Well, I think we can all agree that, when an employee’s protected class motivates a company to transfer him to a less desirable position, it’s time to call the lawyers and break out the checkbook. But, what makes a transfer position less desirable? Yesterday, I was reading this Sixth Circuit opinion about a…
The Employer Handbook Blog
Federal judge reincarnates atheist’s religious bias claims
And the Czech judge scored my lede a 4.3. Well, the second she starts paying my legal bills, maybe, I’ll give a damn. Until then… What was I talking about? Oh yes, religious discrimination. Over the weekend, I read this PA federal court opinion about an atheist who claimed that his…
#HR mistakes and how to address them
So…how many of you slept well after last night’s The Walking Dead? Don’t worry, no spoilers here. Instead, what I do have is this link to a great post from my blogging buddy, Sharlyn Lauby a/k/a the HR Bartender. With a little help from this dude, Sharlyn’s post hits on,…
A biker gang enforcer lost his job…as a prison guard. #BikerGangEnforcerPrisonGuard
So did you hear the one about the prison guard who, for four years, didn’t tell his employer about his other job? The one where he served as a biker gang “enforcer.” And his biker gang nickname? Hit Man. The biker gang enforcer, who was also guarding prisoners, was known…
The teacher who feared young kids lost her ADA claim, you guys
I’m a bit late to the party with this one. But, for those who haven’t read about it elsewhere. Voila! The plaintiff originally taught at the high school, during which she informed her employer about her pedophobia, a debilitating fear of young children. Some time later, the plaintiff was transferred to…
Can you smack your sexual harasser, complain, and still claim retaliation?
Not exactly a happy workplace trinity, but it’s what fuels The Employer Handbook. That and Jolt-Cola Bombs. The plaintiff in this case claimed that she was sexually harassed by her male supervisor for over a year. The court’s opinion details alleged comments and groping in vivid detail. (No recap here. I plan to keep my…
Transgender employees and the so-called bathroom conundrum
On my speaking boondoggles around the country, what’s the biggest issue I hear from HR professionals involving transgender employees? Yep, it’s the use of the bathroom. Folks, it’s not that complicated. But, I’ll get to that in a sec. First, with a tip of the hat to Joshua Block (@JoshACLU), over…
1 slur + 1 knife to the testicles = 1 hostile work environment
My new blogging platform and email newsletter have their advantages, especially the newsletter. For example, when a daily post goes out to my blog email subscribers (and, if you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that here), one of the analytics I can track is the most-clicked hyperlinks. Welp, in last week’s “Heil…
Apparently, in Texas, your managers are allowed one free “Heil Hitler.”
“I see your ‘two free slurs’ rule, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and I raise you one shout out to the Third Reich, alright Hoss?” Ok, you got me. The Fifth Circuit, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, didn’t actually use those words, exactly. But, what the Court did say…
GUEST POST: How Much Should You Really Know about Your Job Candidates?
Today we have a guest blogger at The Employer Handbook. It’s Amy Klimek. Amy is an experienced HR recruiter and VP of Human Resources for ZipRecruiter, a company that simplifies the hiring process for small to medium size businesses. Prior to that Amy has held similar roles at Rent.com, eBay…