Last September, I posted that the EEOC had filed its first two lawsuits against private employers alleging discrimination based on gender identity.

The EEOC announced this week that one of the lawsuits -- against Lakeland Eye Clinic of Florida -- has settled. The Clinic has agreed to make two payments of $75,000 to Brandi Branson, who had been the Clinic's Director of Hearing Services ...

I was disappointed earlier this week to see a consultant quoted in an otherwise good article in the Wall Street Journal -- "Employee Theft Often Leads Small Firms to Make Bad Choices" -- as advising the "bogus RIF" strategy with employees who are suspected of theft.

Talk about bad choices!

What's the "bogus RIF" strategy? That's when you're really firing an employee but don't want to ...

If Joe tells co-worker Mary a dirty joke, Joe is probably in violation of the employer's no-harassment policy, right? And he risks being disciplined, or even fired, right?

Right.

But if Mary sues Joe for sexual harassment based on this one joke, her lawsuit will in all likelihood be thrown out of court, right?

Right.

That's because you can't sue over just any old thing, even if it's annoying ...