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2009

• Labor Law Changes on the Horizon
• FMLA expanded again
• Hello, GINA!
• How to Survive the Perfect Storm
• So You Think Sexual Harassment Doesn't Happen Like It Used To? Think Again!
• For most California companies 2009 is a compliance training year.
• When Johnny and Janie Come Marching Home Again: Re-employment Rights of Military Veterans
• Preventing Workplace Violence
• Your Legal Check-Up for H1N1 Flu
• Number One EEOC Best Practice: Train Your Managers!
• Employers Be WARNed!
• First Obama labor legislation expands rights to back pay
• US Supreme Court expands retaliation liability for employers, again!
• New FMLA regulations expand rights for military families

2008

• Is training legally required?
• Protecting your company in tough economic times: before, during and after layoffs
• More people now disabled under ADA, but employers still allowed to enforce performance and conduct standards
• Supervisor's informal policy leads to right to porn on work pager
• Can you afford e-training?
• Supreme Court Tells Employers to Document Legitimate Reasons for Layoff
• Genetic Discrimination Now Illegal
• Four Key Concepts Keep You Out of Court
• Layoffs Lead to Lawsuits
• Company Ordered to Pay Punitive Damages After Manager Denied ADA Training
• Company Wins Case With Good Investigation & Training
• Your Legal "To Do" List

2007

• Final Warning to Harasser Must be Enforced
• "Hostile environment" or "Environmental harassment" - which is the right term for sexual harassment?
• Company's Training Torpedoed by One Joke from Chairman
• Court Rules: Promote Employees with Foreign Accents
• Fed Study Finds Family Medical Leave Law Doesn't Help in Cases of Chronic Disease
• Prevent Lawsuits for Harassment and Discrimination based on Family Responsibility
• Government Orders Company to Stop Computer-Based Training
• DOD Loses Harassment Case for Failure to Train Harasser
• Company Wins Harassment Case When Victim Refuses Counseling
• "Addicted to Internet" Protected Disability?
• Manager Who Failed to Interview Black Applicants Guilty of Discrimination
• 2007 New Year's Resolutions to Stay Out of Court

2006

• Background Checks Prevent Discrimination
• Court Requires UPS to Hire Deaf Drivers
• Managers Required to Stop Harassment from Outsiders
• Harassment Victim Wins Retaliation Lawsuit
• "Smoking Gun" Not Needed to Prove Retaliation
• U. S. Supreme Court Expands Definition of Retaliation
• Can Employers Require Women to Wear Makeup?
• Supreme Court Overturns TV "Friends" Case
• Company Loses Harassment Case Due to No Training
• Employers Must Report Employees Who Surf Illegal Websites
• New Case Holds Terminations Must be Handled Consistently
• New Year's Resolutions to Stay Out of Court

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2005

• Screaming at Women is Sexual Harassment
• FBI Agent Loses Harassment Case, but Wins on Retaliation
• Office Affairs Lead to Successful Retaliation Claim
• Manager Wins Retaliation Case After Refusing to Fire Associate Illegally
• Screaming at Women is Sexual Harassment
• FBI Agent Loses Harassment Case, but Wins on Retaliation
• Office Affairs Lead to Successful Retaliation Claim
• Manager Wins Retaliation Case After Refusing to Fire Associate Illegally
• Landmark Case Holds Office Affairs Create Hostile Environment
• Company Wins Harassment Case After Supervisor Repeatedly Exposes Himself
• Employee Rights in the Blogosphere
• New Case Requires Supervisors to Report Their Manager's Harassment
• Federal Appeals Court Protects Transsexual
• Employee Wins Disability Harassment Case
• Workplace Sexual Assaults Require More Than Oral Warnings
• Employee Ordered to Pay $27 Million to Company

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2004

• Multiple Harassment Policies Can Hurt Company
• California Requires Supervisor Sexual Harassment Training
• Promoting Harasser to Management Leads to Retaliation Case
• New Overtime Rules Now in Effect
• When a Harassed Employee Quits, Your Troubles May Just Be Starting
• Employees Now Winning Claims Under ADA, FMLA
• New Overtime Regulations Announced
• Fairness on the Job-It's Not Just Monkey Business!
• U. S. Supreme Court OKs Preferences for Older Workers
• Religion and Sexual Orientation Diversity: When Values Collide
• When Harassment Turns to Romance -- "Victim" Returns Money Settlement
• Watch Out for the References Set-Up!

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2003

• Supreme Court Limits Damages in Harassment Cases
• Court Upholds Management's Right to Change Performance Ratings
• Losing Employee Ordered to Pay Employer's Court Costs
• Worker Rights When the Lights Go Out
• Court Rules Employee Does Not Have Right to be Laid Off
• Fire a Whistleblower, or Falsify Documents, and Go to Jail
• Employee Held to be Supervisor in Harassment Case
• Get Hip to HIPAA!
• Nod Your Head, Go to Court
• E-mail = Evidence: How To Protect Yourself
• $250 million settlement for age bias; California expands age protections
• Whistleblowers of the Year

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2002

• Who are these people?
• Pregnant employee gets punitive damages
• New California law on family leave
• Protect your company against punitived damages
• Employees win failure to hire cases - even though they didn't apply for the jobs
• Supreme court reverses key ADA decision
• OSHA's new ergonomics plan:an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of citations!
• Identity theft prompts new privacy protections for employees
• Avoiding retaliation claims: don't get mad, don't get even
• Americans with Disabilities Act - gutted for good?
• The limits on freedom of speech at work

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2001

• Employees allowed to have co-worker present in investigation meetings
• Federal harassment defenses not allowed under California law
• California employers required to grant sick leave for domestic partners
• EEOC updates discrimination guidelines
• After September 11: Employment law issues
• New cases & laws protect men who are "not man enough"
• Legal advice -- go see Legally Blond
• More men suing men for sexual harassment
• Steal trade secrets, go to jail
• Forced ranking - the right way
• Applicant who lies can be fired
• New law and regulations increase ability to hire foreign workers
• Snakes alive! or, What's a disability, anyway?

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2000

• A tale of two employers
• How NOT to comply with the FMLA
• New rights for "whistleblowers"
• New law limits overtime for some employees
• Employer can be sued for harassment in on-line forum
• Disabled employees need not follow regular procedures to achieve reasonable accommodation
• Employer required to accommodate escalating requests for accommodation
• Abusive racial comments directed at other employees can aggravate effects of sexual harassment
• Employee loses discrimination case, wins $3 million + for retaliation
• "Seinfeld" case reversed on appeal; management upheld on all counts
• Company loses case because of outdated Harassment Policy
• Employer policy, investigation, action wins harassment cases
• Harassment investigations should go beyond complaint
• Few people "regarded as disabled" under ADA
• Courts find proposed ADA accommodations unreasonable
• California holds employees not liable for harassment
• California law prohibits firing for off-duty conduct

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1999

• Evidence of harassment of other employees is admissable
• Employee ordered to pay company's legal fees
• Employer wins harassment case
• Company gets injunction against employee
• Promoting the "right person for the job" may be discrimination
• New California law prohibits using salary for layoff
• New California law requires sick leave for child's illness
• Lack of ADA training leads to punitive damages
• Employer's guide to new EEOC harassment guidelines
• New Supreme Court decisions on ADA substantially limit plaintiffs' claims
• Accrued sick leave and vacation pay may be "wages"
• Racial & sexual harassment against "snitch" illegal
• ADA accommodation duty requires a good faith interactive process
• "No leave" rule violates state pregnancy discrimination law
• Older worker constructively discharged when moved to "death cubicle"
• Sleep is major life activity; concentration is not.
• Prompt reporting and response eliminates sex harassment liability

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Fall 1998

• Failure to redeploy older worker is age discrimination 01-05-99
• Failure to file sexual harassment complaint excuses company delay 12-22-98
• New employee can be fired for requesting maternity leave 12-08-98
• Sexist comments + bad documentation = sex discrimination 11-25-98
• What the buddha said about sexual harassment 11-10-98
• Managers NOT personally liable for mis-handling harassment complaints 10-27-98
• False claim of harassment not slander unless made with malice 10-13-98

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Summer 1998

• Manager properly fired for off-site sexual activity 09-29-98
• Manager's attorneys fees paid if they acted in course & scope of employment 09-15-98
• Court orders employer to pay attorneys fees for sued manager 09-01-98
• Court details how to conduct a fair investigation 08-18-98
• Evidence of harassment of other employees admissible at trial 08-04-98
• Managers can NOT be sued personally for discrimination, Cal. Supreme Court holds 07-24-98
• Supreme Court rules in landmark sexual harassment cases 07-07-98
• Losing corrections officer ordered to pay employer's attorneys fees 06-23-98
• Employee who wins workers comp can't bring race discrimination suit 06-09-98

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Spring 1998

• Sexual harassment cases rarely overturned, study shows 05-26-98
• Two new harassment cases buck conservative trend 05-12-98
• What the Paula Jones case means to you 04-21-98
• Calif. Supreme Court allows Boy Scouts to discriminate 04-07-98

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Winter 1998

• Employer not required to accommodate religious pilgrimage 03-24-98
• What's new - U.S. Supreme Court rules on same-sex harassment & more 03-10-98
• N.J. Supreme Court rules one racist comment = harassment 02-22-98
• Handling stress held an essential function of the job 02-10-98
• Calif. Supreme Court upholds employer in important case 01-13-98
• California overtime rules change 1-1-98; change your policies, too 12-30-97
• Court holds sexual harassment training program protects company 12-23-97

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Fall 1997

• Culture clash leads to age discrimination claim
• We told you your e-mails would get you
• California appeals court holds assault is not illegal harassment
• Bad treatment of older workers does not prove discrimination
• Inability to get along with others not covered by ADA
• Employee properly fired 3 years after misconduct
• New law expands applicant right to know
• Hooters wins in EEOC settlement
• Slurred speech condition may require accommodation
• Anti-affirmative action comments may prove discrimination
• Manic depressive employee properly fired when AWOL
• Veterans reemployment act violated by denial of promotion

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Summer 1997

• 25-pound lifting restriction not a disability
• Customer list held to be trade secret
• Manager's oral promise creates a contract
• California employer may lay off higher paid workers
• Negative reference is illegal retaliation even if employee would not have been hired
• Microsoft loses independent contractor case -- again
• So what if it's legal? It's not right
• Employee wins for firing after refusing drug test
• Sex discrimination glass ceiling proved at Olsten
• One remark by CEO can prove age discrimination
• Employer found liable where it "should have known" sexual harassment occurring
• The world laughs at U. S. sexual attitudes
• Employee properly terminated for making threats
• Racist comment by supervisor does not prove race discrimination

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Spring 1997

• California Supreme Court gives employees more time to sue
• Employee ordered to pay employer's court costs
• "At will" company sued for wrongful termination after layoff
• Hilton Hotel held liable for Tailhook
• Two new sexual harassment decisions continue conservative trend
• Employee takes religious freedom too far
• Retail clerk with epilepsy not protected by ADA
• Major California case expands ADA protections for employees
• Carpal tunnel syndrome may not be disability under ADA
• Ninth Circuit adopts "reasonable person" standard for sexual harassment

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Winter 1997

• Don't force workers to celebrate birthdays
• Court rules in favor of aircraft safety whistleblower
• Employer may terminate woman who punches harasser
• No race discrimination where employer conducted good faith investigation
• Court limits retaliation claims
• Employer sued for fraud after giving good reference to sexual harasser
• Invalid EEO claim leads to valid retaliation case
• HR mistakes cost employer $17 million
• "Old timer" remark does not prove age discrimination
• Company upheld in firing alcoholic employee
• Good news for managers

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Fall 1996

• Prop 209 and affirmative action
• Supervisor not personally liable for failing to stop sexual harassment
• Lessons from Texaco
• Company liable for alleged rape by supervisor in repressed memory case
• Sexual harassment in Texas
• First Amendment overrides religious harassment policy
• Employer discretion upheld in sexual harassment case
• Microsoft loses on independent contractors
• Disabled employee can't have it both ways
• Rethinking sexual harassment
• Small facility ordered to accommodate Sabbath

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Summer 1996

• Major privacy rights case impacts stress claims
• Circumstantial evidence proves retaliation
• That's not sexual harassment, that's freedom of speech!
• Employee quits, wins constructive discharge case
• Employee ordered to pay company's lawyers
• Managers not personally liable for discrimination
• Sarcasm = Racism?
• Here's a switch - employer sues employees and wins

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Spring 1996

• Non-disabled employee wins ADA case
• A new way of looking at sexual harassment
• Unsafe working environment leads only to workers compensation claim
• You don't have full freedom of speech at work
• An analysis of the supreme court's gay rights decision
• Silicon Valley African-American wins case against Lockheed
• Revising your policies? Give employees notice of major changes
• "Outing" gay employee held invasion of privacy
• Do you have a private life?
• Supervisor can sue for harassment by subordinate
• Husband violated employee agreement by supporting wife's business
• Accidentally putting confidential information on network drive is not slander
• Don't lie to applicants
• Laptops now exempt from export control?

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Winter 1996

• Sexual favoritism is not sexual harassment
• Now THIS is discrimination
• Not All harassment is illegal
• Smokers have no right to privacy, says U. S. Supreme Court
• This is NOT sexual harassment
• Age discrimination found where top salesman fired
• Accommodations suggested by employee were unreasonable
• California Court affirms employee's duty of loyalty
• Car salesman fired for opposing sales training can pursue whistleblowing case

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