Employment Law Blog
Taking Aim at the Gender Pay Gap
July 10, 2019
The MeToo movement, which initially focused on sexual misconduct, has started conversations about gender equity in the workplace generally, sparking a renewed interest in addressing gender-based pay discrimination.
Overall, women receive about 80 cents on the dollar compared to men, while women of color typically receive even...
State of the States: Wage and Employment Law in the DMV
May 9, 2019
Maryland and the District of Columbia have some of the most progressive employment laws in the country, offering protections and remedies beyond those guaranteed by the federal minimum wage and antidiscrimination laws that apply nationwide. This year alone, Maryland joined four other states and the District of Columbia in...
Military Cannot Discriminate Against HIV-Positive Servicemembers, Court Rules
April 2, 2019
LGBTQ+ advocates recently won a major victory in a lawsuit challenging discrimination in the military on the basis of HIV status. On February 15, 2019, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia granted the request of two HIV-positive Air Force servicemembers to temporarily block their imminent discharge from...
Google Employees Spearhead Change: Eliminating Forced Arbitration in Sexual Harassment Claims
March 22, 2019
On February 21, 2019, Google announced that it would end its practice of forced arbitration and class action waivers for all claims brought by current or future employees, expanding the commitment Google made in November 2018 to end the practice for claims of workplace sexual harassment and assault. The policy took effect...
Rumors at Work: Court Rules Stereotyped Gossip Constitutes Sex-Based Harassment
March 11, 2019
The Fourth Circuit issued an important decision in February, holding that spreading rumors that a female subordinate slept with a male superior to obtain promotions could constitute sexual harassment under Title VII, and that complaining about such harassment could constitute protected conduct for a retaliation claim. In Parker...
Rare Win for Transportation Workers at Supreme Court over Mandatory Arbitration
March 1, 2019
On January 15, 2019, the Supreme Court decided in New Prime Inc. v. Oliveira that a court cannot enforce a mandatory arbitration agreement against a long-haul truck driver under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), notwithstanding his classification as an independent contractor rather than an employee. No. 17-340, slip op. at 15...
Seventh Circuit Joins Other Courts in Rejecting ADEA Impact Claims by Job Applicants
January 29, 2019
On January 23, 2019, a majority of the Seventh Circuit ruled in an en banc decision that the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) does not permit disparate impact challenges to employers’ hiring practices. See Kleber v. CareFusion Corp., 2019 WL 290241 (7th Cir. Jan. 23, 2019). In reaching this conclusion, the...
Does it Matter that the Supreme Court has Agreed to Review Fort Bend County v. Davis?
January 29, 2019
UPDATE: The Supreme Court unanimously held that the administrative charge filing requirement in the federal employment discrimination statutes is not a jurisdictional requirement. That means that while filing a charge is still required, if a plaintiff fails to file or fails to put all of her claims or allegations in...
Google Employees Confront Widespread Sexual Harassment and Discrimination
December 18, 2018
The MeToo movement has led to a much-need reckoning with the effects of misogyny and unchecked power in a variety of sectors across the country, from Hollywood to political institutions. As part of this movement, technology giants have been forced to face the conditions of their industry, which is rife with sexism, sexual...
EEOC, NLRB Differ over Confidentiality of Workplace Sexual Harassment Investigations
September 13, 2018
The latest report and proposed guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on how employers should respond to sexual harassment in the workplace have raised questions about the confidentiality of investigations. Although the EEOC recommends that employers maintain the confidentiality of internal...
