The United States Supreme Court will decide three cases in October 2019 to determine if Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act guarantees protections from workplace discrimination and harassment to employees on the basis of gender identity or sexual
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EEOC Annual Report Offers Insight into Employment Discrimination Claims
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released its annual report of enforcement and litigation data for fiscal year 2018. The report provides a snapshot of employment discrimination law in the U.S. and often indicates trend lines, providing insight
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EEOC Issues Guidance on Submission Deadlines Impacted by Government Shutdown
As the longest government shutdown in history has come to an end, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently released guidance for employers faced with upcoming EEO-1 submission deadlines and responding to charges of discrimination filed during the government shutdown.
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What Would the Lactation Support Act Mean for SC Employers?
We recently highlighted the “Act to Establish Pay Equity,” which was spearheaded by the SC Women’s Rights & Empowerment Network (WREN).
WREN is also supporting the “South Carolina Lactation Support Act” that expands upon the Pregnancy Accommodations Act by providing nursing employees with the right to break time and private space to express milk in their workplaces. A key provision of the Lactation Support Act is that it would apply to all employers, regardless of the number of employees.
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Age Discrimination in the Workplace
It is no secret that more U.S. workers are electing to put off retirement and remain in the workforce longer. Given the current labor shortage (lowest unemployment rate in 18 years), this is great news for companies as retaining experienced
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South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations Act
The South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations Act, found here, was signed into law on Friday, May 18, 2018. The Act amends the South Carolina Human Affairs Law. In passing the legislation, the General Assembly stated,
It is the intent of the General Assembly by this act to combat pregnancy discrimination, promote public health, and ensure full and equal participation for women in the labor force by requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Current workplace laws are inadequate to protect pregnant women from being forced out or fired when they need a simple, reasonable accommodation in order to stay on the job. Many pregnant women are single mothers or the primary breadwinners for their families; if they lose their jobs then the whole family will suffer. This is not an outcome that families can afford in today’s difficult economy.
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Employer Policies Involving the Flu Vaccine and Discrimination Under Title VII
According to the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”), the United States experiences a flu season each year. With this year’s flu season considered one of the worst since the 2009-2010 pandemic, many employers wish to implement policies to protect the workplace and wonder whether they can implement policies mandating vaccination for their employees. This desire is particularly present in healthcare because those employees are charged with protecting patient safety and more often exposed to patients with compromised immunity.
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Sexual Harassment and What Employers Must Do to Comply
The latest headlines confirm the 2016 findings published by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that workplace harassment too often goes unreported. The EEOC reports that “approximately 70% of the individuals who experienced harassment never even talked with a supervisor
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Court’s Ruling Requiring The EEOC To Reconsider Its “Wellness” Regulations Is Not Necessarily A Good Thing For Employers
The ruling in the AARP v. EEOC case may be detrimental to employers and their healthcare plans because the EEOC may either reduce the percentage of its allowable inducement (or penalty) below 30% of the employee cost for participation in
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A Drill Down on Pence’s Policy in Context of Avoiding Workplace Discrimination
David Donovan of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly posted an article, “The Pence Policy: Male-Female Interaction Rule May Have Pitfalls for Employers”, which addresses how Vice President Pence’s policy to never eat alone with a woman other than his wife
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