Misclassification lawsuits generally involve the intentional classification of a laborer as an independent contractor as opposed to an employee. Since employees benefit from things like minimum wage and mandatory time and a half for overtime, companies that classify laborers as contractors can work around such restrictions. However, misclassification lawsuits can be filed when an employer… Read More
Posts Categorized In: Kansas City
McDonald’s Sexual Harassment Lawsuits Span Nine States
The #MeToo movement continues to see aftershocks ripple across various industries. The latest is from McDonald’s employees in nine different states. That includes one right here in Missouri. 10 McDonald’s employees are alleging sexual assault or harassment within McDonald’s franchises. A St. Louis teenager is alleging unwanted groping, unwanted sexual propositions, indecent exposure, and lewd… Read More
Is Implicit Bias Training Helping or Hurting American Workplaces?
After multiple incidents of African-American patrons having the police called on them at various Starbucks, the company took a day off from business to offer its employees “implicit bias training.” Implicit bias training is a controversial method of making individuals aware of their ingrained biases, prejudices, and negative reactions to others. The program, while notable… Read More
Uber Targeted in Sexual Discrimination Lawsuit
A former Uber employee is suing the company for what she claims is a pay discrimination lawsuit. She is further alleging sexual harassment and racial discrimination against the company. Ingrid Avendaño worked as an Uber driver for three years beginning in 2014. Avendaño’s lawsuit alleges that Uber did not do enough to address complaints concerning… Read More
New Lawsuit Targets MO Fire Department for Race Discrimination
A new racial discrimination lawsuit against the Kansas City Fire Department is going to Federal Court. The case involves the interests of African-American firefighters in Kansas City who have been routinely passed up for promotions, despite the fact that these individuals appear to have the necessary qualifications for the job, the requisite experience, and the… Read More
U.S. Senate Addresses Sexual Harassment on Capitol Hill
The U.S. Senate passed a bill co-authored by Missouri congressman Roy Blunt that effectively modernized the process of reporting sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. The bill was backed by both Republican and Democratic leaders. The law will replace legislation passed in 1995 called the Congressional Accountability Act. Proponents of the new measure called the old… Read More
How Emojis Lost a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
When sending a text message, one of the many things lost in translation is inflection. Words, by their very nature, lend themselves to interpretation. Not only is it harder to communicate via text, it is harder to get a feel for the meaning behind what people are saying. If we know the person well, that… Read More
EEOC Takes on Albertsons Pharmacy for Language Policy
The EEOC initiated a lawsuit against Albertsons Pharmacy for a policy that prohibits employees from speaking Spanish while on the job. The Albertsons in question is located in San Diego, but recently, other cases involving prohibitions on certain hairstyles have garnered national attention in the media. Recently, a judge ruled that while employers cannot discriminate… Read More
California Court Ruling Could Make Uber Drivers Employees
The so-called gig economy has made it much easier for employers to claim that their hired labor is made up of independent contractors as opposed to employees. The distinction is important because employees are entitled to a host of benefits to which independent contractors are not entitled. That includes the right to overtime pay, health… Read More
Danforth Center Terminates Researcher on Suspicion of Sexual Harassment
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center recently dismissed one its researchers amid complaints of workplace sexual harassment. Since the #MeToo social media movement raised awareness around the perils of simply being a woman in the workplace, workplaces have been under scrutiny to address the problem of sexual harassment. Those that do not could find themselves… Read More