The Employment Brief | Employment Law | Kollman & Saucier, P.A.

Lack Of Discriminatory Motive Dooms Employee’s Sex Discrimination Suit

Kollman & Saucier

11/04/2020

In Williams v. Housing Authority of Savannah, the 11th Circuit held that an employee failed to show that a Georgia Housing Agency acted discriminatorily when the employee failed to rebut the employer’s basis for her termination – she violated HAS rules by failing to maintain possession of her master keys and did not report that she never got them back. Monica Williams was an Assistant Asset Manager for the Housing Authority of Savannah...

Kollman & Saucier

10/27/2020

Employment Discrimination, Sexual Harassment

On October 6, 2020, the County Council for Montgomery County, Maryland enacted Bill 14-20, which effectively lowers the standard of proof for workplace harassment cases by rejecting the “severe or pervasive” standard applicable to state and federal claims. The new county legislation defines “harassment” as “verbal, written, or physical conduct, whether or not the conduct would be considered sufficiently severe or pervasive under...

Vincent Jackson

10/22/2020

Age Discrimination, Virginia Employment Law

A recent case from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, demonstrates that employers must always choose their words carefully, especially when they’re about to fire poor-performing employees. In Granet v. Presidio, Inc., Civil Action No. 3:19-cv-821, the plaintiff was a 54-year old account manager who alleged that his former employer forced him to resign due to his age. Presidio countered...

Kollman & Saucier

10/14/2020

Voting Leave

Election day is a couple weeks away -- November 3, 2020. Now that I’ve told you something you already know, here is a reminder of Maryland law requiring employers to provide employees time off to vote. Maryland employers must allow any employee who claims to be a Maryland registered voter up to two (2) hours of leave from work on election day so that the employee can cast a ballot if the employee does not have two (2) continuous off-duty...

Kollman & Saucier

10/13/2020

Agency Activity, OFCCP

On September 22, President Trump issued Executive Order 13950, which states that United States policy is “not to promote race or sex stereotyping of scapegoating.” The Order prohibits federal contractors from training employees in a manner that promotes race and sex stereotyping or scapegoating. Last week, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) issued answers to FAQs concerning what E.O. 13950 permits and...

Kollman & Saucier

10/09/2020

Agency Activity, EEOC

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a newly proposed Rule that would alter the conciliation process, which the EEOC uses as a method of alternative dispute resolution with employers that have had a finding of "reasonable cause" issued against them at the conclusion of the EEOC's investigation. Conciliation is technically a voluntary alternative to litigation after the agency has determined, based upon its investigation,...

Kollman & Saucier

10/08/2020

Employer Training, Handbooks/Policies, Legislative Developments, Sexual Harassment, State Law

Before we get into the new requirements, some legislative history is warranted. In 2018, the District of Columbia passed the Tipped Wage Workers Fairness Amendment Act, designed to, among other things, repeal an initiative that would have eliminated the tip credit system in D.C. That 2018 law mandated local government funding before several provisions of the statute could be implemented that include the postings and sexual harassment training...

Kollman & Saucier

10/05/2020

Disability & Leave, FMLA

There are no magic words an employee needs to utter to trigger rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Rouse v. Wynn Las Vegas, LLC, No. 18-17452 (9th Cir. 2020) illustrates the point. In that case, Rouse sent his employer an email saying he wanted to take three days of paid vacation to have surgery. Even though Rouse did not mention the FMLA, the court found that the email, as well...

Kollman & Saucier

10/01/2020

Disability & Leave, Employment Discrimination

Employers often encounter claims that an employee is suffering work-related stress and needs an accommodation for a disability. The employee often wants reassignment to a different supervisor, usually because of the supervisor’s management style, although the employee may characterize the problem as harassment, bullying, or in other pejorative terms. Assuming it turns out that the employee is complaining about anxiety or stress caused by the...

Kollman & Saucier

09/30/2020

Agency Activity, Employment Discrimination

On September 3rd, the EEOC issued an opinion letter that reversed course on its authority under Section 707 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to initiate discrimination actions against employers. The EEOC concluded it does not have the power to sue employers for discriminatory workplace practices without first complying with other procedural steps. The opinion letter answered two questions: 1) does a pattern or practice claim...

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Email Updates

Lack Of Discriminatory Motive Dooms Employee’s Sex Discrimination Suit

Montgomery County, Maryland Lowers Bar To Prove Workplace Harassment

The Perils of Common Sense – Judge Permits Age Discrimination Suit to Go to Trial

Employee Leave to Vote on Election Day

DOL Issues Guidance On Federal Contractor Diversity Training

EEOC Proposing To Share More Details With Employers During The Conciliation Process

D.C. Laws To Take Effect on Workplace Postings and Notices, and Sexual Harassment Training and Reporting

No Magic Words Necessary to Request FMLA Leave

Stress Caused By A Difficult Supervisor Is Not A Disability

EEOC Opinion Letter Presents New Interpretation Of Its Authority To Sue Employers For Systemic Discrimination

Email Updates