Articles Discussing General Sex Discrimination Issues Under Title VII.

A lawsuit brought by female professional soccer players against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) may be settled, partly.

In 2019, female professional soccer players on the United States Senior Women’s National Team, including well-known players like Megan Rapinoe, filed a collective action in federal court in California alleging the

Jennifer Youpa and Nina Markey discuss the importance of advancing gender equity in the workplace, how access and representation are critical to creating opportunities for women, and how women can help each other achieve their professional goals.  

Players on the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team have settled some of the claims the group made in its Equal Pay Act lawsuit against U.S. Soccer Federation, the national governing body for the sport. The settlement resolves issues related to working conditions that are alleged to be less favorable than

New York State recently enacted a new law (A 6330/S 4278) mandating a study of the proportion of female members on the boards of corporations authorized to do business in the state.

Often—and without much thinking—when an employer faces a claim of sexual harassment, the knee-jerk response is to discipline or terminate the man accused. It is the easiest way to go, especially if the alleged harasser is a mid- or lower-level employee, is not a stellar performer, and involved in a largely he said/she said situation. And terminating the alleged harasser may have the salutary effects of cutting off liability under federal law and limiting damages under New York State and New York City law by showing that the employer took appropriate steps to ensure that the harassment would not recur.

Dear Littler: A long-term San Francisco-based employee with our company is returning soon from maternity leave. In discussing her return date, she requested accommodations for expressing breast milk at work. After working with our human resources manager, we decided to install a lock on her office door so that she would have a private and convenient place to do so. The employee is not satisfied with this measure, however, and has requested a room with both a sink and a refrigerator for her private use. We have a kitchen on a nearby floor, but we aren’t sure if that is necessary or sufficient. Also, we have locations throughout the country, and similar questions keep coming up at our various regional offices. Do we really need to provide “the kitchen sink” to be in compliance with lactation accommodation laws? What are our duties?

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, in Parker v. Reema Consulting Services, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has held that a false rumor that a woman slept with her manager to obtain promotions could give rise to Title VII liability. Reema Consulting Services Inc. had won a motion to dismiss Evangeline Parker’s discrimination and retaliation claims. The district court viewed Parker’s allegations as describing harassment motivated not by her gender but by false allegations about her conduct. The court had also ruled that because the rumor was in circulation for such a short time, the treatment Parker suffered because of it was not severe or pervasive.

A severance package is pay and/or benefits employers pay employees following a termination or layoff. Often, the employee’s acceptance of the severance will include a release of any potential claims against the employer. Of course, severance packages are not required. In a recent decision, a court considered what happens when every departing employee is not offered a severance package.

The customer isn’t necessarily always right. Neither is a patient. In Gardner v. CLC of Pascagoula, LLC, the Fifth Circuit Court analyzed an employer’s alleged failure to respond to a complaint of inappropriate actions of a patient in an assistant living facility.

A case involving a former jail officer shows how keeping detailed, contemporaneous records of complaints of discrimination and unfair treatment can help defend against employee claims.

On the heels of the “Day Without Immigrants” protest, thousands of women may take the day off from work on March 8, 2017, to underscore the value of working women to the economy. The organizers of “A Day Without a Woman” cites national political issues as the key reason for this “general strike” action.

Employers in education are familiar with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its applicability to all schools receiving federal funding. Title IX states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Title IX applies to students and employees, and impacts decisions pertaining to admissions, athletics, funding, employment of women as faculty and administrators, sexual harassment, and testing. For employees (including faculty), Title IX is an additional overlay to other federal laws protecting employees from gender-based discrimination, including Title VII.

Executive Summary: On June 14, 2016, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published its updated sex discrimination rule for federal contractors and subcontractors. The Final Rule, “Discrimination on the Basis of Sex,” takes effect today, August 15, 2016. The Rule implements the requirements of Presidential Executive Order 11246 (E.O. 11246), which prohibits covered federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating against their employees on a number of grounds, including sex. The OFCCP’s sex discrimination rule was last updated in 1970, and the new rule incorporates many legal developments that have occurred since that time.