Employment Blog

Equal Rights Amendment One Step Closer to Passage

In 1923, suffragettes and women’s rights activists drafted the Equal Rights Amendment. It was introduced into every session of Congress thereafter until 1973 when it passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Immediately thereafter, 22 states ratified the amendment. However, the Constitution requires 38 states vote to ratify a new amendment to the Constitution. In 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

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Missouri Supreme Court Set to Decide on LGBTQ Discrimination

Missouri is one of a number of states that does not include protections for the LGBTQ community in terms of civil rights issues such as workplace discrimination. That, however, could change as the Missouri Supreme Court will decide whether the Missouri Human Rights Act should extend beyond race, religion, nation of origin, sex, disability, and age. Legislative attempts to extend anti-discrimination protections to sexual orientation and gender identity have proven

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Equal Pay for Equal Work Advocates Get Encouraging Decision

For the past 50 years, it has been illegal for employers to offer one salary to a woman and a different salary to a man, given all other aspects of a situation being equal. That is to say, it is illegal to discriminate against women by offering them a lower salary than their male counterparts. However, what happens when a company offers employees salaries based on their previous employment? That

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Google Faces Class Action Lawsuit

When discrimination occurs in a systematic way and is directed toward a protected group within a company, it could result in a class action suit against that company. In the case of Google, female workers allege that the company has methodically discriminated against them, and they point to alleged pay disparities to make their point. Beyond the compensation issue, the women claim they were denied opportunities for growth within the

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Women’s Basketball Coach Reaches Settlement in Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

Employees can be fired, generally speaking, for any reason other than a handful of protections that are basic to civil rights or work against the public good. To that end, employees may not be fired on the basis of their skin color, religion, nation of origin, gender, or disability. In addition, employees cannot be fired for bringing to light crimes committed by their employer or making known any aspect of

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Is Sexual Favoritism a Form of Gender Discrimination?

Sexual discrimination in the workplace usually conjures images of sexual harassment or gender exclusion for promotions or executive positions. In one interesting case from California in 2005, female employees sued the Department of Corrections because they were passed up for promotions given to employees who were involved in consensual sexual relationships with the Deputy Warden. The case was brought by two female corrections officers who alleged that the Deputy Warden

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St. Louis Regional Chamber Targeted in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

In August of 2017, a female employee filed a lawsuit against the President of the St. Louis Regional Chamber alleging that she was passed up for promotion on multiple occasions due to gender discrimination. Karen Ellis served as the director of economic development at the Chamber. She is suing for $75,000. The lawsuit claims that Ms. Ellis took the job because she was promised advancement within the non-profit. She claims

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Pregnancy Discrimination? Not so Fast, Corporate America

Women’s rights are consistently being threatened across the country, as vulnerable employees are forced to choose between keeping their jobs, or taking care of their pregnancies in a medically sound fashion. Women are speaking out more than even against the discriminatory actions of their employers, as evinced by the approximately 50% rise in lawsuits based on pregnancy discrimination over the past 15 years. A California Case of Note When her

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California Gender Discrimination Leads to Lawsuits

Tech giant Oracle is facing legal action based on claims it has systematically paid women less than men for comparable jobs. The suit claims that the company knew, or should have known, that this discriminatory practice was rampant and that thousands of women have been unfairly under compensated over a period of years. If your employer is engaging in similar practices, the experienced attorneys at HKM may be able to

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What You Need to Know About Colorado’s Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

The state of Colorado has provided anti-discrimination protection to those seeking employment since the 1964 Federal Civil Rights Act was implemented. However, pregnant women were not included in the protections that Colorado state law established. In June of 2016, the Governor of Colorado signed a new law that became effective on August 10, 2016 protecting pregnant workers from discrimination. Understanding Colorado’s Pregnant Workers Fairness Act can help employees remain aware

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What SB 253 Means for Employers of Pregnant Workers

It just became a bit easier to be a pregnant woman in Nevada, a sign of times that increasingly require recognition of gender-based entitlement in the workplace. As employers fully embrace the 21st Century, their responsibilities are now a bit more commensurate with the needs of workers whose obligations do not stop at their office doors. Nevada Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act—product of Senate Bill 253—aims to streamline protections for expectant

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Top Female Exec at Anheuser-Busch Claims Discrimination

Anheuser-Busch products are a staple at American gatherings. Football games, barbeques, and fraternity socials aren’t complete without a cold one from America’s largest brewing company. But a former female executive at the company claims that she wasn’t invited to the party. Francine Katz spent 20 years an Anheuser-Busch employee, beginning as a corporate lawyer and rising to a vice president, key strategist and the company’s top female executive. But in

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