"This & That" Tuesday: Race, Sex, Pregnancy Discrimination

October 7, 2014

 

Here is the latest issue of “This & That” Tuesday. I hope you find it to be informative and useful.

 

Announcements

You can always check out my website for upcoming speaking engagements that are guaranteed to be of value to business owners or for a list of topics that I can speak on at Chambers, Clubs, Business Associations, etc. More details about the events, topics and Human Resources 4U, in general, can be found on my website.

 

Upcoming Events

October 13, Mt. Sac (Walnut), How to Create and Conduct a Formal Discipline Discussion, Click here for more information.

 

October 14, Culver City, What the New Paid Sick Leave Law Will Mean to You, Click here for more information

 

October 20, Mt. Sac (Walnut), Cal-OSHA & IIPP Basics, Click here for more information.

 

November 8, Pasadena City College, Hiring Talent for Improved Performance, Click here for more information

 

November 15, Mt. Sac (Walnut), How to Create and Conduct a Formal Discipline Discussion, Click here for more information

 

November 15, Mt. Sac (Walnut), How to Build a Salary Structure & Merit Pay System, Click here for more information

NJ dairy to pay $324K over race, sex bias claims

A New Jersey-based dairy company that sells to stores and schools in the Northeast and to federal agencies has settled claims of sex and race discrimination.

 

The U.S. Labor Department says a review of hiring by Cream-O-Land Dairy in Florence, N.J., in 2010 and 2011 found that the company discriminated against female, black and Asian applicants for warehouse jobs. The government says 227 job applicants were affected.

 

Cream-O-Land paid $324,000 in back wages, interest and benefits to the rejected applicants. It also agreed to make 24 job offers to affected class members and to ensure there is no further alleged discrimination.

 

J.C. Penney Pays $40,000 to Settle Pregnancy Discrimination Suit

J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc., a major retailer operating throughout the United States, will pay $40,000 to an employee to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit brought by the EEOC. 

 

The EEOC charged that when a female job applicant applied for a position in the hair salon at the J.C. Penney store in Brunswick, Ga., she was denied a job after she informed the salon manager she was pregnant.  

 

Such alleged conduct violates the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which prohibits employers from subjecting women to discrimination due to pregnancy.   

 

The consent decree settling the suit, in addition to the monetary relief, includes provisions for equal employment opportunity training and reporting and posting of anti-discrimination notices. 

 

Cargill settles discrimination suit for $2.2 million

Cargill Meat Solutions, headquartered in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to settle charges of hiring discrimination based on race and sex with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

 

Under the agreement, Cargill will pay $2,236,218 in back wages and interest to 2,959 applicants who were rejected for production jobs at various facilities between 2005 and 2009. The affected workers include: female Caucasian and Hispanic applicants and African American applicants.

 

During a series of scheduled reviews, OFCCP compliance officers found evidence that Cargill’s hiring processes and selection procedures at facilities in Arkansas, Colorado and Illinois violated Executive Order 11246 by discriminating on the bases of sex, race and/or ethnicity. The reviews also uncovered violations of the Executive Order’s record-keeping requirements.

 

In addition to paying more than $2.2 million in back wages and interest to the affected applicants, Cargill has agreed to extend 354 job offers to the affected workers as positions become available. Additionally, the company has agreed to undertake extensive self-monitoring measures to ensure that all hiring practices fully comply with the law, including record-keeping requirements. 

 

Factoids

Types of retaliation experienced for reporting misconduct

• 69% ignored or treated differently by their supervisor
• 59% ignored or treated differently by other employees
• 54% excluded from decisions and work activity
• 49% verbally abused by management
• 47% not given promotions or raises

 

Most prevalent voluntary benefits

• 94% life insurance
• 84% vision
• 80% dental
• 80% disability
• 68% accident

 

Quotes

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

~Confucius~