The Third Circuit has reversed a trial court’s decision that dismissed a sexual harassment lawsuit because the plaintiff employee never complained directly to her employer. The decision is causing employment attorneys across the country to question the continued viability of the Faragher-Ellerth defense, which permits employers to avoid liability for sexual harassment…
Articles Posted in Law Against Discrimination
New Jersey Equal Pay Act Takes Effect Today
The United States has historically been plagued by systematic employment discrimination based on protected characteristics that often take the form of unjustifiable wage disparity. The Diane B. Allen New Jersey Equal Pay Act attempts to curb this practice in New Jersey by placing strict regulations in situations where employers pay…
USTA Changes Pregnancy Accommodation Policy
The United States has been slowly progressing towards equity when it comes to employment policies that outlaw gender, disability, and other types of discrimination. Despite this advancement, there are a few areas that have shown reluctance to moving forward. One such industry is that of professional sports. As a result…
Recent Court Cases Highlight the Epidemic of Workplace Harassment
Two recent New Jersey court cases further demonstrate that unlawful workplace harassment can occur in any industry, at any level, targeting employees of all demographics. Despite this fact, some workplaces are more susceptible to experiencing harassment than others. One such industry is the restaurant and hospitality industry. According to a…
The Long Arm of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination
The New Jersey Appellate Division has reversed the trial court’s dismissal of an out of state resident’s claim of age discrimination under New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. The decision is an important reminder to employers that New Jersey’s strong public policy to eradicate discriminate in all its ugly forms may…
New Jersey Passes Strongest Equal Pay Law in the Nation
Governor Phil Murphy has signed into law the “Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act”, which is rightfully being touted as the strongest equal pay law in the United States. The New Jersey Equal Pay Act amends the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination to specifically protect employees from discriminatory pay practices. …
Court rules that Employer Violates New Jersey Discrimination Laws for Firing Employee who Refused to Sign Arbitration Agreement
It is not uncommon for employers to make an employee’s execution of an arbitration agreement a condition of their employment at the inception of the employee’s employment. But what happens when, in the midst of employment, an employer all of a sudden demands an employee’s agreement to an arbitration agreement…
New Jersey To Enact the Nation’s Toughest Equal Pay Law
The New Jersey Legislature passed legislation this week that mandates equal pay to all New Jersey employees and penalizes New Jersey employers who discriminate against women and other protected classes in their paychecks. The bill has now been sent to Governor Murphy, who has made clear that he will imminently…
New Jersey Employee Found Eligible for Unemployment Benefits After Voluntarily Leaving Work Because of Continuous Harassment
A recent New Jersey Appellate Court has confirmed that an employee has good cause to leave her job and be eligible for unemployment benefits if the reason for quitting is because she was continuously sexually harassed for an extended period of time. In the case decided September 12, 2017, the…
Court of Appeals Rejects Walmart Appeal Seeking to Overturn Disability Retaliation Verdict
The United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit has affirmed a New Jersey District Court’s decision denying post-trial motion for judgment by Walmart after the jury entered a verdict against them in favor of a former employer. The former employee, Barry Boles, claimed that he was unlawfully terminated…