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Texas Supreme Court: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Does Not Apply to State Law

By Discrimination, Federal Court, Pay Discrimination, Recent Cases, Texas Supreme Court, Tips & News
This week, the Texas Supreme Court decided that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act does not apply to the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA), the state law mirroring Title VII. (Click here for my previous blog covering the oral argument of this case.) The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay…
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Fifth Circuit Certifies Two Questions to Texas Supreme Court Regarding Employment At-Will

By At-will Employment, Fifth Circuit, Labor, Recent Cases, Texas Supreme Court, Writs to Watch
This recent case brings to mind the old adage, “Never make promises you can’t keep.” Here are the alleged facts: DuPont spun off part of its operations to form a new subsidiary. DuPont gave affected employees an option—keep working for DuPont or go work for the new subsidiary. DuPont allegedly…
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Sex, Religion, & Politics: Things I Learned from My Mother

By Corporate Culture, Discrimination, Professionalism, Religious Discrimination, Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Tips & News
My mother taught me never to talk about sex, politics, or religion in a social setting.  You might ask: where’s the fun in that?  But for employers, training employees to avoid these topics in the workplace is not only more fun than getting sued for discrimination or harassment, it is…
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Absent BFOQ, Transgendered Employees Protected under Title VII

By Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ), Discrimination, EEOC, Employment Policies, National Origin Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Religious Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Sexual Stereotyping, Transgender Discrimination
What does discrimination on the basis of "sex" mean under Title VII? When the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, it prohibited discrimination based on a lot of really big, important categories---such as race, national origin, religion, and sex. Back then, everybody knew what sex discrimination meant—it meant discrimination…
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EEOC Says Transgender Discrimination Violates Title VII

By Discrimination, EEOC, Employment Policies, National Origin Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Recent Cases, Religious Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Sexual Stereotyping, Tips & News, Transgender Discrimination, U.S. Supreme Court
In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outlawed major forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, and sex. At the time, sex discrimination meant discrimination against women. Today, however, courts are grappling with the boundaries of sex discrimination…
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New Year Reflections

By Professionalism
As I reflect on the New Year, I am reminded of the words of Albert Einstein: "Strange is our situation here on earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one…
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No-Ho-Ho: Managing Risk from Holiday Party Is No Laughing Matter

By Corporate Culture, Disability Discrimination, Discrimination, Employment Policies, Holiday Parties, Race Discrimination, Sexual Harassment
Ah, the company holiday party.  Some employees live for them, others dread them.  Most would agree that memorable things happen at them, including some things we would rather forget.  Holiday party–related activities that have resulted in a lawsuit against a Texas employer include: • A skit performed during a company…
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