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| Despite the large number of working women and two longstanding federal laws aimed at protecting pregnant women from workplace discrimination, many still find themselves in crises as their pregnancies progress. A growing number are taking their grievances to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which has seen pregnancy discrimination claims jump 45 percent since 1992. |
| (Source: Monterey Herald, 2007-10-24) |
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| As the number of employees with elder and child care demands grows, more workers are filing lawsuits claiming they've been discriminated against on the job because of their family caregiving obligations. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which recently issued its first guidance for employers about the issue, reports an "upsurge" in cases -- with many resulting in awards to plaintiffs. The type of discrimination is growing so fast, it's been dubbed "family responsibilities discrimination." |
| (Source: USA Today (free reg. req'd), 2007-10-24) |
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| The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says it is filing several racial harassment lawsuits a year involving hangman's nooses in workplaces, a trend agency officials say coincides with rising numbers of racial harassment complaints. Racial harassment complaints filed with the agency have more than doubled the past 17 years, from 3,075 in fiscal year 1991 to about 7,000 in 2007. |
| (Source: USA Today (free reg. req'd), 2007-10-26) |
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| A bill to grant legal status to illegal immigrants who are high school graduates was defeated in a test vote in the Senate, significantly dimming the prospects for any major immigration legislation this year. The bill, sponsored by Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Senate Democrat, would have given provisional legal status to illegal immigrant students who completed high school if they either attended college or served in the military for two years. |
| (Source: The New York Times (free reg. req'd), 2007-10-25) |
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| As California goes, so goes the country. If that adage is accurate, Big Four accounting firms may be looking at a slew of class-action lawsuits questioning in-house overtime policies for white-collar workers. Two similar lawsuits are wending their way through the U.S. district court system in California, one targeting PricewaterhouseCoopers and the other Deloitte & Touche. |
| (Source: CFO.com, 2007-10-26) |
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| The European Union's new proposal aimed at fast-tracking the immigration process for workers in "highly skilled" jobs is making some U.S. technology heavyweights nervous. American tech firms are concerned that unless Congress acts fast to increase the cap on H-1B temporary visas, they'll soon lose out on foreign talent to EU countries. |
| (Source: CNET News.com, 2007-10-25) |
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| A federal judge, while agreeing with a jury that found "a significant degree of reprehensible conduct" by General Electric Co., has cut the nearly $12 million award to an engineer in a job discrimination lawsuit. In his 32-page decision, Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton cut $5 million from the award to Hemant K. Mody of Avon. |
| (Source: Newsday, 2007-10-24) |
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| A former Chevron Corp. employee was awarded $5.5 million by a San Francisco federal court jury that found Chevron liable for retaliation and wrongful termination. Kiran Pande was awarded roughly $3 million for past and future economic losses, and $2.5 million in punitive damages. |
| (Source: East Bay Business Times, 2007-10-29) |
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| About five percent of the nation's companies, according to one survey, have hired personal assistance firms to handle at least some services for their workers -- whether that means arranging for a car wash or searching for airfare deals, for example. The employer pays the concierge's fee, while staffers pay the cost of the wash or tickets. |
| (Source: BusinessWeek, 2007-10-25) |
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Tami Earnhart
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Most employers are familiar with the federal laws related to the payment of wages, family and medical leave, discrimination, and other issues that affect the management of their workforce. These laws are reflected in the employer's pay practices, leave policies, and anti-harassment policies. When an employee raises an issue, management or human resources quickly considers the federal law implications (and frequently the laws of the state in which the corporate office is located) and responds to the employee. When the employer has locations in more than one state, however, the employer needs to be wary of the laws of the state in which the employee is located. There are some dramatic differences that could affect the answer to the employee's questions and expose the company to liability if not handled correctly.
Read the entire article about state and local laws.
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Michael Blickman
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Michael Blickman has a way with words. His ability to persuade helped him convince his father, a former President of the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, that a Jesuit legal education was exactly what Michael needed. The fact that the school was fifteen minutes away from Fenway Park probably didn't spur Michael's motivation… much. Michael was also able to lobby for a position with the United Nations' Office of Legal Affairs and, while there, organized a softball tournament for U.N. employees in Central Park. An international incident was successfully avoided. As you can see, his way with words doesn't quite outweigh his sense of fun. He is especially happy this week with the Red Sox's World Series victory.
When Michael began searching for a firm to join, he was able to see the vision of Ice Miller when the Firm had only sixty attorneys. Michael has since then had a key role in shaping the growth of Ice Miller to become one of the leading law firms that it is today.
Michael Blickman is a partner with Ice Miller and is chair of the Labor & Employment Group.
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