Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Will the Ohio Supreme Court eliminate manager and supervisor liability for discrimination?
Ohio’s discrimination is unique in that it allows for the imposition of individual liability against managers and supervisors for their personal acts of discrimination. The case, Genaro v. Central Transport (1999), is the bane of defense lawyers and employers alike. Aside from adding a complicating element to cases by including employees in the matrix of sued parties, it also permits plaintiffs lawfully to add a non-diverse parties and keep cases from being removed to federal court.
There is hope, however, that Genaro may go the way of the dodo. Currently pending before the Ohio Supreme Court is Hauser v. City of Dayton. The specific question presented by this sex discrimination case is whether, under Genaro, Ohio’s employment discrimination statute imposes civil liability upon a manager or supervisor of a political subdivision, or whether such individual enjoys immunity as an agent of such subdivision. If the Supreme Court holds that Revised Code Ch. 4112 specifically imposes liability upon an individual manager or supervisor, then immunity cannot hold. Thus, the Court will have to decide whether Genaro is a valid interpretation of the definition of “employer” under R.C. 4112.01(A)(2).
The oral argument in Hauser offered few hints on how the Court might rule. For companies that have operations in Ohio, Hauser is the most important decision currently pending before the Ohio Supreme Court. To decide this issue of political subdivision immunity, the Court will necessarily have to pass judgment on the continued validity of Genaro and its imposition of individual liability. A ruling against the employee in this case would be a huge win for employers. The elimination of Genero would bring not only bring Ohio in line with federal law, but also with the overwhelming majority of states. It would bring a halt to the gamesmanship of adding individual defendants to lawsuits to keep claims away from federal court. My fingers are crossed that the Court does right by employers in this case. When the Court issues its decision, I’ll report back.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, July 28, 2014
“Unionism” as a protected class?
Way back in 2012, the New York Times published an op-ed titled, A Civil Right to Unionize, which argued that Title VII needs to be amended to include “the right to unionize” as a protected civil right. At the time, I argued that including “unionism” as a protected class was the worst idea ever. Apparently, at least one Congressman disagrees with me.
MSNBC is reporting that later this week Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn) “plans to unveil legislation that would make unionization into a legally protected civil right,” on par with “race, color, sex, religion and national origin.” His goal is to make it “easier for workers to take legal action against companies that violate their right to organize.”
I agree with Representative Ellison that employees should never be fired for “expressing an intent to support union activity.” The problem with his idea, however, is that this is a right that the law already protects. Sec. 8(a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act makes it an unfair labor practice for an employer … by discrimination in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment to encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization.”
So there is no mistake on how I feel about this proposal, here’s what I said in March 2012, in response to the Times’s op-ed on this issue:
With apologies to union supporters, there is no reality in which “unionism” exists on the same level as race, sex, disability, or the other protected classes. The “greatest impediment” to unions isn’t “weak and anachronistic labor laws.” It’s intelligent and strong-willed employees who understand that whatever benefit they might receive from a labor union is not worth the dues that come out of their paychecks.
And, the reality is that despite all of this pro-union rhetoric, labor unions are doing just fine without any additional help. Unions wins more than two-thirds of representation elections. All this proposal does is increase the burden for employers, without providing any appreciable benefit to employees — which is why I feel comfortable asking if this proposal is the worst idea ever.
There is no chance this bill will go anywhere but the legislative trash heap if it’s introduced as promised. Nevertheless, it serves as a good reminder that there exists legislators who want to make you job as an employer harder than it already is.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, July 25, 2014
WIRTW #329 (the “amicus” edition)
The ABA Journal has opened nominations for its annual list of the best legal blogs, known as the Blawg 100. I’ve been fortunate enough to be selected the past four years. The ABA Journal is soliciting opinions for whom to include this year. I’ve already submitted my list. Please take a few moments of your time and do the same. The nomination form is available here, and the deadline for nominations is August 8.
Here’s the rest of what I read this week (and last week):
Discrimination
- Real and Spectacular! A true Seinfeld-ian claim of sexual harassment — from Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
- An in-depth look at the EEOC’s new Enforcement Guidance on pregnancy — from Robin Shea’s Employment and Labor Insider
- Pregnant at work: How you’re protected — from Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas
- Not a “team player” … or sex discrimination? — from EmployerLINC
- Is pregnancy a disability? The true false version — from Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Hiring Discrimination and Religion: Recent Studies — from Workplace Prof Blog
- Can My Employer Ban Me From Speaking Spanish To Co-Workers? — from Donna Ballman’s Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home
Social Media & Workplace Technology
- How NOT to Produce Facebook Evidence — from Molly DiBianca’s Delaware Employment Law Blog
- Top 10 Social Media Mistakes Made by Supervisors — from Next Blog
- Are You Googling Job Candidates? When You Do, Everyone Loses — from TLNT
- How I’m Trying to Manage My Online Brand — from You’re the Boss Blog
HR & Employee Relations
- What an Employment Lawyer Can Learn From Minecraft (or Not) — from Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
- Work-Life Balance: PepsiCo CEO Says It's a Myth — from Employment Lawyer Blog
- No One Should Have to Choose Between Caregiving and Work — from Harvard Business Review
- Telecommuting Will Increase by 21% by 2016 — from Blogging4Jobs
- How Difficult Is It To Sue Your Employer? — from Evil Skippy at Work
- I was fired for taking a 15 Minute dump — from The Tim Sackett Project
- July BTW: Two New FCRA Class Actions & The Problem with Ban the Box — from employeescreenIQ Blog
Wage & Hour
- Employee lawsuit targeting Apple for unpaid wages gets class action status — from The Verge
- FLSA “Per Diem” Claims On The Rise — from Wage and Hour Laws Blog
- Paralegal’s suit claims law firm should have paid for overtime — from ABA Journal Daily News
- Violating the FLSA may send you to jail — from Mike Haberman’s Omega HR Solutions
- Costly Wage And Hour Mistakes — from Overtime Lawyer Blog
- Defense Appropriations “Wage Theft” Amendment May Bar Employers with FLSA Violations from Defense Contracts — from Wage & Hour Insights
- The FMLA and the “Personal Staff” Exemption — from The Employment Brief
- Obamacare Opinions Galore! — from Phi Miles’s Lawffice Space
Labor Relations
- Subway Franchise Workers Unionize — from Labor Relations Today
- NLRB Overturns Decert Election Based On Employer’s “Promises” Of 401(k) — from Labor Relations Update
- NLRB Seeks to Rewrite Legal Standard to More Easily Find Joint Employer Relationships — from Matt Austin Labor Law
- Macy’s Department Store Workers Allowed to Unionize — from All in a Day’s Work
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, July 24, 2014
Customer preference and race discrimination—when the customer isn’t right
The EEOC has sued a Chicago auto parts retailer for race discrimination after it fired an African-American store manager. The store was located in a heavily Hispanic Chicago neighborhood. THe company decided to eliminate or limit the number of non-Hispanic employees working at the store, believing that its Hispanic customers preferred to interact with Hispanic employees. When the manager refused to report to another store, the EEOC claims he was fired.
John Hendrickson, the EEOC’s regional attorney in Chicago, explains in a news release why the agency filed suit.
Fifty years after the adoption of the Civil Rights Act, a major employer transferring an employee simply because of his race and then firing him for not going along is unacceptable. When the employer is a major national brand and a leader in its industry, it’s even worse. Everyone must understand that supposed customer preference is no excuse for discrimination—it’s still illegal, and the EEOC will step in to challenge it.Mr. Hendrickson is correct. As one federal court explains, “It is now widely accepted that a company’s desire to cater to the perceived racial preferences of its customers is not a defense under Title VII for treating employees differently based on race.” Avoid the trap of acting on a mistaken belief that customers will only deal with like-skinned employees. Simply, the customer can never choose the race of the person working for you. The customer might be right about a lot things, but discrimination is not one of them.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Orange is the new sexual harassment lawsuit
Orton-Bell v. State of Ind. (7th Cir. 7/21/14) [pdf] concerns allegations of sexual harassment levied by a substance-abuse counsel at an Indiana maximum security prison against her co-workers and superiors. The allegations break down into two categories:
- Other employees and correctional officers at PCF were having sex on Orton-Bell’s desk. When she complained, a supervisor told her he didn’t care as long as offenders were not involved. Another co-worker suggested she clean her desk every morning.
- Orton-Bell was called “Cinderella” and “Princess” by male employees.
- She received excessive pat-downs from female correctional officers.
- On one occasion, Orton-Bell was required to remove her sweater in the shakedown area so that the sweater could be sent through a scanner. This caused Orton-Bell’s spaghetti-strap camisole tank top to be exposed to male employees and offenders.
- Male employees made comments about how the pat-downs were “almost like sex for them.”
- Orton-Bell was not permitted to wear jeans, but male employees were.
- Male employees engaged in a barrage of sexual banter with Orton-Bell in person and via email, including a comment from the male superintendent that “her ass looked so good that it would cause a riot.”
The notion that night-shift staff had sex on her desk because she was a woman is pure speculation.… If there were evidence that the night-shift staff were using her office because she was a woman, and her supervisors were indifferent, that would be enough. If there was evidence that night-shift staff similarly used a man’s office, and her supervisors intervened in that circumstance but not in her circumstance, that would be enough. There is neither. Her supervisors’ insensitive and inattentive responses were callous mismanagement; but absent evidence that this inaction was based on her sex, it did not violate Title VII.…
The conduct was certainly sexual intercourse on her desk, but that does not mean that night-shift staff had sexual intercourse on Orton-Bell’s desk because she was of the female sex. There is no evidence to indicate that, had her conveniently private and secure, but accessible, office belonged to a man, it would not have been used in the same manner. Accordingly, this incident, while egregious, does not support a hostile work environment claim.
The constant barrage of sexually charged comments, however, was clearly pervasive, offensive, and based on Orton-Bell’s sex.…
The record does reveal an instance where, in an email conversation with a co-worker named Bruce Helming, she participated in vulgar banter. However, while that may lead a jury to conclude that she was not subjectively offended by the environment, one private conversation via email is not enough for us to conclude, as a matter of law, that she was not subjectively offended by the many other public, unwelcome sexually charged comments in the environment.What does this case teach us?
- Apparently, after-hours sex on workplace desks between co-workers is a real thing.
- “Because of sex” has real teeth to it. No doubt, the desk-sex is gross and offensive. Yet, Orton-Bell could not offer any evidence that the use of her desk was for any reason other than the fact that it was located in a private office. Absent evidence that the use of her desk was sex-based, that allegation could not support a harassment claim.
- An employee’s participation in some sex-based joking can, under the right circumstances, show that the work environment was not subjectively hostile. One email containing vulgar banter with a co-worker, however, likely is not enough.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2014
President signs Executive Order banning LGBT discrimination by the federal contractors and government
Yesterday, President Obama amended two prior Executive Orders, adding new protections against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Executive Order 11246, which extends anti-discrimination obligations to federal contractors, now also includes prohibitions against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Executive Order 11478, which already banned sexual orientation discrimination by the federal government, now also includes a prohibition against gender identity discrimination. The provisions affecting federal employees takes effect immediately. Those impacting federal contractors will take effect within 90 days, after the Secretary of Labor implements regulations.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, July 21, 2014
When your plaintiff is a prostitute
Let’s say an employee sues your company for sexual harassment. And let’s say the allegations are bad—that the supervisor told the plaintiff he could save her job if she “f***ed” him, after which the supervisor raped her. Like I said, BAD. As an employer, you don’t have a lot of options, other than to hope you have insurance and to know that someone likely is going to write a big check.
Then, you receive a gift—knowledge that the employee might hold a side job as a prostitute. That information doesn’t excuse or defend the supervisor’s actions (which are beyond deplorable), but they do provide an opportunity to lessen the sting of the plaintiff’s damage claim.
Armed with this knowledge, you serve discovery seeking the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s activity as a prostitute/escort. Does the court allow you to take this discovery?
Here’s how one Ohio federal court recently ruled, in Hulec v. JH Bennett & Co.
Plaintiff Hulec requests lost wages and damages for emotional distress. Evidence about the wages Plaintiff may have earned as an escort would be relevant to calculate the damages Plaintiff is entitled to should she win this case. …
The Court allows limited discovery, through a reopened deposition or interrogatories, into these matters: (1) the general nature of the escort services Plaintiff has offered or performed in the past five years; (2) the frequency with which she has performed those services; (3) her income from those services; and (4) any medical or psychological treatment she received related either to her sexual assault or to other sexual encounters.In cases like Hulec, victory is differently measured. In this case, a settlement that will not throw the employer into bankruptcy is a win. It is important to do everything you can to lessen the potential pool of damages available to the plaintiff. In this case, that mitigation came in the form of the plaintiff’s other “work.” Don’t give up hope, even in the fact of difficult cases. You pay us a lot of money to defend you. Let us earn that money with our creativity. As long as you are willing to keep an open mind to what it means to “win” a case, we might surprise you.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, July 17, 2014
Should you limit bathroom breaks for employees?
Teamsters local 743 has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board claiming that an Illinois faucet manufacture unfairly disciplined 19 workers for “excessive use” of washrooms. What’s excessive, according to the company? Sixty minutes over the last 10 days, or a mere six minutes per day.
The company has spreadsheets on every union employee on how long they were in the bathroom. There have been meetings with workers and human resources where the workers had to explain what they were doing in the bathroom.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Employment Law Blog Carnival: The Child of the 90s Edition #ELBC
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the 1990s. Maybe it’s the fact that they were my formative years in college and law school. Maybe it’s the three-night series I just watched on National Geographic Channel. Maybe it’s the rebirth (and re-cancellation) of Arsenio Hall. Maybe it’s how my daughter is learning Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Chili Peppers for her next gig. Or, Maybe it’s just because I’ve been listening to a bit too much Lithium on my satellite radio trying to recapture my youth. Whatever the case, I’m dedicating this, my annual turn at the wheel of the Employment Law Blog Carnival, to the 90s.
So put on your flannel shirts (or blue dresses), bust out your Bill-Clinton sax, and enjoy this grungy Child of the 90s edition of the Employment Law Blog Carnival, as I present the best of the Employment Law Blawgosphere as seen through the lens of ten of the best songs to come out of The Last Great Decade.
Four Leaf Clover — Old 97’s (1997, as covered in 2014)
The Old 97’s recorded this song twice, a countrified version on their debut album, Hitchhike to Rhome, and this rock version for their 1997 breakthrough album, Too Far to Care, which Rhett Miller turned into a duet with Exene Cervenka, singer from the punk band X. Do you feel lucky? Read these 4 Steps to Combat Workplace Discrimination, from Ari Rosenstein’s Small Biz HR Blog, and you might.
Daughter — Pearl Jam (1993)
Eddie Vedder can be a bit hard to understand when he sings. Did you know that this song is about a girl with a learning disability, abused by her family and friends because they did not understand what was wrong with her? Perhaps they needed a lesson in accommodation. Next term, the Supreme Court is going to provide us one on pregnancy discrimination, as Phil Miles reports on his Lawffice Space blog, in SCOTUS Grants Cert. in Pregnancy Workplace Accommodation Case.
About a Girl — Nirvana (1994)
Nirvana originally recorded About a Girl in 1988, but it did not become a hit until Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance years later. The Beatles inspired Kurt Cobain to write the song. The Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision was about a girl who could not buy certain birth control under her employer’s medical insurance, as Heather Bussing, at HR Examiner, explains in What the Hobby Lobby Case Means.
Weezer — Undone, The Sweater Song (1994)
According to Rivers Cuomo, this song is about that feeling you get when the train stops and the little guy comes knocking at your door. That explanation is as cryptic as the song. Perhaps a better explanation is found in Why employee use of social media “off the clock” may still impact your workplace, from Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog. Maybe it’s the same feeling you get if you don’t education yourself about your employee’s off-the-clock social media use.
Hunger Strike — Temple of the Dog (1992)
Temple of the Dog is an amalgam between Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Did you know that Eddie Vedder, who had flown to Seattle from San Diego to audition for Mookie Blaylock (which would later become Pearl Jam), and was only supposed to sign back-up on Hunger Strike? Chris Cornell, however, so much liked how Vedder sang the song, it ended up as a duet. And, the rest is grunge history. Do you smoke pot (legally, of course)? Then, there’s no hunger strike for you, given your propensity to the munchies. Can you fire someone who smokes pot (legally, of course)? Read Florida Legalizes Medical “Marijuana” But You Can Still Be Fired For It, from Donna Ballman’s Screw You Guy’s, I’m Going Home, to find out.
Bullet with Butterfly Wings — Smashing Pumpkins (1995)
Vampires and rats in cages? Believe it, or not. Here’s Employment law BELIEVE IT OR NOT! from Robin Shea’s Employment & Labor Insider.
Interstate Love Song — Stone Temple Pilots (1994)
According to Scott Weiland, this song is about honesty, lack of honesty, and his then-newfound love for heroin. Pretty bleak stuff, if you ask me. Do you know what else is bleak? Not correctly paying your employees, as explained in Holiday Pay for Employees with Alternative Work Schedules from Wage & Hour Insights.
Sabotage — Beastie Boys (1994)
For my money, this is the greatest music video of all time. This, along with Weezer’s Happy Days-inspired Buddy Holly, made a name for Spike Jonze, who went on to direct the Oscar-nominated films Being John Malkovich and Her. For the past six years, federal agencies have been trying to sabotage employers, according to Is the EEOC the new NLRB?, from John Holmquist’s Michigan Employment Law Connection.
Green Day — Basket Case (1994)
“Do you have the time / To listen to me whine?” Trying to figure out the hows and whens of inflexible leave of absence policies will turn you into a basked case. Just ask Dan Schwartz, who, on his Connecticut Employment Law Blog, posted Wait, “Inflexible” Leave Policies Are Actually Okay? Sometimes.
Give It Away — Red Hot Chili Peppers (1991)
This song is all about the philosophy of selflessness and altruism. Employers seldom adopt this philosophy when settling lawsuits. When settling lawsuits with employees age 40 or over, don’t forget about the OWBPA, as explained in Settlement and the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, from Robert Fitzpatrick on Employment Law.
Eric Meyer, the author of The Employer Handbook blog and currator of this fine Carnival, will host next month’s Employment Law Blog Carnival, on August 20. If you want to participate, email him a link to your employment-law-related blog post by August 15.
Because I hosted this month’s Carnival, WIRTW will not run this Friday, and will return with to its regularly featured slot next Friday, with edition #329.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, July 15, 2014
EEOC issues Enforcement Guidance, Q&A, and Fact Sheet on Pregnancy Discrimination
If had any doubt that pregnancy discrimination is a hot-button issue at the EEOC, look no further than yesterday’s publication of three documents by the Agency on the issue:
- Enforcement Guidance: Pregnancy Discrimination and Related Issues
- Questions and Answers about the EEOC’s Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination and Related Issues
- Fact Sheet for Small Businesses: Pregnancy Discrimination
- The fact that the PDA covers not only current pregnancy, but discrimination based on past pregnancy, a woman’s potential to become pregnant, fertility/infertility, and the intent to become pregnant.
- Lactation as a covered pregnancy-related medical condition, which means that denying lactation time or space to new moms violates Title VII.
- The circumstances under which employers may have to provide light duty for pregnant workers, and the requirement that an employer provide the same accommodations to pregnant workers as to other workers with similarly disabling medical conditions.
- Issues related to leave for pregnancy and for medical conditions related to pregnancy, and the requirement that pregnant employees who are able to perform the essential functions of their jobs must be permitted to do so.
- The PDA’s prohibition against requiring pregnant workers who are able to do their jobs to take leave.
- The requirement that parental leave (which is distinct from medical leave associated with childbearing or recovering from childbirth) be provided to similarly situated men and women on the same terms.
- When employers may have to provide reasonable accommodations for workers with pregnancy-related impairments under the ADA and the types of accommodations that may be necessary. These pregnancy-related impairments, which the ADA covers as disabilities, include gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related sciatica, and preeclampsia. Potential reasonable accommodations include redistributing marginal or nonessential functions, modifying workplace policies or work schedules, telework where feasible, leave in excess of a medical leave policy, purchasing or modifying equipment, or temporarily reassigning an employee to a light duty position.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, July 14, 2014
Should you block social media at work?
One of my summer television addictions is NY Med, which follows surgeons around some of the New York metro area’s busiest hospitals. One this summer’s episodes focused on a man who had been hit by a subway train. An ER nurse Instagrammed a photo of the empty trauma room, along with the caption “#Man vs 6 train”. Later that day, the hospital fired her. According to ABC News, she was fired for being “insensitive,” not for posting any protected patient information or for violating any hospital policy.
- Draft a policy. I was troubled when I read that the nurse on NY Med had not violated any policy by posting on Instagram a photo of the inside of a trauma room. Given the vast number of your employees who are on social media, it is irresponsible not to have a social media policy. Just make sure it will pass muster with the draconian agenda being put forth by the NLRB.
- Invest in the idea that employees represent your company. Jason Seiden, the co-founder and CEO of Ajax Social Media, calls it profersonal: the inherent intertwining of our personal and professional personas online. You can read more on my thoughts on this important issue here. Suffice it to say, however, that employees need to realize that anything they say online can impact their professional persona, and that it is our job as employers to help educate our employees about living in a “profersonal” world.
- Training, training, training. Teaching employees about the meaning of “profersonalism” is just one part of the training puzzle. The best way to limit employee social media problems is to invest some time and money into training your employees about these issues. Having a policy is step one in this process, but training your employees on what that policy means is steps two through ten (at least).
- Allow for brain breaks. We ask an awful lot of our employees. It’s rare to find a nine-to-five job these days. If your employees are working 45, 50, or 50-plus hours per week, what’s the harm if they spend a few minutes during the day checking Facebook. Workplace social media is not a technology problem, it’s a performance problem. Thus, technological solutions will not work. You need to treat social media abuse as a performance problem. If an employee is spending so much time on Facebook that he or she cannot complete the job, then provide counseling or discipline. If an employee posts something that harms the business, counsel, discipline, or fire. Treating the problem by shutting off the technology will not cure the problem; it will just take if off your network.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, July 11, 2014
WIRTW #328 (the “fore!” edition)
It was a lovely day for golf yesterday at the annual KJK golf outing. If only my swing agreed.
On Wednesday, I’m hosting the July edition of the Employment Law Blog Carnival. Please send my way any post you’d like featured.
Here’s the rest of what I read this week:
Discrimination
- Podcast: “Discrimination Law in an Overlawyered America” — from Walter Olson’s Overlawyered
- Pay Careful Attention to Pregnancy Accommodation Requests as EEOC Plans New Enforcement Guidance — from Employment Matters Blog
- Brave Men Take Paternity Leave — from Harvard Business Review
- SCOTUS Grants Cert. in Pregnancy Workplace Accommodation Case — from Phil Miles’s Lawffice Space
- Walmart on Hook for $180K in EEOC Suit Alleging ADA Violation From Firing of Diabetic Employee — from Joe’s HR and Benefits Blog
- Your Religion Shouldn’t Be on Your Résumé (Unless You’re Jewish) — from Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas
- Are 9 Sexual Harassment Cases And A Naked Dancing Video Cause For Firing? Maybe Not — from Donna Ballman’s Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home
- Age Discrimination in the Tech Industry — from Workplace Prof Blog
Social Media & Workplace Technology
- Six degrees of Kevin Bacon, err, social media and the workplace — from Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
- The Cost of Continuously Checking Email — from Harvard Business Review
- Can Employers Discipline Employees Who Post False Claims Of Harassment On Facebook? Yes, But Beware Of The Pitfalls — from Employment Law Lookout
- Court holds employers not liable for employee defamatory online speech made using employer computers. Plaintiffs can’t take the money and run! — from Employer Law Report
- Employees’ social media use: a refresher — from Technology for HR
HR & Employee Relations
- Adventures in employment agreements — from Walter Olson’s Overlawyered
- Employers Should Dot Their I’s and Cross Their T’s When Using Consumer Reporting Information — from Texas Employment Law Update
- Naked and Afraid HR — from The Tim Sackett Project
- Can neuroscience give us an accurate lie detector for employment disputes? — from Minding the Workplace
- The Moral of Workplace Morale — from Next Blog
- Do’s and Don’ts of Accepting Offers of Employment - NBA DRAFT VERSION — from The HR Capitalist, Kris Dunn
Wage & Hour
- DOL audits: What to expect when you’re expecting one — from Business Management Daily
- Wage and Hour Lawsuits More Prevalent in 2014 — from Overtime Lawyer Blog
- Why “Working Time” FLSA Lawsuit Settlement Irritates Me — from Wage & Hour - Development & Highlights
- When is a Commute Not a Commute? In a Company Car (Well, Maybe)! — from Wage & Hour Insights
- Six reasons why Hobby Lobby does not spell “doom” for women — from Robin Shea’s Employment and Labor Insider
Labor Relations
- Why calling the boss a “f**king a**hole” may be protected activity — from Mike Haberman’s Omega HR Solutions
- You Be The “Judge”: Is Swearing at Work Protected by Federal Law? — from Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
- Latest No-Solicitation Policy to be Struck Down by the NLRB — from Matt Austin Labor Law
- Staying One Step Ahead of Norma Rae — Tips for Staying Union Free — from Labor & Employment Law Perspectives
- Employer’s Social Media Policy Found Not To Violate Employees’ Rights — from Michigan Employment Law Advisor
- GC To Board: Adopt New Joint Employer Standard — from Labor Relations Today
- How the NLRB Is Like Charlie Brown — from Minnesota Employer
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, July 10, 2014
Time after time: temporal proximity and retaliation
Marla Montell reported an allegation of sexual harassment against her supervisor, Austin Day, to human resources at Diversified Clinical Services. The HR rep contacted Day almost immediately. The next day, Day called Montell and told her that she should resign or would be fired. Chose the former, and then sued the company for retaliation.
[E]mployees who are about to be fired should not abuse the civil-rights protections by filing frivolous harassment complaints. However, it cannot be open season for supervisors to sexually harass poorly performing employees. Such employees must still be provided with their legal protections.… [W]e must analyze the evidence of how and when the adverse employment action occurred to determine whether it squares with the action previously contemplated. If it does, then temporal proximity is not evidence of causality, but if the adverse employment action is unlike the action previously contemplated or does not occur on the schedule previously laid out, then the temporal proximity of the adverse action to the protected conduct is certainly evidence of causation.In other words, was the decision to terminate Montell a mere continuation of her performance history, or a reaction to her protected activity? In this case, because Montell faced termination before the June 2 date contemplated by the Amended Final Warning, the court concluded that the adverse action sufficiently deviated from the performance history to create a jury issue over the timing of the termination.
If you are going to terminate an employee on the heels of protected activity, you best have all of your ducks in a row. If Montell’s performance objectively had not improved by June 2, I suspect this case would have come out differently. Because the employer jumped the gun on the termination, it called into question the employer’s motivation, especially within 24 hours of a harassment complaint.
Employees who complain about harassment or discrimination aren’t bulletproof. But, you better be damn sure you’re using the right ammo. If there can be any doubt about your motivation, you take a huge risk in firing an employee on a timeline such as that in Montell.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Hear me on The CYA Report discussing Hobby Lobby
Today we’re going to try something a little different. Usually, you get to read my thoughts on the employment law issues of the day. Today, you get to hear my voice, waxing philosophical on the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision.
Last week, Kris Dunn (old friend, and proprietor of, among other things, The HR Capitalist) asked if I’d appear on his podcast, The CYA Report, to discuss the case.
Kris and I discussed: What does Hobby Lobby mean? Are corporations people? And, what employment law areas can we expect its holding to challenge?
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, July 8, 2014
What does the ADA say about employee medical information and social media?
The ADA protects, as confidential, employee medical information obtained by an employer.
Last year, I asked the following questions about the impact of social media on this confidentiality obligation:
What happens, however, when an employee suffers an on-the-job injury and a supervisor shares information about the injury on a Facebook wall or Twitter page? Or, what about when a supervisor posts about a co-workers illness? I can be as innocuous as, “I hope John Smith has a quick recovery from cancer,” or spiteful, like, “I can’t believe John Smith has cancer and I have his workload while he’s out on medical leave.”
Shoun sued his employer, claiming that Stewart’s Facebook post violated the ADA’s confidentiality requirements by “deliberate[ly] disclos[ing] [his] medical condition to another person.”
Social media is informal and instantaneous. Employees often post before they think about the implications of what they are posting. ADA violations are likely the furthest from one’s mind when posting about a co-worker’s injury or medical issue. A policy statement—and, more importantly, training—on this issue could save you from a disability discrimination lawsuit down the road.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, July 7, 2014
EEOC transforms a $1.39 bag of chips into a $180,000 settlement
Nearly three years ago, I reported on a disability-discrimination lawsuit filed by the EEOC against Walgreens. The agency had filed suit of behalf of a diabetic employee who, without permission, took a bag of chips off the shelf to stabilize her blood sugar level during a hypoglycemic attack. Walgreens considered it shoplifting and fired the employee. The EEOC considered the termination a failure to reasonably accommodate the employee’s disability and filed suit.
Last week, Walgreens settled the lawsuit, agreeing to pay the ex-employee $180,000, in addition to agreeing to implement revised policies and training.
Here, the misconduct alleged by Walgreens that formed the basis of her termination was the taking of the chips without paying for them first, an act Hernandez claims was caused by her disability. Walgreens has failed to allege any misconduct that is unrelated to her disability.
People may think this case revolves around theft, but the real issue is how a company responded to a valued 18-year employee, whom it knew for 13 years to be diabetic, and who attempted to pay for the chips after she recovered from her hypoglycemic attack.As for me, I don’t believe either interest trumps in this case. I firmly believe that employers like retailers (or casinos) must do everything they can to prevent and deter employee theft. These measures include terminations that, under other circumstances, might seem overly harsh. Yet, in this case, the company knew about this long-term employee’s medical history, and refused to let the employee pay for the chips after her recovery. This does not appear to be the case of an employee nefariously grazing on unpaid goods. Instead, it appears to be a case of employee making a snap judgment in response to a medical condition, and trying to make good on it after the fact. Given these facts, this case seems like an odd one for this employer to litigate for three years. It could have cut its losses, settled early, and saved itself three years of legal fees. Yet, I also see the import of the employer’s “zero tolerance” stance.
This case illustrates how difficult reasonable accommodate cases are. When the accommodation is so trivial (a $1.39 bag of chips, for example), employers should strongly consider making the accommodation for an employee’s medical situation regardless of the scenario. It is difficult to justify a claim of hardship based on a economically trivial accommodation. Even when the interest the employer is trying to protect is as strong as deterring theft, the cost of defending that interest may to be too high, especially in light of the uncertainty related to the potential outcome of very fact-specific litigation.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Why I Write: Reflections on the Ohio Employer’s Law Blog
Earlier this week, I was tagged in a “blog hop.” “What is a blog hop,” you ask? it is a blog-to-blog chain letter built around a common theme. The theme of this blog hop is writing. My good friend, and author of the Connecticut Employment Law Blog, Dan Schwartz, tagged me in his blog hop. Given that he called me a blogging “rock,” and “great person,” how could I not take up his challenge and continue the chain (especially since Dan and I started our respective blogs within a few months of each all the way back in 2007, and I respect him as much as anyone else in the legal blogosphere).
What am I working on?
The Ohio Employer’s Law Blog (of course). I started my blog in 2007 to fill a niche. There were only a few lawyers blogging in the Cleveland area, and none on labor and employment law. “What a great way to differentiate myself,” I thought. I also love the creative aspect of writing, a love which my blog lets me sate in spades. Let’s face it, no lawyer ever won a prize for the most creative opposition brief. The blog has also let me spread my wings. Workforce.com cross-publishes every post I write on a blog it calls The Practical Employer. I also write a monthly column for Workforce Magazine, and serve on its editorial advisory board. My blog has also allowed me to publish a couple of books (The Employer Bill of Rights and Think Before You Click). In short, the blog has opened up opportunities for me that nothing else could have, and for that I am grateful.
How does my writing differ from others of its genre?
Legal writing is, well, boring and impersonal. I try to break that stereotype. For one, I write about my personal life. I believe that you cannot understand one’s take on an issue unless you under that which influences that person’s life view. So, I’ve written about my wife, my daughter, my son, and even my dog. I’ve also written about vacations (with the kids and without), concerts, and German daughters. Each of these posts provides a glimpse into who I am when I’m not a lawyer, which, in turn, influences who I am as a lawyer. I also try to have fun. I love it when someone emails or tweets their appreciation for a punny title or song reference.
Why do I write what I write?
I write what I write out of love. I know that sounds trite, but I love to write. The Internet is a junk yard of discarded blogs. I am proud that I’ve posted every work day for more than seven years. But, you cannot do that if you write for any reason other than love. I have a passion for labor-and-employment law and a passion for writing. This blog lets me combine the two in a way that I hope is unique and different for my readers.
How does my process work?
The question I am most often asked is some variation of, “Geez, you must spend a lot of time blogging. How do you find the time to blog and practice law?” The reality is that after seven years, it’s not as time intensive as it looks. I consume a ton of information, mostly from Twitter and Feedly. I bookmark those stories or cases that look blog-worthy. I do most of my writing early in the morning or late at night. The speed at which I can post is helped by the fact that I’m not writing law review articles or case briefs. I try to give the quick summary of the issue, and then make a practical point or two for businesses to take away. My audience isn’t necessarily lawyers, so I don’t feel the need to give deep, searing legal analysis. Instead, I try to focus on the practical.
Please check out my blogging friends
Every Friday, I share a list of what I’ve read that week. Weekly, each of the following usually makes an appearance, so the fact that I am tagging them to continue this blog hop shouldn’t surprise them or you:
- Molly DiBianca, author of the Delaware Employment Law Blog, who’s been doing the blogging thing almost as long as I have, has a unique voice that is always worth reading.
- Eric Meyer, author of the Employer Handbook Blog, like me writes every business day. His posts are worth checking out for no other reason than to see his song of the day, which is always creatively tied in to the day’s employment law topic.
- Phil Miles, author of Lawffice Space, who is usually first to post about breaking news such as a hot-off-the-presses Supreme Court decision.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Will Hobby Lobby give Title VII fits?
In a decision of startling breadth, the Court holds that commercial enterprises, including corporations, along with partnerships and sole proprietorships, can opt out of any law (saving only tax laws) they judge incompatible with their sincerely held religious beliefs.What about Title VII and the other ant-discrimination laws? What if a company has a sincerely held religious belief that it is okay to discriminate based on race? Or, how about a company, that, because of its religious beliefs, segregates its men and women? Would Hobby Lobby permit those employers to opt out of Title VII? Hobby Lobby does not answer these questions. Instead, it leaves them to lower courts to interpret in future cases. We will have to watch and see how these issues play out down the road.
I agree, however, with Justice Ginsburg, that we need to worry about how companies will try to use this opinion to opt out of laws they do not like. I am concerned that this opinion could lead to a slippery slope of companies using religion to pick and choose laws based on their socio-political beliefs, which could undermine our civil-rights laws, and is antithetical to the First Amendment religious freedoms upon which out country was founded.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, June 30, 2014
How many pre-employment medical exams does the ADA permit?
The ADA applies a traffic-light approach to employer-mandated medical exams.
- Red Light (prior to an offer of employment): the ADA prohibits all disability-related inquiries and medical examinations, even those that a job related.
- Yellow Light (after employment begins): an employer only may make disability-related inquiries and require medical examinations that are job-related and consistent with business necessity.
- Green Light (after an applicant is given a conditional job offer, but before s/he starts work): an employer may make any disability-related inquiries and conduct medical examinations, regardless of whether they are related to the job, as long as it does so for all entering employees in the same job category.
The [ADA’s] regulation refers to “[m]edical examinations” in the plural. More saliently, McDonald cites no authority interpreting the ADA to prohibit more than one pre-employment medical examination. EEOC guidance expressly provides that an employer may request “more medical information … if the follow-up examinations or questions are medically related to the previously obtained medical information.” … Webasto required a second medical examination only after the first revealed a history of “[l]umbar bulging discs.”
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, June 27, 2014
WIRTW #327 (the “Noel Canning” edition)
Yesterday, the Supreme Court decided what might be its most important labor-and-employment decision of the current term—NLRB v. Noel Canning—which held that President Obama lacked the authority to make recess appointments to fill NLRB vacancies. The case likely invalidates more than a year of NLRB decisions.
Here’s what the rest of blawgosphere has to say about this decision:
- Court strikes down recess appointments: In Plain English — from SCOTUSblog
- Supreme Court Invalidates NLRB Recess Appointments; Dozens of Decisions Impacted — from Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
- Supreme Court’s Noel Canning Decision Invalidates Numerous NLRB Decisions — from Stoel Rives World of Employment
- Supreme Court Strikes Down NLRB Recess Appointments: 9-0 — from Jonathan Segal
- Supreme Court Rejects President’s Recess Appointments as Unconstitutional — from Trade Secret / Noncompete Blog
- Justices Find NLRB Recess Appointments Invalid — from WSJ.com Law Blog
- Supreme Court Affirms, but Narrows, D.C. Circuit’s Decision in Noel Canning — from Workplace Prof Blog
- SCOTUS on NLRB Recess Appointments — from Phil Miles’s Lawffice Space
- U.S. Supreme Court: President’s “Recess Appointments” to NLRB Were Invalid — from What’s New in Employment Law?
Discrimination
- Should You “Go Solo” Before The EEOC? Is “Don’t Use An Attorney” Good Advice? — from Employment Discrimination Report
- When Does A Workplace Joke Go Too Far? — from Evil Skippy at Work
- Nooses, n-words, and confederate flags, but no discrimination — from Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
- Sixth Circuit finds all anti-retaliation provisions are not created equal, but they are legal landmines. Watch your step. — from Employer Law Report
- Our society’s view on commuting (and telecommuting) is still painfully warped — from Boy Genius Report
- More Employers Not Hiring Due to What They Find on Social Media — from TLNT
- Facebook Post Means No Unemployment Benefits for Nurse — from Molly DiBianca’s Delaware Employment Law Blog
- Give It a Rest: Constant Connectivity Not Good — from Joe’s HR and Benefits Blog
- How to know when it’s OK to look at your smartphone during dinner — from Boy Genius Report
- A Note from the U.S. Coach is a Great Idea, But Not a Good Excuse — from Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
- Should There Be Restrictions on Restrictive Covenants? — from The Emplawyerologist
- Considerations for Technology Companies to Attract, Motivate and Retain Key Talent — from Technology Company Counselor
- My Disturbing Experience With Employee Reviews — from You’re the Boss Blog
- What HR Professionals Can Learn From Casey Kasem — from EntertainHR
- In the News (again) — Paid Leave — from Workplace Prof Blog
- Push for Parental Leave Grows Due to More Family-friendly Workplaces — from Smart HR Manager
- Court Awards Fees And Costs Against USDOL — from Wage and Hour Laws Blog
- Offset as Defense to FLSA Suit May Mitigate Unpaid Wage Claims — from Wage & Hour Defense Blog
- Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It’s Off to a Non-Compensable Commute We Go — from Wage & Hour Insights
- Second Circuit Court of Appeals Addresses FLSA’s Public Agency Volunteer Exception, But Withholds Comment on Private Sector Volunteers — from Employment Matters Blog
- Echoing White House Mandate, Senate Dems Release Proposal to Overhaul FLSA Exemptions and Overtime Regulations — from Minnesota Employment Law Report
- DOL Proposes New Definition of “Spouse” for FMLA — from Phil Miles’s Lawffice Space
- Can An Employee Who Receives All of His or Her FMLA Leave Bring an FMLA Interference Claim? — from Minnesota Employer
- It’s Time for a New Partnership Between Labor and Management — from Harvard Business Review
- NLRB Continues to Throw Up Roadblocks for Internal Investigations — from Pennsylvania Labor and Employment Blog
- NLRB ready to back broad union organizing and collective activity — from Business Management Daily
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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