Michigan-based Company Agrees to Pay $175,000 to 

Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Case The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), announced on May 27, 2022, that a Michigan-based company will pay $175,000 as well as provide other relief to settle a sex discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The EEOC charged Konos, Inc., with violating federal law by subjecting a female employee to… Read More

Tax Whistleblower Anti-Retaliation Laws

“Whistleblowing” or reporting an employer’s violations of internal revenue laws is a method of uncovering tax fraud.  Often, employees closest to a company are the first to notice an employer’s non-compliance with tax laws. The Taxpayer First Act (“TFA”) provides protection for a tax whistleblower who uncovers an employee’s non-compliance with internal revenue laws, including… Read More

Dillard’s to Pay $900,000 for Failure to Advertise Management Positions, Failure to Hire Black Interns, Among Other Unlawful Conduct

Dillard’s, Inc., a well-known department store chain based out of Little Rock, Arkansas, will pay $900,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the EEOC for alleged failure to promote African American employees based on race.  The EEOC also alleged that Dillard’s discriminated in its intern-selection process based on race. In its suit against the company,… Read More

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Greater Protection for LGBTQi+ Employees

“An employer who fires an employee merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.” – Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch The Supreme Court kicked off Pride Month 2020 in a meaningful way.  On June 15, 2020, the Court issued the landmark holding of Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia.  The Court ruled that Title VII of… Read More

FMLA Interference and Retaliation

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide up to 12 weeks of job protected unpaid leave a year.  To be eligible for FMLA leave, an employee must have worked for their employer for 12 months and 1,250 hours within the last 12 months. An… Read More

“Regarded as Disabled” under the ADA

In November of last year, an Illinois federal judge ruled in favor of the EEOC in a case against Amstead Rail Company. The court held that the company discriminated against applicants by requiring a medical screening which predicted the potential for applicants to develop carpal tunnel. Amstead screened applicants who had already accepted conditional employment… 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

Birmingham EEOC Office Files Lawsuit Alleging Disability Discrimination and Genetic Information Discrimination

In September, the Birmingham, Alabama office of the EEOC filed a lawsuit against Dollar General alleging the company violated federal law when it rescinded job offers to applicants whose medical examinations revealed they had disabilities. These examinations also unlawfully solicited family medical history from such job applicants, a form of genetic information. The employment discrimination… Read More