Everything is bigger in Texas. Darn right. Well, maybe this is one distinction Texas businesses could have done without. In recently released EEOC complaint results for 2011, Texas ranked first. One in ten complaints across the US were filed in Texas. Of those claims filed in Texas, race charges came in first, followed by
Employment Law 101: A Guide to Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (“GINA”)
Who, What, Why . . .
Who does it apply to: Any employer with 15 or more employees that obtain genetic information (including family history) about an employee.
Why should I keep reading – I don’t use genetic information: It’s true, most employers don’t have a program to obtain genetic information about employees, but the
Pepsi “Popped” for Using Criminal Background Checks
The EEOC announced today that Pepsi Beverages has agreed to a settlement of $3.1 million to resolve a claim by black prospective employees. Between 2006 and 2010, Pepsi excluded from any consideration for employment any applicant who had been arrested or convicted of a crime, including minor offenses (not sure how minor).
The EEOC
VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011
Earlier this week, President Obama signed the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 into law. Explained in more detail on the Veterans Affairs website, the law provides expanded education and training programs for soldiers, improves reemployment rights for guard members and reservists, and offers disabled veterans additional vocational assistance. Of course, the reason
Age Before Beauty…The Pervasive Problem of Age Discrimination
Before I got involved in employment law, I was naive enough to believe that discrimination was largely a thing of the past. I was flat wrong. Even with all the hype, sex and race discrimination are still out there. They are hidden better these days, but these types of discrimination are still there.
The most
You Can’t Ask that in an Interview! Or Can You?
Last week, Katie Morrell offered a piece entitled “The 5 Worst Things You Can Do in an Interview” on AMEX’s Open Forum small business site. Of course, #1 was “getting too personal” in which she explained that it is illegal to ask about race, sex, marital status, etc. This myth has persisted too long. It
A Watered-Down Argument for Bathroom Breaks
This morning I read a recent post from Suzanne Lucas the “Evil HR Lady”, an HR blogger that provides similar common sense observations about employment issues. The post was an answer to a supervisor question about an employee who drinks so much water and has to pee so often that she can’t get her