Archive for the 'Religious Discrimination' Category

Religious Time-Off Requests: Accommodation vs. Productivity and Fairness

April 2, 2012 at 7:22 am by: Tammy Binford

Despite a trend toward employers embracing flexibility in the workplace as a way to improve work-life balance, most employers have expectations related to their employees’ schedules. In some workplaces, rigid schedules aren’t necessary as long as the work gets done. In others, shifts are firm and when someone needs time off, a request is made [...]

At-Will Employment: Employer’s Dream or Toothless Tiger?

February 28, 2012 at 9:00 pm by: Tammy Binford

The old saying goes that the devil is in the details. When considering the doctrine of at-will employment, it may be more correct to say the answers are in the details. But, that doesn’t mean some of those details aren’t a bit devilish to decipher.
HR professionals often struggle with termination decisions. The decision is easy [...]

Former Employee Keeps Reapplying Despite Rejection Letters

July 14, 2011 at 9:00 pm by: South Carolina Employment Law Letter

by Reggie Gay
Q: We have a job applicant who worked for us approximately six years ago. There’s nothing negative in her file, but there were some issues with her job performance. Neither of her former supervisors wants to hire her back. She has applied several times and has received rejection letters, but she keeps reapplying. [...]

How to Screen Job Applicants and Avoid Liability

January 6, 2011 at 9:00 pm by: Arkansas Employment Law Letter

Q: I own and operate a business in which physically demanding work is part of the employees’ daily activities. I recently hired several employees who I thought were qualified for the job. However, I quickly learned that they weren’t in good enough health to do what was required of them. This is causing a lot [...]

EEO Training Makes Economic Sense for Employers

March 11, 2010 at 9:04 pm by: Oklahoma Employment Law Letter

by Sam R. Fulkerson
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced in January that 93,277 workplace discrimination charges were filed nationwide during 2009 — the second-highest level ever — and monetary relief obtained for victims totaled more than $376 million. The 2009 data show that private-sector job bias charges alleging discrimination based on disability, religion, and [...]

Pointers for Supervisors: 11 Ways to Avoid Workplace Lawsuits

February 18, 2010 at 9:09 pm by: South Carolina Employment Law Letter

by Rita M. McKinney
Supervisors can be an employer’s frontline of protection against costly discrimination claims — if they’re armed with the right information and training. Here are 11 important things every supervisor needs to know.
Basic Training for Supervisors – easy-to-read guides to avoid legal hazards, covering more than 17 areas of supervisor training

Hostile Work Environment: Employee Warned to ‘Find God’ or ‘Go to Hell’

November 6, 2009 at 1:38 pm by: North Dakota Employment Law Letter

Claims of unlawful religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 may involve your unwillingness to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious practices, oral or physical harassment, or unwelcome imposition of religious views or practices on an employee.
A hostile work environment can exist when the workplace is permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, [...]

Addressing Employees’ Religious Beliefs and Practices in the Workplace

October 2, 2009 at 8:34 am by: Indiana Employment Law Letter

by Brian R. Garrison
Most employers know that federal and state civil rights laws prevent them from discriminating against employees on the basis of their religious beliefs and practices. But when you hear the phrase “reasonable accommodation,” you usually think of your duty under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to accommodate an employee with a disability. [...]

How Employers Can Avoid Becoming an EEOC Statistic: Part 1

July 10, 2009 at 2:59 pm by: Vermont Employment Law Letter

by Amy M. McLaughlin
In its year-end statistics, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported that 75,768 discrimination charges were filed against private-sector employers in 2006. That was the first increase in charge filings in four years. By 2008, the total number of charges filed with the EEOC had jumped 25% to 95,402.

A New Twist on Discrimination in Hiring

February 6, 2009 at 10:26 am by: Utah Employment Law Letter

Here’s the scenario: As the human resources director for your company, you’re asked to sit in on the selection process for your company’s next CEO. After an intense screening process, you have three candidates to be the next leader of your company — a white male in his early 70s, a [...]