U.S. Celebrity Chefs to Pay $600,000 Settlement Over Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment Complaint Form

U.S. celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich agreed to pay $600,000 in a settlement to 20 former employees over sexual harassment allegations, the New York Attorney General said Friday. A four-year investigation launched after accusations of sexual harassment were leveled against Batali concluded that “more than 20 employees were subjected to a hostile work… Continue reading U.S. Celebrity Chefs to Pay $600,000 Settlement Over Sexual Harassment

Almost Half of LGB Professionals Experience Discrimination at Work

A multi-ethnic group of homosexual young adults are standing together and are wearing the rainbow colors representing the gay community.

Some 45% of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) professionals in the U.S. say their employer discriminates against people of their sexual orientation, with people of color more likely to experience this discrimination to a greater degree, according to a new report published during LGBTQ Pride Month. Nearly half of white LGB workers report having personally… Continue reading Almost Half of LGB Professionals Experience Discrimination at Work

U.S. Agency Probes Facebook for ‘Systemic’ Racial Bias in Hiring, Promotions

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A U.S. agency investigating Facebook Inc for racial bias in hiring and promotions has designated the probe as “systemic,” attorneys for three job applicants and a manager who claim the company discriminated against them told Reuters on Friday. A “systemic” probe means the agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, suspects company policies may be contributing… Continue reading U.S. Agency Probes Facebook for ‘Systemic’ Racial Bias in Hiring, Promotions

Trump’s EEOC Chair Circulates Rule that Would Slow Discrimination Suits

18 states sue EEOC

The leader of the U.S. workplace anti-discrimination agency is pursuing a policy shift that could slow litigation against companies long after President-Elect Joe Biden takes office. Janet Dhillon, the chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, has recently circulated a proposal to staff that would strip the general counsel’s authority to file lawsuits without a… Continue reading Trump’s EEOC Chair Circulates Rule that Would Slow Discrimination Suits

Wage & Hour Compliance Challenges Grow with COVID-Driven Remote Work Arrangements

COVID-19 shelter in place and social distancing in effect. A business colleague working together through internet live streaming, video conferencing, face time, as virtual office work group.

As COVID-19 cases surge again in the United States, state and local governments continue to recommend or require remote work arrangements, and some employers have already announced plans to permit remote work to continue well into 2021 and even beyond. Remote work is not new, and many of its challenges such as providing remote work… Continue reading Wage & Hour Compliance Challenges Grow with COVID-Driven Remote Work Arrangements

After #MeToo, Race Cases Fight NDAs

Carpenter Using Plane In Woodworking Woodshop

Alex Gumbs says he wants to settle the racial-discrimination complaint he brought this year against his former employer, Medtronic PLC. He also doesn’t want to be quiet about what he says he experienced as a Black employee at the medical-device maker. Because of a mechanism routinely used by U.S. companies, lawyers and employees to resolve… Continue reading After #MeToo, Race Cases Fight NDAs

Seventy-two Percent of Workers Who Experienced Sex Harassment Faced Retaliation: Report

Businessman embracing his pretty secretary at work, she looking at his hand

More than seven in 10 people who experienced workplace sex harassment faced some form of retaliation—including termination, being sued for defamation, and denial of promotions, according to a new report by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), which analyzed the experiences of workers who reached out to the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. More than… Continue reading Seventy-two Percent of Workers Who Experienced Sex Harassment Faced Retaliation: Report

Wells Fargo to Pay Millions in Back Wages After Hiring Discrimination Against Blacks

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Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $7.8 million in back pay after being accused of hiring discrimination against more than 34,000 Black applicants who were seeking an array of jobs at the bank, federal labor officials said Monday. U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has entered into an agreement with Wells Fargo… Continue reading Wells Fargo to Pay Millions in Back Wages After Hiring Discrimination Against Blacks

California Sues Uber, Lyft for Driver Wage Theft

Investors sue Lighthouse Insurance Company

“The Uber and Lyft business model rests on the misclassification of drivers as independent contractors,” California labor commissioner Lilia Garca-Brower said. “This leaves workers without protections such as paid sick leave and reimbursement of drivers’ expenses, as well as overtime and minimum wages.” Uber and Lyft each have around 100,000 drivers, the Labor Commissioner’s Office… Continue reading California Sues Uber, Lyft for Driver Wage Theft

FedEx Ground to Pay $3.3 Million to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

18 states sue EEOC

FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. will pay $3.3 million and provide programmatic relief to resolve a companywide disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. The EEOC charged that FedEx Ground denied deaf and hard-of-hearing package handlers reasonable accommodations and that it discriminated against deaf and… Continue reading FedEx Ground to Pay $3.3 Million to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit