Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 13, 2022, FINRA filed a proposed rule change to conform the Industry Code to the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act. FINRA filed the proposed rule change with immediate effectiveness requesting the SEC to waive the 30-day operative delay. The rule change is effective as of May 13,
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Best Practices for Conducting Investigations of Internal Complaints in the Workplace
By Megan Toth, Partner, Thomas Horan, Associate, and Gillian Lepore, Associate
Please join our Seyfarth Chicago Labor & Employment attorneys to learn about best practices for conducting investigations of internal workplace complaints and the importance of taking prompt and thorough action to address those complaints and prevent harassment, discrimination and other policy violations.
This program will cover
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White House Releases First-Ever “National Strategy On Gender Equity And Equality”
By Matthew J. Gagnon and Tyler Z. Zmick
Seyfarth Synopsis: Following the March 8, 2021 Executive Order establishing the White House Gender Policy Council, on October 22, 2021 the White House released the first-ever U.S. Government National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. The EEOC contributed to the Strategy and supports its full implementation, suggesting that gender-related issues –
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EEOC Update: The Commission Resumes Issuance of Charge Closure Documents
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Christopher DeGroff, Matthew J. Gagnon, and Alex S. Oxyer
Seyfarth Synopsis: On August 3, 2020, the EEOC announced in a press release that it will resume issuing charge closure documents, or “Notices of Right to Sue.” The Commission had previously suspended issuing closure documents as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in
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Considerations for Employers Returning To Work Amidst Social Unrest and COVID-19
By Erin Dougherty Foley and Katherine Mendez
Seyfarth Synopsis: In light of recent events, the Employment Law Lookout Blog provides some reflection and thought on returning to work in uncertain times.
In February and March we were only just preparing for, and beginning to respond to, the worldwide pandemic. Many of the issues related to returning to work have
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Punitives Are Meant to Punish: So What Happens When Management Watches & Ignores Complaints of Female-on-Male Sexual Harassment?
By Kyla J. Miller and Tracy M. Billows
Seyfarth Synopsis: The 4th Circuit rejected a punitive damages award won by a male AutoZone worker who accused the Company of blatantly ignoring complaints of sexual harassment by his female co-worker, finding that managers who failed to act on his complaint, without proof of intentional conduct, did not warrant a punitive
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Illinois Employers May Face Liability for Workplace Violence Against Women Under Gender Violence Act
By: Adam R. Young and Danielle R. Rabie
Seyfarth Synopsis: New Decision from Illinois Court of Appeals holds that employer can be liable for workplace violence under Illinois Gender Violence Act.
As we have discussed in many prior blogs, employers face numerous hazards of workplace violence, a complex term which can encompass a range of behaviors by employees, customers, and
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#MeToo on the Move: Illinois Responds as Senate’s Sweeping Sexual Harassment Bill Gains Traction
By Kyla J. Miller and Tracy M. Billows
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Illinois Senate unanimously passed an all-encompassing sexual harassment bill, which hits all of the big ticket workplace sexual harassment hot topics, including imposing sexual harassment training and extensive reporting requirements, bans on non-disclosure agreements, arbitration clauses and non-disparagement clauses, and hefty penalties for non- compliance. Whether the House will
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#MeToo Confronts Health Care
By Kevin Green and Jesse Coleman
Seyfarth Synopsis: A recent editorial authored by two female doctors in the Canadian Medical Association Journal proclaims that, “in the era of #MeToo, it is time for physicians to acknowledge that the medical profession is not immune to bullying, harassment and discrimination, and act to abolish these behaviours.” #MeToo and the Medical Profession
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Once Is Enough: Eleventh Circuit Allows Racial Harassment Claim Against Health Care Provider to Proceed—and Takeaways For Employers
By Linda Schoonmaker and John P. Phillips
Seyfarth Synopsis: In a recent decision, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that the use of the N-Word in the workplace one time is sufficient to trigger a hostile work environment. Additionally, the Eleventh Circuit held that an employer may be held liable for workplace harassment when the plaintiff admitted that
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