Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DOL) issued a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that announced they are partnering for the purpose of information sharing and joint investigations. As you know, the EEOC investigates and enforces allegations of discrimination and retaliation under Title
Title VII
Ultimatum on Ultimate Employment Decisions: Fifth Circuit Expands Standard on Adverse Employment Decisions Under Title VII
If you are an employer covered by the federal Fifth Circuit (Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi), you are probably familiar with the “ultimate employment decision” standard: In determining whether an employee suffered an adverse action under Title VII, you look to only “ultimate” decisions (e.g., hiring, termination, non-promotion). The landscape has just changed. In…
Extra, Extra, Read All About the PWFA Regs
We promised to keep you updated with the EEOC’s proposed regulations for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PFWA). Per its website, the EEOC is publishing the proposed regulation on August 11, 2023, and you have until October 10 to provide input.
A Note Regarding Public Comment
Earlier this week, the EEOC posted a Notice…
Ready, Set, Go – It’s Time for the PWFA
It’s time for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). We’ve been warning you that the PWFA is coming and in less than a week, on June 27, the PWFA goes into effect. We’re still waiting on the EEOC’s proposed regulations but that should not stop you from complying, because on June 27 employees may begin…
Please DO Stop the Music: Ninth Circuit Rules Offensive Tunes Can Constitute a Hostile Workplace
Many workplaces allow their employees to listen to music or radio on site. But what if employees choose to blast “sexually graphic” and “violently misogynistic” songs throughout a warehouse? Does it matter whether the workforce in the warehouse is only men or only women? In Sharp, et al., v. S&S Activewear, Inc., the Ninth…
AI, AI, Uh-Oh! Can Artificial Intelligence Programs Put You at Risk for Discrimination Lawsuits?
Meaghan Pickles is a co-author of this post and is a Summer Associate at Bradley.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the best way to save time and make fair decisions — right? Not so fast. As AI is more common in our day-to-day lives, we have seen it make mistakes and replicate human shortcomings. For many…
Review and Revise: Prepare for PWFA’s June 27 Effective Date
You may recall that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act and we blogged about the coming changes here. Given that the effective date is June 27, we’re back with an update highlighting some of the key points from the EEOC’s article titled “What You Should Know…
Weekends Revisited? Fifth Circuit Re-examines Gender-Specific Scheduling Decision
Can you have an employment policy that is clearly based on gender? What if it doesn’t affect an “ultimate employment decision,” such as hiring, firing, promoting, granting leave or compensation? Last year, we told you about a sheriff’s department in Texas with a scheduling policy that was clearly based on gender. At that time…
Smucker’s Out of a Jam: Sixth Circuit Says Being a Federal Contractor Does Not Make You a State Actor
If you take on a federal contract, does that make you a state actor? No, according to a unanimous Sixth Circuit panel in Ciraci v. J.M. Smucker Company.
The Facts
During World War II, the Army included Smucker’s apple butter in its ration kits, resulting in a federal contractor relationship that has “stuck” ever…
DHS Guidelines Give Protection from Deportation to Undocumented Workers Who Report Labor Violations
If an employer hires undocumented workers, are they covered under the U.S. employment laws? Initially, employers must complete Form I-9s for all new employees and cannot hire workers who are unable to establish that they’re authorized to work. But once hired, the script flips and undocumented workers generally enjoy the same legal protections as the…