Is your company an EEOC target?

I've written before about the Strategic Enforcement Plan of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which was officially adopted last December, and the Commission's priorities. Last week, EEOC Commissioner Victoria Lipnic spoke about the Plan in more detail at legal compliance symposium.

Commissioner Lipnic is a Republican who used to ...

NOTE: I apologize for the delayed posting. Our blogging platform was having technical difficulties for much of the day on Friday, so I decided to wait until Monday to post this to make sure you saw it!

In my last post, in response to the bombings at the Boston Marathon, I talked about some ways that employers can prevent violence in the workplace and even avoid hiring the type of employee who ...

First responders in West, Texas*. Sales clerks in the stores near the finish line at the Boston Marathon. Staff of the District Attorney's office in Kaufman County, Texas. Teachers and administration at Sandy Hook Elementary. Ticket-takers and popcorn-scoopers at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

*Although the explosion at West Fertilizer Company appears to ...

Are you in retail, fashion, or marketing, and getting ready to reject a job candidate because he or she doesn't have the "look" you want?

You might want to look before you leap. Or before you have to go to trial in front of a California jury against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The apparel chain Abercrombie & Fitch is learning that the hard way.

Abercrombie was sued a while ago ...

Five quick ones from the harassment world, plus a "bonus track" involving our old friends Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer.

This is sexual harassment? On what planet? Employment Law360 (paid subscription required) reports that a court in California is allowing the sexual harassment claim of model Lanisha Cole from The Price Is Right to go to trial in May. According to Ms. Cole, the ...

NOTE: Because of the holiday weekend, this will be our "Friday" post of the week. Happy Passover, Easter, or end of March, as the case may be!

"Hippity, hoppity, y'all!"

This is my third and final installment on equal pay -- at least, until I decide to talk about it again. My first post is here, and the second is here.

What is the one simple, cheap, and easy thing that an employer can do to minimize ...

My post last week on why the "gender pay gap" is mostly bogus generated a great discussion in the comment box. In the hopes of keeping it going, this week I'd like to talk about some of the discrimination or quasi-discrimination issues we do occasionally find.

That nasty remaining five percent or so* that can't be explained by personal choice.

*Completely unscientific percentage.

If your ...

Last spring I had the honor of talking about equal pay legislation with Stephanie Thomas on her podcast The Proactive Employer. My counterpart and the star of the show was Lilly Ledbetter.

Yes. That Lilly Ledbetter. Lilly Ledbetter of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The Lilly Ledbetter who wore a red suit and stood beside President Obama when he signed the Fair Pay Act into law. Ms ...

Another set of FMLA regs, effective today! Par-TAY!

Last week I vented about the continuous congressional tweaking of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which necessitated the issuance of new FMLA regulations. Here is a copy of the new regs, which were published in the Federal Register on February 6 and take effect today.

"NEW FMLA REGS!!!! GO WILD!!"

Here are some links at the Department ...

Dear Congressperson:

I know you are busy, but I am hoping you can take a few minutes out of your sequester stuff to help with the Family and Medical Leave Act, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, as amended again by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, as amended yet again by the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act of 2010.

Here's ...