In 2005, the national retirement age was pushed from 65 to 67 and the average age of our population is getting older. When you combine these two facts, particularly in this economy, there is a good chance that employers will have many employees over the age of 40. For most people this may seem like… Read More
Posts Categorized In: Workplace Discrimination
Seattle Man Fired Over His Beard Wins Lawsuit
A Seattle man fired because of his beard later won over $66,000 because of that very same beard. The Seattle P-I reported on Abdulkadir Omar, a Seattle Muslim man, who was hired as a security guard by a security firm, American Patriot Security, to guard a Kent FedEx building. He was hired with his beard,… Read More
Two Growing Seattle Tech Companies Announce IPO, But Gender Gap Persists
The Puget Sound Business Journal reported on Tableau Software and Zulily’s recent announcements for their IPOs. But the story was not about the two companies’ future financial prospects or even the services they provide. The article focuses on a continuing trend in the tech industry. The trend is a stark lack of women at the… Read More
Prohibited Interview Questions
Most employers know that it is against Oregon laws to discriminate against any employees on the basis of race, national origin, color, sex (includes gender, pregnancy and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, age (18 or older), disability, religion, marital status, family relationship, or association with a member of a protected class. Federal laws further prohibit discrimination… Read More
Court says White Employee did not Suffer Discrimination
Earlier this fall, a court dismissed the widely publicized case against celebrity cook, Paula Deen, stating a white plaintiff who witnessed discrimination against black employees did not suffer discrimination herself. Now, another court has dismissed another discrimination claim brought by a white employee, though the circumstances in this case are different from the Deen case…. Read More
Irregularities in Interviews Can Show Bias
A case currently in Oregon courts, Devi v. Oregon Department of Corrections, asserts the importance of consistent interviewing to avoid discriminatory practices. The plaintiff, Harish Devi, began working as a corrections officer at Oregon Department of Corrections’ Shutter Creek Correctional Institution (SCCI) in 1995. In 2011, Devi was one of thirty-two employee referred for consideration… Read More
Yet Another Development in Recent Cases Against Abercrombie
Abercrombie & Fitch has faced more than one lawsuit this year alleging religious discrimination against Muslim females. The lawsuits revolved around an employees and an applicant who claimed they had been the victims of discrimination because they each wore a hijab, a headscarf, in accordance with their religious beliefs. Though Abercrombie recently settled the case… Read More
Pregnant Bartender Fired For Not Looking Like A Hooker
The Los Angeles Daily News reported recently that a pregnant bartender working at a Studio City pub, the King’s Head Pub II, was fired because she did not look a “California hooker.” A month before Amanda Lambert became pregnant she left her job as a bartender at another bar to take the bartending position at… Read More
FMLA Leave Eligibility for Same-Sex Spouses
On June 26, 2013, the United States Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in United States v. Windsor, which struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and mandated that the federal government recognize same-sex marriages for the purpose of federal benefits. This decision would extend several federally-mandated employment benefits to same-sex… Read More
Workplace Religious Discrimination Can Affect Anyone
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. The EEOC defines religious discrimination as treating an applicant or employee unfavorably based on his or her religious beliefs…. Read More