In this, the latest installment in our series discussing the Biden Administration’s workplace initiatives, we will now consider the potential impact on employment discrimination laws. At the moment, there are two main legislative actions underway in Congress, and President Biden has lent his support to both these initiatives, as well as other proposals that would […]
In 2019, several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board have either issued new regulations, new guidelines, or employer-friendly decisions that every employer should be aware of as we begin our journey into this 2020 election year. Most of the changes coming at the […]
On July 15, 2019, after a protracted legal battle, the EEOC began collecting employers’ EEO-1 2017 and 2018 payroll data, which may be referred to as Component 2 data. The reporting requirement was originally announced by the Obama administration in 2016, but in 2017, the Trump administration stayed the collection of Component 2 data, citing […]
A Wisconsin employer’s settlement last month with the EEOC ended the final round of litigation initiated against it by the EEOC over its workplace wellness plan. In 2009, Manitowoc-based Orion Energy Systems (Orion) implemented a wellness program that included a health assessment. The health assessment consisted of a personal health questionnaire, a biometric screening, and […]
Employers, including federal contractors, with 100 or more employees are required to file employer information reports, called an EEO-1 with the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). The data collected currently includes data on race, ethnicity, and gender. However, under a revised proposal by the EEOC issued on July 14, 2016, as of March 31, 2018, companies […]
Recently, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) published Draft Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Retaliation and Related Issues in order to get public input. The EEOC handles employment discrimination laws, including retaliation claims by employees who engage in “protected activity,” such as employees who complain about discrimination, file a charge of discrimination, or participate in […]
On December 17, 2015, the Seventh Circuit held in EEOC v. CVS Pharmacy Inc. that the EEOC was required to first attempt to resolve its dispute with CVS through conciliation before bringing suit over whether CVS’s language in its severance agreements constituted a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment” of rights secured […]
Litigation against employers by the EEOC regarding the implementation of wellness programs is ongoing in federal court, but no instructive decisions have been issued by the courts. Employers wishing to implement a wellness program but stay out of litigation may feel like they have little guidance on the issue, but there are some instructions out […]
A few weeks ago, we posted a blog about the protection of transgender employees under Title VII. Since then, Caitlyn Jenner has graced the cover of Vanity Fair, the EEOC has further solidified its position on the matter, and OSHA has weighed in on the issue. One matter that has come up in many of the transgender […]
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in EEOC v. Abercrombie and Fitch. Justice Scalia penned the majority opinion while Justice Alito wrote a concurrence and Justice Thomas concurred in part and dissented in part. The case, which centered around whether employers can be held liable for failing to accommodate a religious practice only after the […]
