Yesterday , attorney Jonathan Segal illuminated the risks in office romances; today, three women and a man discuss sex in the office. Harassment is a diversity issue, says Segal, who is a partner at the law firm Duane Morris LLP. Our reactions differ because our experiences differ based on whether we...

Office romances are one of the biggest legal risks managers can take, says attorney Jonathan Segal. Even when relationships appear to be totally consensual, they're dangerous from a legal standpoint. Segal is a partner at the law firm Duane Morris LLP. His remarks came at a recent SHRM conference...

Although Herman Cain will not be the next U.S. president, he has the dubious honor of bringing sexual and workplace harassment back into the national spotlight. He may well have done you a favor. Although the number of sexual harassment charges filed with the EEOC has fallen slightly, there were still...

At its heart, the Penn State University (PSU) football scandal is a criminal matter. But it’s also the ultimate example of sexual harassment being permitted to occur openly, continuously, and notoriously in a workplace, says San Francisco attorney Mark Schickman. Schickman is a partner at Freeland...

If the EEOC suggests that you enter into mediation with a complaining employee, you should say “yes,” says San Francisco attorney Mark Schickman. He and his clients have had good experiences with the process, he adds. Schickman is a partner at Freeland Cooper & Foreman LLP in San Francisco...

Yesterday , we looked at the first 5 of Lyne Richardson and Jolina Abrena’s tips for minimizing potential liability for discrimination and harassment at your workplace. Today, the rest of the top 10, plus an introduction to a streamlined, yet comprehensive, A.B. 1825 training resource. Richardson...

All California employers should be familiar with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), which prohibits employment discrimination and harassment. The FEHA offers employees greater protection and relief than its federal counterpart, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. One critical...

Yesterday , we looked at textbook cases of what not to do when you receive a complaint about sexual harassment occurring on a business trip. Today, 5 tips for proper response, along with info about a valuable sexual harassment training resource. Time Is of the Essence Once a harassment complaint is made...

The more employees travel for business, the more exposure employers have - often with costly consequences. Businesses must be prepared for problems that might arise when male and female employees travel together, whether domestically or internationally. Contrary to popular belief, what happens in Vegas...

Lawsuits are down, but judgments are up. Training is the answer. This fall marks 20 years since the term "sexual harassment" entered the American lexicon in a big way. Americans came to know it through the testimony of Anita Hill, as she complained about alleged unwelcome advances from her...

A recent study shows the effect that sexual harassment has on workplace teams. In a word — conflict. If you need another reason to quell sexual harassment in your workplace — beyond a potentially monster lawsuit - Jana L. Raver and Michele J. Gelfand have it for you. Rever and Gelfand, both...

California law makes an employer liable for sexual harassment by a supervisor regardless of whether the employer authorized, prohibited, or even knew of the harassment. You might be able to reduce or eliminate the damages owed to an employee by taking reasonable steps to prevent and correct sexual harassment...

A recent article on the HR.BLR.com website prompted quite a response by Suzanne Lucas, who blogs as Evil HR Lady. "Oh, cry me a river" she said over suggestions that employers take steps to ameliorate off-site harassment of female employees. Our writer, who had attended a presentation by Holly...

Summer is upon us, and that means an influx of seasonal teen workers at many workplaces throughout the state. You may have already looked into the special safety rules for these workers, as well as the restrictions on the hours they can work, but there's another key issue you may not have considered...

Having a policy in place that forbids workplace romance is a great idea. In theory, anyway. "We have a strict ‘no-dating of coworkers' policy. That prevents harassment claims for sure." Most experts say, "Good luck with that." It's next to impossible to prevent co-worker...

One of the best tools for preventing and eliminating discrimination and harassment in the workplace is a written company policy. Such a policy should express strong disapproval of discrimination and harassing behavior and should stress that the company will take appropriate disciplinary action against...

There's little argument that today's workplaces don't look much like those of generations past. Today there is greater racial, ethnic, and gender diversity at work than ever before. Openly gay and lesbian employees are becoming a normal part of the workforce. And there is a heightened cultural...

" Yesterday , Dennis A. Davis, Ph.D., talked about dealing with workplace conflict. Today, we'll get his take on reacting to anger and violence, and we'll get a look at a unique program for the small (even one-person) HR department. Sometimes people think anger leads to violence, so they...

It doesn't matter if your workplace is inherently prone to harassment, or even if the harassment is by someone other than your employees — either way, you're required to investigate and correct the situation promptly. Here are 6 essential guidelines for harassment response. Responding to...

Some jobs are just more inherently "harassment-prone" than others — being a Hooters waitress comes to mind. But a recent case shows that even employers in these types of industries have a duty to take prompt corrective action. In Turman v. Turning Point of Central California Inc ., recently...