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Record $240M ADA Award Likely to Be Reduced

The largest jury award ever for a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit must be reduced to meet a statutory cap, the commission noted May 10 in final court filings. A court will have the final say over whether the award will be reduced, however. A jury on May 2 awarded $240 million to 32 […]

Timing of Backaches Justifies Firing, Negates FLMA and ADA Claims

Some people complain about “rheumatism,” backaches and other physical ills when the weather shifts. For a Southwest Airlines employee, his backaches — and resulting requests for Family and Medical Act (FMLA) leave — seemed to follow the same shift as holidays and vacation time. Southwest determined that this was not the whim of nature but […]

Delighted in Dayton: Bummed out in Boulder

Forbes recently commissioned online website CareerBliss to dive into its employee happiness data and determine which cities in the United State have the happiest workers—and which have the unhappiest. Here are the results: Cities with the Happiest Workers Rank City CareerBliss Score 1 Dayton, OH 4.02 out of 5 2 Knoxville, TN 4.02 out of 5 […]

‘Women Think Everything Is Domestic Violence’ (Your Manager?)

Although domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking are not on “the list” of protected categories, there are many instances where such behavior—or managers’ attitudes—can violate Title VII and the ADA. DOL’s  recently released Questions and Answers: The Application of Title VII and the ADA to Applicants or Employees Who Experience Domestic or Dating Violence, Sexual […]

HOT LIST: New York Times Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times on June 23. 1 The One Minute Entrepreneur: The Secret to Creating and Sustaining a Successful Business, by Ken Blanchard, Don Hutson and Ethan Willis. A fictional parable incorporating real-life advice on how to start a business. […]

Court Gives Employee Extra Time to File Bias Charge

When an employee with a discrimination beef voluntarily pursues an internal administrative remedy—such as a grievance or complaint procedure—prior to filing a discrimination complaint under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), does that extend the time the employee has to file a FEHA charge? The California Supreme Court, in a new case, says […]

Sexual Harassment: McDonald’s Teen Employees Settle Lawsuit

GLC Restaurants, Inc., which operates McDonald’s restaurants in Arizona and California, has agreed to pay $550,000 to eight female teenage workers who were sexually harassed by a middle-aged male supervisor. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of the young workers, charged that the supervisor was a repeat offender who […]

Expert Assessment: ‘HR Deserves a $5,000 Bonus’

In yesterday’s Advisor, Hunter Lott of Please Sue Me fame, offered his lawsuit avoidance tips. Today, his advice on legal exposure in 2011, plus an introduction to the new 24/7 leadership training system. What percent of charges did the EEOC drop last year? Lott asks. More than 64 percent. “That’s us!” Lott says. That’s HR […]

Harassment: Court Says Employer Doesn’t Take Fall When Client Harasses Worker, But Caution Still Required

Suppose a nightclub waitress complains to her employer that male customers often grope her. Her employer ignores her reports, turning a blind eye to the customers’ actions. Can the waitress sue the employer for workplace harassment? A California Court of Appeal recently faced this issue and—in a controversial opinion that may not hold up—has decided […]

Is Coaching the New Management?

Should you be coaching instead of managing and supervising? We’ll lay out some coaching basics and tell you about a new January 22 audio conference on successful coaching skills. Coaching is frequent, spontaneous, one-on-one training. Many experts think it is a very effective tool for performance, motivation, and participation. As a performance tool, coaching provides […]