A white male hospital executive was recently awarded a $10 million payout for employment discrimination after being fired and then replaced by two women – one white, one of color – as part of his company’s diversity and inclusion program. The employee said he was terminated without warning due to the company’s efforts to diversify… Read More »
Fired After Seeking Drug or Alcohol Treatment
Many employees avoid seeking treatment for drug or alcohol addiction because they are afraid of losing their jobs or that they will be subject to other adverse employment actions. However, it is important to understand that your choice to get help is protected by various laws and acts that provide a measure of job security… Read More »
Supreme Court Weighs Transgender and Sexual Orientation Discrimination
A transgender woman’s wrongful termination case is among three cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear to tackle the question of whether federal anti-discrimination laws, specifically Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, applies to employees based on gender identity or sexual orientation. The details of the wrongful termination case… Read More »
Employer Retaliation Wrongful Termination
Repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, a back injury, or other conditions that result from performing the duties of a job sometimes require medical attention and days off from work to resolve the injury. Unfortunately, an employee may experience retaliation including wrongful termination when they file a workers’ compensation claim to take care… Read More »
Pregnancy Discrimination and FMLA Violations in the Workplace
An employee who claimed she was fired after becoming pregnant has settled her claim with Humana Inc. to the tune of $500K plus $250K in attorney fees. This, after a U.S. District judge in New Jersey entered a judgement in favor of the plaintiff who sued her former employer and its parent company, Humana Inc.,… Read More »
Fired After Taking Drug and Alcohol Test
If you have been fired due to a positive drug or alcohol test, you may feel that your legal rights were violated. Although generally speaking an Iowa employer has the right to test an employee for substance abuse, they also have certain responsibilities they must fulfill prior to administering a drug or alcohol test. What… Read More »
Can My Iowa Employer Test Me for Drugs and Alcohol?
If you have been fired from your job because you failed a drug or alcohol test, you may wonder if there is any legal recourse. It is helpful to start by considering what rights your Iowa employer has to test employees for drugs and alcohol. In Iowa, private sector employers have the option to test… Read More »
Unemployment Benefits
Can I get Iowa unemployment benefits if I quit my job? Generally speaking, you cannot collect unemployment benefits if you quit your job, however, there are some exceptions. If you quit your job because your employer made major changes to your job, you may be eligible for benefits. These changes may include: the hours or… Read More »
Employer Retaliation Lawsuit
Whistle blower laws generally protect employees who report (“or blow the whistle on”) health, safety, environmental, or other violations committed by their employers. Because employees are usually the first to recognize wrongdoing, protecting them from reprisals encourages employees to take action so that authorities can both detect and deter violations. Iowa Wrongful Termination Recently, an… Read More »
The Role of HR in Workplace Harassment
A well-functioning human resources office can alert employers to harassment complaints in the workplace so that the employer can act quickly and effectively. Unfortunately, sometimes there is a conflict of interest when HR is called upon to police a company while remaining accountable to its senior executives, who in some cases, are the subject of… Read More »