Thursday, July 24, 2008

EEOC Issues New Compliance Manual On Religious Discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a new Compliance Manual Section regarding workplace discrimination on the basis of religion on July 22, 2008.

The new section defines “religion,” religious discrimination and harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It identifies discriminatory practices in the recruiting and hiring process, the terms and conditions of employment, and with respect to discipline and termination. The EEOC also describes its policies regarding the employer’s requirement to accommodate religious beliefs and practices.

The section explains how to apply the law to the workplace with numerous factual illustrations. For example, in explaining that accommodation does not necessarily mean acceding to the employee’s preference, the section states: “Tina, a newly hired part-time store cashier whose sincerely held religious belief is that she should refrain from work on Sunday as part of her Sabbath observance, asked her supervisor never to schedule her to work on Sundays.  Tina specifically asked to be scheduled to work Saturdays instead.  In response, her employer offered to allow her to work on Thursday, which she found inconvenient because she takes a college class on that day.  Even if Tina preferred a different schedule, the employer is not required to grant Tina’s preferred accommodation.”

To further assist employers, the EEOC also issued a companion question-and-answer fact sheet and best practices booklet.

The question-and-answer sheet includes answers to common questions, such as: “Does an employer have to grant every request for accommodation of a religious belief or practice?” “What if co-workers complain about an employee being granted an accommodation?” “What are common methods of religious accommodation in the workplace?”

The best practices booklet includes a number of compliance suggestions. Some of the suggestions are generic and obvious. For example: “Employers can reduce the risk of discriminatory employment decisions by establishing written objective criteria for evaluating candidates for hire or promotion and applying those criteria consistently to all candidates.” Other suggestions are more practical and helpful. For example: “Employers should consider adopting flexible leave and scheduling policies and procedures that will often allow employees to meet their religious and other personal needs. Such policies can reduce individual requests for exceptions. For example, some employers have policies allowing alternative work schedules and/or a certain number of ‘floating’ holidays for each employee. While such policies may not cover every eventuality and some individual accommodations may still be needed, the number of such individual accommodations may be substantially reduced.”

According to the EEOC’s press release, “the EEOC issued this section in response to an increase in charges of religious discrimination, increased religious diversity in the United States, and requests for guidance from stakeholders and agency personnel investigating and litigating claims of religious discrimination.”

The EEOC reports that religious discrimination charge filings with the EEOC nationwide have risen substantially over the past 15 years, doubling from 1,388 in Fiscal Year 1992 to a record level of 2,880 in FY 2007.

Submitted by:
Christopher W. Olmsted, Esq.
Barker Olmsted & Barnier, APLC

Friday, July 18, 2008

Week In Review (July 18, 2008)

Most Popular Federal Law Article

Joint Commission Alert Targets Intimidating/Disruptive Behavior: Aims to Stamp Out the “Equal Opportunity Harasser”.
Recognizing that intimidating and disruptive behavior can compromise the delivery of quality healthcare, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) on July 9, 2008, issued a Sentinel Event Alert focusing upon its new requirements to address such behavior. The Sentinel Event Alert suggests what healthcare organizations must do to address all kinds of harassing and disruptive behavior, not just conduct made illegal under workplace discrimination and harassment laws.
Located On: Fisher & Phillips, LLP

Most Popular State Law Article

Missouri Enacts Tough New Immigration Law, Targets Employers.
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt has signed into law H.R. 1549, a stringent new bill targeting illegal immigration. As of January 1, 2009, employers of unauthorized workers will face potential loss of state contracts and/or tax breaks, suspension or even revocation of their right to do business in the state, and possibly a civil trial in Missouri state court.
Located On: Fisher & Phillips, LLP

Most Popular Headlines

Not Just a Ladies’ Room
Wall Street Journal (via Google) - July 15, 2008

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Wage and Hour Division Criticized

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has failed to effectively enforce federal wage laws, according to a Government Accountability Office report issued on July 15th, 2008.

From fiscal years 1997 to 2007, the number of WHD’s enforcement actions decreased by more than a third, from approximately 47,000 in 1997 to just under 30,000 in 2007. The WHD defended the trend. It stated that it decided to enforce fewer, but more time-consuming comprehensive claims. It also states that the decrease resulted from more careful screening out of unmerited claims at the intake stage. WHD admits that part of the decrease is attributed to a 20% reduction in investigative staff.

The GAO found that the WHD rarely imposed statutory penalties on employers. WHD assessed penalties for 6 percent of the enforcement actions conducted between 2000 and 2007.

The GAO cited several examples where the WHD found violations of federal labor law, but failed to follow through with enforcement.

In one case, a homeless woman receiving free room and board while working as a night attendant at a nursing home alleged her employer had failed to pay her wages for an entire year. According to the WHD, the employer admitted it had failed to pay any wages to the night attendant and considered the room and board to be pay, but stated it did not have any money to pay the back wages. The WHD dropped the case and advised the night attendant of her right to file a private lawsuit. The employer was still in business as of June 2008.

An another case, the an employee alleged he was not paid for overtime. The WHD investigator did not perform any actions for 15 months citing a backlog of cases. Investigation was dropped after 15 months when the investigator saw a news article showing that the business in question had closed

The GAO further criticized the WHD for focusing on too narrow a range of industries. “WHD focused on the same industries from 1997 to 2007. The agency primarily targeted four industry groups: agriculture, accommodation and food services, manufacturing, and health care and social services.” The WHD did not react to information from its commissioned studies on low wage industries in which FLSA violations are likely to occur. The GAO concludes “WHD may not be addressing the needs of workers most vulnerable to FLSA violations.”

WHD’s data tracking hides its inefficiencies. “The extent to which WHD’s activities have improved FLSA compliance is unknown because WHD frequently changes both how it measures and how it reports on its performance,” reports the GAO.  “When agencies provide trend data in their performance reports, decision makers can compare current and past progress in meeting long-term goals.” WHD did just the opposite. “While WHD’s long-term goals and strategies generally remained the same from 1997 to 2007, WHD often changed how it measured its progress, keeping about 90 percent of its measures for 2 years or less.”

As quoted in the New York Times, a Labor Department press release highlighted the pay it has recovered for employees. Recovery of wages “more than doubled to $220,613,703 in 2007 from $96,719,108 in 1997.” The DOL said that 341,624 employees received back wages in 2007, up from 189,244 10 years earlier.” The DOL added: “The “Wage and Hour Division is delivering pay for workers, not a payday for trial lawyers.”

To view the GAO reports, click here and here.

To view the New York Times article, click here.

Submitted by:
Christopher W. Olmsted, Esq.
Barker Olmsted & Barnier, APLC

Friday, July 11, 2008

Week In Review (July 11, 2008)

Most Popular Federal Law Article

Education Labor Letter: New Requirements for 403(b) Plans.
403(b) plans are tax-qualified retirement plans maintained only by nonprofit organizations and public school systems. Plan assets are invested in annuity contracts or custodial accounts instead of a tax-exempt trust, like 401(k) plan assets. Historically, 403(b) plans were subject to very little regulation by the IRS and DOL.
Located On: Fisher & Phillips, LLP

Most Popular State Law Article

How Does California’s Same-Sex Marriage Decision Impact Employers?
As most affected employers are aware, California recently became the second state (after Massachusetts) to recognize same-sex marriages. In In re Marriage Cases, the California Supreme Court held that denying same-sex couples the right to marry violates the California Constitution’s equal protection clause and is a form of unconstitutional discrimination based on sexual orientation. The law also invalidated California’s Proposition 22, which provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is recognized in California.
Located On: Ford & Harrison LLP

Most Popular Headlines

What job interviewers shouldn’t ask
Star Telegram - July 07, 2008

Thursday, July 10, 2008

CA Labor Commissioner Cites Company For Not Providing Lactation Accommodation To Employee

In 2002, the California legislature amended the Labor Code to mandate that employers provide “lactation accommodation.” Yes, we cover it all here in the Golden State. In the six years following enactment of the law, no known enforcement actions had been initiated. Hopefully the reason is because employers have been complying with the law. 

Apparently at least one employer did not take note of the law. The California Labor Commissioner, Angela Bradstreet, has announced the issuance of a citation to a Santa Clara-based International Security Services, Inc. for failing to provide private accommodations for an employee to express breast milk for her newborn.  The citation is the first of its kind since the law took effect in 2002. A fine of $4,000 has been assessed.

“Under the law, employers are obligated to accommodate employees who wish to provide breast milk for their infant children,” Bradstreet said. “This employer failed to provide a reasonable amount of break time and a private room for an employee to express milk for her baby as required.”

The labor commissioner received a complaint—the first lodged as a result of the 2002 legislation—from the employee on March 4, which prompted an investigation. The investigation revealed that the employee was not provided an appropriate, designated room. Initially the room that was provided was computer server room with security cameras. This offered an inadequate level of privacy needed to perform the milk expressing process.

Labor Code sections 1030-1033 became law in 2001 and mandates every employer, regardless of size, to provide a reasonable amount of time to accommodate expressing of breast milk and to make reasonable efforts to provide the employee with the use of a room or other location, other than a bathroom, in close proximity to the employees work area to express milk in private.

Bradstreet urged women who are not being provided appropriate accommodations for milk expressing to contact her office and file a complaint.

“This is not the type of law that we can address with enforcement sweeps and filing a complaint is important so that we can correct the violation and educate the employer,” added Bradstreet.

Find the press release here.

Posted by:
Christopher W. Olmsted
Barker Olmsted & Barnier, APLC

Friday, June 27, 2008

Week In Review (June 27, 2008)

Most Popular Federal Law Article

Supreme Court Rules That Plaintiffs May Use Section 1981 to Sue for Retaliation.
On May 27, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court held in CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries, (No. 06-1431), that employees may bring claims based on or arising from retaliation under 42 U.S.C. § 1981. Section 1981, one of a number of federal laws addressing discrimination, provides that “[a]ll persons . . . have the same right . . . to make and enforce contracts . . . as is enjoyed by white citizens.” Although the text of the statute does not specifically mention retaliation, the Court held that Section 1981 nevertheless encompasses retaliation claims.
Located On: Hogan & Hartson LLP

Most Popular State Law Article

D.C. Passes the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008.
Washington, D.C. has become the second city, after San Francisco, to pass a law that requires employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees. After significant amendment including input from the employer community, the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 was passed by the D.C. Council in March. Following approval by Mayor Adrian Fenty and a 30-day review process by Congress, the Act was approved on May 13, 2008. Effective November 13, 2008, mandatory sick leave provisions will apply to even the smallest employers.
Located On: Littler Mendelson, P.C.

Most Popular Headlines

8 Big Mistakes You Could Be Making At Work

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

IRS Increases Mileage Rates Due To Gas Prices

On June 23rd the Internal Revenue Service announced an increase in the standard mileage rates for the final six months of 2008.

The rate will increase to 58.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2008. This is an increase of eight (8) cents from the 50.5 cent rate in effect for the first six months of 2008.

The IRS announced the unusual mid-year increase in recognition of recent gasoline price increases. The IRS normally updates the mileage rates once a year in the fall for the next calendar year.

“Rising gas prices are having a major impact on individual Americans. Given the increase in prices, the IRS is adjusting the standard mileage rates to better reflect the real cost of operating an automobile,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “We want the reimbursement rate to be fair to taxpayers.”

While gasoline is a significant factor in the mileage figure, other items enter into the calculation of mileage rates, such as depreciation and insurance and other fixed and variable costs.

The optional business standard mileage rate is used to compute the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business use in lieu of tracking actual costs. This rate is also used as a benchmark by the federal government and many businesses to reimburse their employees for mileage.

To view the IRS announcement, click here: IRS News Release

Employers should consider increasing the reimbursement rates to match the new IRS rate. Generally, employers must reimburse employees for travel expenses incurred in the course of work. For example, in California, Labor Code section 2802, subdivision (a), requires an employer to indemnify its employees for expenses they necessarily incur in the discharge of their duties. Note that in California, paying the IRS rate does not guarantee that the employer has fully reimbursed the employee for actual travel expenses. The California Supreme Court recently addressed employee travel expense reimbursement in a case titled Gattuso v. Harte-Hanks Shopper, Inc.

Submitted by:
Christopher W. Olmsted, Esq.
Barker Olmsted & Barnier, APLC
San Diego Employment Law Attorneys

Friday, June 20, 2008

Week In Review (June 20, 2008)

Most Popular Federal Law Article

Supreme Court Rules That Plaintiffs May Use Section 1981 to Sue for Retaliation.
On May 27, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court held in CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries, (No. 06-1431), that employees may bring claims based on or arising from retaliation under 42 U.S.C. § 1981. Section 1981, one of a number of federal laws addressing discrimination, provides that “[a]ll persons . . . have the same right . . . to make and enforce contracts . . . as is enjoyed by white citizens.” Although the text of the statute does not specifically mention retaliation, the Court held that Section 1981 nevertheless encompasses retaliation claims.
Located On: Hogan & Hartson LLP

Most Popular State Law Article

D.C. Passes the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008.
Washington, D.C. has become the second city, after San Francisco, to pass a law that requires employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees. After significant amendment including input from the employer community, the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 was passed by the D.C. Council in March. Following approval by Mayor Adrian Fenty and a 30-day review process by Congress, the Act was approved on May 13, 2008. Effective November 13, 2008, mandatory sick leave provisions will apply to even the smallest employers.
Located On: Littler Mendelson, P.C.

Most Popular Headlines

Your boss shouldn’t read your text or e-mail messages without an OK, court says
LA Times (Registration Required) - June 19, 2008

Review of Employee Text Messages Deemed Invasion of Privacy

Workplace privacy rights can be tricky. Consider the following scenario: A company provides two-way alpha-numeric pagers to employees. The pager service plan allows for transmission of 25,000 characters per month, beyond which an overage fee is assessed. Employees are told to use the pagers for business purposes, and that they will have to reimburse the company for overage fees on account of personal use. A company policy warns employees that it may monitor electronic communications.

There are overages, but the employees do pay for them. But the company decides to conduct an audit because (1) it wants to make sure that employees are not asked to pay overage fees for business transmissions; (2) it wants to assess whether 25,000 characters per month is an efficient limit. To conduct the audit, the company prints and reviews transcripts of the text messages. Does the company act within its rights?

No, according to a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a case titled Quon v. Arch Wireless. The case involved the Ontario Police Department’s review of text messages sent and received by police Sgt. Jeff Quon. The audited text messages included personal communications, including sexually explicit comments. Quon and others he texted sued the Department for violations of constitutional privacy rights. The trial court ruled against the employees, but the Ninth Circuit reinstated the case.

The court reasoned as follows:

(1) Employees may have constitutionally-based reasonable expectations of privacy in the workplace. This includes the expectation that employers will not monitor private communications. 

(2) Employers may dispel the expectation of privacy by warning employees that communications may be monitored. Like many employers, the Department had a “Computer Usage, Internet and E-mail Policy.” The policy limited use of electronic devices to Department business, and advised employees that the Department may monitor employee use of the systems, and that users should have no expectation of privacy.

(3) However, the “operational reality” was different. In practice, the manager responsible for the pagers told employees that he would not audit pager messages as long as employees paid for overage fees. They paid the fees, and therefore it was reasonable for them to expect that the Department would not monitor their communications. So the practice defeated the policy. The court suggested that the policy would have been sufficient to dispel the expectation of privacy, but for the manager’s assurances and practices to the contrary.

(4) Because the employees had a reasonable expectation of privacy in connection with the text messages, intrusion by the employer must be reasonable--but here it was not reasonable. Employers are permitted, during the course of workplace misconduct investigations, or for other business purposes, to review or monitor employee communications--but the employer must demonstrate that the intrusion is reasonable. “"Reasonable" means there was a reasonable basis for conducting the search, and that the scope of the search (or the degree of intrusiveness) was reasonable. The court determined that the Department could have used less intrusive means. It could have, for example, looked at the number dialed without reading the text. Or it could have asked the employees to black out personal messages before reviewing the transcript. 

Note that the decision was made in the context of a public employer, but employee rights in private industry may be affected by this decision. The court examined the federal Fourth Amendment as well as California’s constitutional privacy rights. The Fourth Amendment applies to government action—here the police department was the government entity.  But the California constitution applies to public and private employers alike.

Constitutional privacy rights in the private sector have not been well defined by the courts. You can expect further developments in area of workplace privacy rights, particularly given technological advances that make employee monitoring increasingly easy. 

Submitted by:
Christopher W. Olmsted
Barker Olmsted & Barnier, APLC

Friday, June 13, 2008

Week In Review (June 13, 2008)

Most Popular Federal Law Article

Supreme Court Rules That Plaintiffs May Use Section 1981 to Sue for Retaliation.
On May 27, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court held in CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries, (No. 06-1431), that employees may bring claims based on or arising from retaliation under 42 U.S.C. Section 1981. Section 1981, one of a number of federal laws addressing discrimination, provides that “[a]ll persons . . . have the same right . . . to make and enforce contracts . . . as is enjoyed by white citizens.” Although the text of the statute does not specifically mention retaliation, the Court held that Section 1981 nevertheless encompasses retaliation claims.
Located On: Hogan & Hartson LLP

Most Popular State Law Article

D.C. Passes the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008.
Washington, D.C. has become the second city, after San Francisco, to pass a law that requires employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees. After significant amendment including input from the employer community, the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 was passed by the D.C. Council in March. Following approval by Mayor Adrian Fenty and a 30-day review process by Congress, the Act was approved on May 13, 2008. Effective November 13, 2008, mandatory sick leave provisions will apply to even the smallest employers.
Located On: Littler Mendelson, P.C.

Most Popular Headlines

A Career Killer for HR Pros—The Employee Free Choice Act
Workforce Management - June 09, 2008

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Company Liability For Errant Employee Errands

Businesses routinely send employees on company errands in their personal vehicles. In many companies, it would be hard to find a day when one employee or another does not jump in the car before or after work, or during lunch, to make a bank deposit, swing by the post office, pick up lunch for the staff, or run some other simple errand. What kind of legal risks does a company face if someone gets hurt in an accident caused by such an employee?

General Rule: Employers Liable for Acts of Employees

It is a general principle of law in California that employers are liable for injury caused by employees who are acting “within the course and scope of their employment.” Attorneys refer to this principle of liability with the Latin phrase “respondeat superior.”

For example, a pizzeria is liable when its delivery driver causes an accident while delivering pizza. A home improvement store will be liable when its stocker topples merchandise off a high shelf onto a customer.

“Going and Coming Rule”

Employers are not ordinarily liable for injury caused by an employee during his or her normal commute to or from work because commuting is not part of the course and scope of employment.

Special Errand Exception

Not all personal driving activities fall outside the course and scope of employment. An employee running a special business errand is deemed to be within the course and scope of employment. The errand can be done either as a part of regular duties or at the specific request or order of the employer. Importantly, the entire trip counts as part of the course and scope of employment, from the start of the errand until the employee returns to the work place or departs from the errand for personal reasons.

Courts have been fairly strict about when the errand becomes personal, requiring a “substantial departure” for personal business before respondeat superior liability ends. In many cases, running a business errand on the way to work or on the way home will cause the entire trip to fall within the course and scope of employment.

For example, an employer may be liable for injuries caused an employee who is asked to make a bank deposit on the way home from work, and who after making the deposit causes an accident on the way home.

Minimizing the Risk

The right kind of insurance coverage is a must. Every business ought to purchase “nonowned” automobile insurance coverage. This insurance covers accidents caused by employees driving their own cars (i.e., cars not owned by the company).

Even with suitable insurance, litigation will be an unwelcome distraction, and quite possibly harm business in broader ways. Consider the possibility of respondeat superior liability any time that an employee is asked to run an errand or drive on company business. Implement company policies regarding the use of personal vehicles for company business. Limit the number of company errands and the employees who run them. Restrict errands to business matters when feasible. A company-wide awareness of the potential for respondeat superior liability, along with appropriate risk management measures, will go a long way keeping the company out of legal tangles.

Submitted by:
Christopher W. Olmsted
Barker Olmsted & Barnier, APLC
San Diego Employment Law Attorneys

Friday, June 06, 2008

Week In Review (June 6, 2008)

Most Popular Federal Law Article

Supreme Court Extends Retaliation Claims to More Employees (pdf).
In its 2006 Burlington Northern decision, the U.S. Supreme Court adopted a relatively easy standard for stating a retaliation claim under Title VII. On May 27, 2008, it issued two decisions which, in effect, enable more employees to bring retaliation claims. Although the decisions come as no surprise, they highlight the increasing risk that employers face for retaliation claims.
Located On: Vedder Price

Most Popular State Law Article

D.C. Passes the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008.
Washington, D.C. has become the second city, after San Francisco, to pass a law that requires employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees. After significant amendment including input from the employer community, the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 was passed by the D.C. Council in March. Following approval by Mayor Adrian Fenty and a 30-day review process by Congress, the Act was approved on May 13, 2008. Effective November 13, 2008, mandatory sick leave provisions will apply to even the smallest employers.
Located On: Littler Mendelson, P.C.

Most Popular Headlines

Bosses: Interview etiquette eroding
Courier Post Online - July 02, 2008

Friday, May 30, 2008

Week In Review (May 30, 2008)

Most Popular Federal Law Article

Employers and Insurers Meet GINA—The Newest Addition to the Federal Discrimination Law Family.
On May 21, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) (H.R. 493), which prohibits discrimination by employers and insurers based on genetic information.
Located On: Ford & Harrison LLP

Most Popular State Law Article

New York Construction Contractors to Need 10-Hour OSHA Course for Public Works Projects.
All public works contracts for New York state and municipal construction jobs of $250,000 or more will require certification that employees performing work under the contract will have completed successfully the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) 10-hour construction course, according to a state law becoming effective July 18, 2008. The course includes topics such as excavations, electrical safety, ladders, fall protection, chemical hazard communication and other safety and health topics.
Located On: Jackson Lewis LLP

Most Popular Headlines

Body language often tells truth in the workplace
Sun Sentinel - May 27, 2008

Tortilla Maker Accused Of Religious Intolerance Against Muslim Workers

As reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on May 28th here, a group of Muslim workers allege they were fired by a Mission Foods tortilla factory for refusing to wear uniforms that they say were immodest by Islamic standards.

“Six Somali women claim they were ordered by a manager to wear pants and shirts to work instead of their traditional Islamic clothing of loose-fitting skirts and scarves.” The women have filed a religious discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

A Mission Foods spokesperson stated that the women were not fired, but rather suspended, because they refused to comply with a company uniform policy.

Presumably the claim is based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964. The law prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. Employers must reasonably accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious practices unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer.

The case will likely focus on whether (1) the clothing in question related to a religious practice or belief; (2) whether the employer could have reasonably accommodated traditional Islamic clothing in the factory; or whether (3) accommodating the clothing would have imposed an undue hardship on the employer. Perhaps the company had health, safety, or other reasons for the uniform policy. In the context of industrial machinery, loose clothing may be dangerous. In the context of food processing, it may not be sanitary. The news report did not provide the employer’s justification. 

Noting an increase in discrimination after September 11, 2001, the EEOC has published guidelines for the religious accommodation of Muslims and ethnic groups from Middle Eastern and Far Eastern countries here and here.

The guidelines include the following FAQ:

Q: “I am a Sikh man and the turban that I wear is a religiously-mandated article of clothing. My supervisor tells me that my turban makes my coworkers ‘uncomfortable,’ and has asked me to remove it. What should I do?””

“If a turban is religiously-mandated, you should ask your employer for a religious accommodation to wear it at work. Your employer has a legal obligation to grant your request if it does not impose a burden, or an ‘undue hardship,’ under Title VII. Claiming that your coworkers might be ‘upset’ or ‘uncomfortable’ when they see your turban is not an undue hardship.”

The EEOC reports that in Fiscal Year 2007, the agency received 2,880 charges of religious discrimination. EEOC resolved 2,525 religious discrimination charges and recovered $6.4 million in monetary benefits for charging parties and other aggrieved individuals (not including monetary benefits obtained through litigation).

Submitted By:
Christopher W. Olmsted
Barker Olmsted & Barnier, APLC
San Diego Employment Law Attorneys

Friday, May 23, 2008

Week In Review (May 23, 2008)

Most Popular Federal Law Article

What Employers Should Know About Insurance For Employment Claims (pdf).
Traditional business insurance policies generally exclude employment claims from coverage.
Located On: Nexsen Pruet

Most Popular State Law Article

New Jersey Governor Corzine Signs Paid Family Leave Act.
Despite intense opposition from the business community, on May 2, 2008, Governor Corzine signed the highly contested paid family leave bill that provides employees up to six weeks of partial wage replacement to care for a newborn or newly adopted child or to care for a sick child, parent or spouse. New Jersey is now the third state, in addition to California and Washington, to offer paid family leave benefits to employees.
Located On: Jackson Lewis LLP

Most Popular Headlines

Weight discrimination could be as common as racial bias
USA Today - May 21, 2008