If you are exercising your rights by pursuing a workplace discrimination case, it is important to exercise caution on social media until your case has been resolved.  Posts, comments and even your interactions with others’ content can potentially impact the outcome of your legal proceedings. If you can, it’s likely a good idea to refrain from using social media altogether right now. But, if you can’t do that for whatever reason, you’re going to want to treat everything you do – regardless of the strength of your privacy settings – as something that your current and/or former employer will ..read more

Pre-employment medical examinations are a standard step in the hiring process and annual physical check-ups are customary for employees. Nonetheless, employers cannot use results from medical assessments against applicants or employees. This prohibition extends to medical screening practices that create prejudicial distinctions. Intrusive and unnecessary health screenings It is discriminatory for employers to conduct health screenings to identify those with health risks and disabilities and exclude them from the hiring or promotion list of the company. This includes asking an applicant whether ..read more

With the current pace of progress, the sobering truth is that today’s generation and their children might not see men and women receiving equal pay in their lifetimes. Per the World Economic Forum, women continue to receive less pay than men across professions and countries. In the United States, a new Pew Research Center (PRC) study shows that women have earned 80 to 82 cents for every dollar men have received for the last two decades. Compared with 65 cents to a dollar in 1982, there appears to be little headway in narrowing the gender pay gap. While there is not a single factor attributed t ..read more

We have likely all heard of the glass ceiling — the barrier that keeps certain individuals from advancing in their profession. This metaphor generally refers to roadblocks that keep women and minorities from breaking into executive and other high-level positions within an organization. The term goes back decades, likely starting in the 1970s at Hewlett-Packard. Unfortunately, it appears the tech industry is the start of yet another term used to help define the frustrating and illegal barriers that can come with employment discrimination: the bamboo ceiling. What is the “bamboo ceiling” and whe ..read more

When you work for a covered Indiana employer and become pregnant, you have certain protections in place when it comes to your condition. For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act sets guidelines your employer must follow when it comes to allowing you to pump breast milk on the job. However, new workplace protection for pregnant women is set to take effect this summer. The new protection sets clearer guidelines about the accommodations your employer must make for you during pregnancy. Per the American Civil Liberties Union, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act takes effect on June 27, 2023. What t ..read more

When someone is harassing you at work in Indiana and you plan on bringing a case against them, it benefits you to be able to demonstrate that your harasser had a pattern of acting against you. To show that your harasser was exhibiting a pattern of behavior, it pays to keep detailed logs of everything you experience at his or her hand. According to Chron.com, workplace harassment is a form of discrimination and may be verbal, sexual, psychological or physical in nature. Regardless of the type of harassment you are facing in your place of business, it may serve you well to do the following to st ..read more

As a pregnant worker in the modern workforce, you may unfortunately still have to concern yourself with potential discrimination. What does discrimination against pregnant workers look like in the first place? Providing mothers with accommodations CNBC discusses changes in the way that may make it easier for pregnant women to keep working. A bill with bipartisan support proposes to provide expecting mothers with “simple and reasonable accommodations” while on the job. The bill attempts to address some of the issues regarding a lack of respect toward pregnant workers, and the rampant discrimina ..read more

Microaggressions are everyday slights, insults or invalidations that occur when someone becomes targeted because of their race, gender, religion, disability or other identifying characteristic. These microaggressions, unfortunately, happen in the workplace both intentionally and unintentionally. Examples of microaggressions include racial slurs, derogatory comments about someone’s gender or assumptions about someone’s abilities based on their identity. These seemingly small actions or comments can significantly impact employees’ mental health and productivity. Health impacts Exposure to m ..read more

Harassment comes in many forms, and it is important to understand how to defend against them. Employers may have strategies and policies in place for dealing with workplace harassment. However, new ways of working remotely have allowed new angles of harassment in the digital sphere. With enough awareness and documentation, you may curb harassment in the workplace and in the digital workspaces you and your peers share. Be aware of the risk As ADP discusses, instances of digital harassment are on the rise as more workplaces shift to remote work situations. Many employees introduce personal detai ..read more

Taking a stand against wrongs in the workplace is often difficult, especially when the possibility of retaliation exists. But how can a person even tell if they are facing retaliation? What are the red flags to keep an eye out for? Retaliation versus at-will employment The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission breaks down facts surrounding retaliatory behavior in workplace environments. First, note that for many people, it is difficult to distinguish between retaliatory behavior and an employer exercising their right to an at-will business. At-will employment means the employer can tech ..read more