Archives

Say it ain’t so, A-Rod?

Back in August 2013, I wrote about the Biogenesis scandal that resulted in the suspension of 13 major and minor league baseball players, including a 211-game suspension for Alex Rodriguez. Well, thanks to A-Rod, this story has become the gift that keeps on giving. On January 11, 2014, Arbitrator Frederic R. Horowitz issued his decision […]

Lessons on life and leadership from Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Dan Oswald Today we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Inarguably, he accomplished much during his lifetime, and there certainly are lessons we can learn from his approach to life and leadership. King was a man who developed a followership that numbered in the hundreds of thousands—if not millions—made up of […]

Mediation: It Works, But Here Are Eight Myths

Mediation is mocked in some parts of the country, but New England region attorneys at a recent meeting of the Employers’ Counsel Network reported good experiences with the process. EEOC Mediator Elizabeth Marcus offered her eight myths of mediation at the meeting. The Employers’ Counsel Network includes the attorneys from each state who write BLR’s […]

Human rights damages awarded by Ontario court

By Eowynne Noble In 2008, Ontario’s Human Rights Code was revised to specifically permit Ontario courts to award damages for breaches of the Code. Before this, it was only the Human Rights Tribunal that had jurisdiction to award damages for human rights violations in Ontario. Since then, Ontario plaintiffs have made many attempts to obtain […]

Promising or perilous? Exploring the future of Millennials in the workplace

More than a few HR professionals have combed the Internet, consulted their peers, and examined their own experiences as they search for a crystal ball capable of revealing the future of the millennial generation in the workplace. Some HR pros see enormous potential in well-educated, confident, passionate, energetic, and collaborative team players, while others see […]

ENDA may be coming soon—what will its impact really be?

by John R. Merinar, Jr. A great deal of attention has been focused on the U.S. Senate’s recent passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The House of Representatives has yet to take up the bill, but there’s much speculation that […]

EEOC to update guidance on English-only policies?

by Amanda Shelby Chief among the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) current priorities are (1) eliminating barriers in recruitment and hiring and (2) protecting immigrant, migrant, and other vulnerable workers. It therefore should come as no surprise that the EEOC might be setting its sights on revising its guidance relating to English-only policies since those […]

‘My meds made me do it’: medication side effects and the ADA

by Connor Beatty Sometimes an employee who isn’t making the grade may blame his lackluster performance on the side effects of certain medication he’s taking. Although managers may express some skepticism about that excuse, there are times when a cause-and-effect relationship might exist. That appears to have been the case for a Maine lawyer whose […]

Rental car company can’t drive off employee’s suit

by Brian J. Kurtz Is it technically race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if you terminate an Assyrian employee because you think he is an Arab? An Illinois district court recently faced that question.   Less than courteous Afram Boutros, an Assyrian of Lebanese descent, went to work for […]

NLRB Sues Wal-Mart for Allegedly Violating Workers Rights to Strike for Higher Wages

Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. could be facing substantial back pay fines and other remedies related to a federal complaint alleging it violated its employees’ rights with its response to organized strikes in 14 states that called for higher wages and other worker benefits. The National Labor Relations Board consolidated complaint alleged that Wal-Mart violated […]