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

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

 

Domino’s Delivery Workers Settle Suit for $1.3 Million

Carlos Rodriguez Herrera said he often worked 65 hours a week as a deliveryman for a Domino’s pizza shop on East 89th Street in Manhattan but was paid for just 45 hours. A co-worker, Anatole Yameogo, remembers working from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. one Saturday, but his pay stub said he worked just five hours that day. “One manager told me you will work more than 50 hours a week but we’ll pay you for 40,” Mr. Yameogo said. “That helps the managers increase their bonus.”

 

Citing these and other complaints, the two bicycle deliverymen sued the Domino’s franchisee that employed them, accusing it of minimum wage and overtime violations. Eventually, dozens of delivery workers joined the lawsuit, and their lawyers announced on Friday that the Domino’s franchisee, DPNY Inc., had agreed to pay $1.28 million to 61 workers to settle the claims.

 

The lawsuit accused DPNY of many violations, among them, not giving a legally required lunch break, not paying for their uniforms, and paying a subminimum tip wage even when the workers did untipped work, like cleaning ovens and floors or distributing Domino’s fliers.

 

Mr. Rodriguez said he initiated legal action after he first complained to his manager that he had been improperly underpaid and was fired on the spot in 2007.

 

The Federal District Court judge granted the plaintiffs’ request to include the national Domino’s Pizza company as a defendant, after the delivery workers asserted that it was a joint employer that knew or should have known about the franchisee’s alleged wage violations.

 

JPMorgan Pays $1.5 Million for Sex Discrimination

JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $1.45 million to settle charges by the EEOC over sexual harassment claims by some of its female mortgage bankers. The behavior included sexually charged behavior and comments from supervisors in an Ohio office, according to the agency.

 

Women bankers who did not embrace and participate in the behavior were ostracized and, among other things, deprived of lucrative sales calls, the EEOC added. The EEOC brought the case in 2009 for conduct dating back to 2006. The $1.45 million penalty will be allocated between 16 women employees.

 

DolgenCorp, LLC/Dollar General Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Dolgencorp, LLC, also known as Dollar General Corporation, a retailer of basic consumer goods headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tenn. has agreed to pay $27,500 and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The EEOC charged that Dollar General allowed a store manager to sexually harass female employees and then failed to take the proper remedial action against the manager.

 

According to the EEOC's suit, the store manager in Dollar General's Bull Shoals, Ark. store began sexually harassing female employees shortly after his transfer to that store. The EEOC alleged the harassment included comments and requests for sexual favors. Although at least one employee called the corporate hotline and also complained to an assistant manager about the harassment, Dollar General failed to take action to stop the manager's conduct.

 

Besides the monetary relief, the 18-month consent decree agreed upon by the parties and approved by the court, requires Dollar General provide sexual harassment and retaliation training for store managers and assistant managers. Dollar General must report complaints of sexual harassment received within that district to the EEOC and require Bull Shoals' assistant managers to report any complaints of sexual harassment to members of upper management.

 

Factoids

80% of college grads expect their employer to provide formal training while only 48% got any.

 

76% of new employees say that on-the-job training is the most important thing they need

 

55% of employers have said they have hired a job hopper. 40% of those employers said the job hopper stay at least 2 years

 

A survey of 20,000 call center employees found that there was no difference in performance between employees who haven’t held a full time job in the last 5 years and those who had.

 

The States with the most complex and burdensome employment tax laws are CA, NJ, Hawaii, Maryland and Virginia

 

Quotes

"I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”

~Augusten Burroughs~