A bar owner in Atlanta is selling a T-shirt that shows a picture of Curious George peeling a banana, with the words “Obama ‘08″ underneath.  The bar owner, known for erecting provocative (some would say, mean-spirited) messages on the marquee outside his bar, has been branded an idiot, a racist, and worse.  His explanation that the T-shirt isn’t intended to be […]

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You have a key sales job open.  One of the applicants you interview says, “I need to be in a white territory.  The territory I have right now with my current employer has too many black people in it.  I’m someone who appeals to whites.  If you give me a white territory, I’ll make you a lot […]

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Title VII requires an employer to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs unless it causes the employer an undue hardship.  Sometimes, an accommodation is possible.  Sometimes, it’s not.  But the employer must always consider whether it’s possible.
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals provides some guidance on the concept of religious accommodation in Sturgill v. United Parcel […]

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If an employee files a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and you fire her shortly thereafter, you run the risk of also being accused of retaliation.  What if you fire the exployee’s fiancee?  Can he accuse you of retaliation and file his own charge with the EEOC?
According to the Sixth Circuit Court […]

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I have made no secret on this blog of my belief that gender discrimination still exists.  I have tried to come at this subject in various ways that might make the subject be taken seriously and that might help human resources professionals deal with it practically and effectively.
I have no doubt that TV personality Barbara […]

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It can’t be disputed that women have made advances in all kinds of jobs over the past few decades.  A lengthy article in the New York Times Magazine about the demise of Zoe Cruz at Morgan Stanley provides the argument that it also can’t be disputed the glass ceiling women in the C-Suite bump up against is […]

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Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has announced that soldiers will no longer have to answer a question when seeking a security clearance about whether they have previously sought treatment for mental problems.  (Click here and here for more.)  The question discourages military personnel from seeking the mental help they need, because they don’t want to have to answer the question […]

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As I noted last week, the Lilly Ledbetter Pay Fair Act is on hold for the time being.  It seems likely to stay that way until there is a new President and some change in Congress.  That it will be a big campaign issue is becoming more clear quite quickly.
In a blistering article in Slate […]

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In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Ledbetter v. Goodyear, which significantly narrowed, in the opinion of some, the period of time an employee has to complain about discriminatory pay.  Proposed legislation (Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act) to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision is gaining a bit of steam.  President Bush has vowed to veto the legislation […]

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Gender issues are a common subject on this blog.  After all, these issues arise in the workplace every day and are the cause of employment lawsuits from time to time.
Women are heard to sometimes ask why these issues are still around–why some studies show a continuing gender pay gap–why there’s a glass ceiling.  Click the […]

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