Failure to Use Progressive Discipline Dooms Hospital’s Summary Judgment Motion

?Procedural deviations during a hospital employee’s suspension and disciplinary hearing, including the lack of progressive discipline required by a collective bargaining agreement, could support an inference of retaliatory motivation related to her... Read more »

Court Revives Temporary Worker’s Claim Against Contractor’s Client

?Takeaway: A company can potentially avoid being subject to federal employment laws by having contractors supply staff for events. However, the company should avoid dictating contractor staffing decisions or else the company... Read more »

Employees Need Not Contemporaneously Experience Harassment to Bring a Claim

?Takeaway: This case presents additional considerations for employers in assessing and addressing claims of harassment. Even if a report of harassment is made after-the-fact and the harassment is not ongoing, employers should still... Read more »

Chicago Adopts New Sexual Harassment Prevention Obligations for Employers

?The Chicago City Council has created new employer obligations to provide training to employees and supervisors on sexual harassment prevention and how bystanders should respond to sexual harassment. The new ordinance also... Read more »

3 of 4 Age Discrimination Claims Rejected, 1 Survives

?Takeaway: This is, on the whole, a helpful case for employers. It is a reminder that even with the FEHA’s strong protections for employees, plaintiffs must still provide sufficient evidentiary support to... Read more »

High Court: Emotional Distress Damages Aren’t Available Under Section 504 or the ACA

?The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on April 28 that emotional distress damages aren’t available in discrimination claims under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We’ve gathered... Read more »

Viewpoint: How to Manage Your Anger at Work

?Editor’s Note: SHRM has partnered with Harvard Business Review to bring you relevant articles on key HR topics and strategies. After two years of navigating a global pandemic, tensions are high. While conducting research... Read more »

Failure-to-Accommodate Claim Dismissed for Lack of Identifiable Accommodation

?Takeaway: Employers must engage in a good-faith, interactive process to identify and implement reasonable accommodations once an employee notifies the employer of a disability, triggering the employer’s duty. Further, employees, particularly supervisors,... Read more »

Why Are Companies Hiring More Multilingual Workers?

?Interacting with clients and customers around the world has become part of doing business at many companies, including small operations with just a few employees. Thanks to the ability to connect instantly... Read more »

A Tale of Two Organizations’ Wellness Strategies

?Americans’ mental health rating is at a 21-year low, primarily because fewer than 1 in 4 U.S. employees feel strongly that their organization cares about their well-being—the lowest percentage in nearly a... Read more »