. Read on to find out how a group of litigants won the war but lost some critical battles along the way, resulting in a somewhat Pyrrhic victory.
Facts
Five women filed sexual harassment and Fair Labor...
After receiving a complaint of sexual orientation harassment by a coworker, you immediately investigate and stop the harassment. You've done your job and can sit back and enjoy your cup of joe without worry, right? Unfortunately, no. Even if you promptly stop the harassment, you may still have potential liability if the harassing...
