The EEOC recently settled a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit it filed on behalf of a female employee against an apartment complex located in Montgomery, Alabama. The settlement required the management company to pay $42,500.00 and comply with other training obligations by mandated by the EEOC. In January 2018, Multi-South Management took over a large apartment complex in… Read More
What is pregnancy discrimination?
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act has now been in place for over 40 years. While the law has many protections, its simple goal is to prevent discrimination in the workplace against females who are pregnant. Even though Alabama workers are typically at-will employees, the Federal discrimination law prevent an employer from applying different standards to different… Read More
Breastfeeding Cop Verdict Upheld
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a former Tuscaloosa police officer’s case against the Police Department for pregnancy discrimination and retaliation. Melissa Hicks had worked for the Tuscaloosa Police Department for three years before taking FMLA leave for the birth of her child. Upon returning to work, she was written up for infractions and… Read More
Pregnancy Discrimination in Alabama
Working mothers are a vital part of a diverse economy. Unfortunately, many employers fail to recognize the value these employees bring to companies and use subtle means to discourage employees from returning to work after pregnancy. My office often receives call from women who have been discriminated against in the workplace due to being pregnant,… Read More
EEOC Files Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against Retail Store
The EEOC recently filed a lawsuit against a Tennessee retail clothing and apparel company alleging it violated federal law by discriminating against a Chattanooga employee because of her pregnancy. The EEOC’s suit asserts that the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it discriminated against a female employee because of her… Read More
Fed Ex Pays $3 Million to Resolve Allegations of Discrimination in Hiring Practices
Fed Ex has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs that the company’s hiring practices were discriminatory. The Department of Labor discovered the alleged discriminatory practices while performing a yearly audit of contractors who work with the Federal Government. The agency claimed… Read More
EEOC Report: Discrimination against pregnant woment in workplace increasing
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), pregnancy discrimination has become more frequent in the U.S. over the past ten years. A new EEOC report showed over 50,000 new charges by women alleging they had been discriminated by the employer related to their pregnancies. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act was enacted to protect pregnant women and new moms from discrimination in the workplace… Read More
What Federal Laws protect Alabama employees?
As an employment lawyer in Alabama, one of the questions I am most often asked by prospective clients is what laws protect an employee from illegal or improper treatment in the workplace. The answer to this question would take pages to answer completely, but I thought it would be worth addressing the basic framework of… Read More
City of Atlanta to Pay Three Firefighters $320,000 in Cheating Class Action
After a jury found in favor of three Atlanta firefighters, the judge awarded them $320,000 for legal fees in a class action lawsuit alleging City of Atlanta officials failed to address allegations of cheating on a fire department promotion test. According to the lawsuit, two assistant chiefs provided answers to a handful of firefighters before the exam.The lawsuit alleged that the city did not… Read More
Pregnancy Discrimination on the Rise
According the Bureau of Labor, women now are the primary wage earners for the majority of American families. As more women continue to work while pregnant and even late into pregnancy, problems with employment and improper treatment by employers also increases. The federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act was enacted over thirty years ago and requires employers to treat pregnant… Read More