There aren’t many jobs in the United States that are tougher than farmwork-—picking crops under a sweltering sun, earning just enough to survive, jumping from one unstable seasonal job to another. But the job is especially unbearable if you have to work yourself to exhaustion all day under the watch of the man who raped …
Terror in the Fields: Migrant Women Face Sexual Violence on the Job Read More »
“We don’t go to work to be touched, to be talked down to, to be told what our bodies look like. We know what our bodies look like when we put on our clothes in the morning,” Uylonda Dickerson said. But constant remarks about their bodies, and unwanted touching, advances, mean-spirited “pranks” and other forms …
‘We Don’t Go to Work to Be Touched’: Sexual Harassment in the Warehouse Read More »
Colorado newspapers have covered extensively the recent trial, conviction and sentencing of former 7th Judicial District Attorney Myrl Serra on extortion and unlawful sexual contact charges. The conviction against Serra stemmed from his illegal maltreatment of three female employees in his Montrose and Delta, Colorado western slope offices – sexually harassing and assaulting them, threatening …
Like many baby boomers who regularly watch AMC’s “Mad Men,” I marvel at how accurately they get it: the smoky ambiance, the retro style and the subtleties of how people lived, worked and played in those good/bad ole days. Each Sunday we watch history unfold through the characters who work at the Sterling, Draper, Cooper …
Mad Men, Madder Women: Have Roles Really Changed in the Workplace? Read More »
After months of complaining that a female co-worker had repeatedly harassed him to have sex with her, Rudolpho Lamas’s boss offered a suggestion. Maybe, the boss said, Rudolpho should try walking around the office singing, “I’m too sexy for my shirt.” Everyone at work thought the situation was hilarious: a widower turning down the explicit …
Crossing the Line: The Ninth Circuit’s Guidelines for Flirting at Work Read More »
Here are a few Short Takes worth sharing: Sex Bias Case Ends With Huge Punitive Damages Award The drug maker Novartis was hit with $250 million in punitive damages last week because of discrimination against thousands of female sales representatives. Issues involved discrimination in pay, promotion and pregnancy. The punitive damages award represented 2.6 of …
Employee Rights Short Takes: Hostile Work Environment, GINA, FMLA And More Read More »
Here are a few Short Takes worth sharing: Sex Discrimination Ninth Circuit Certifies Wal-Mart Class Action: In Dukes v. Wal-Mart, a decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on April 26th, the Court certified a class in a Title VII lawsuit involving 1.5 million women seeking compensation for back pay. The Court remanded the case …
Bankers and Police Officers Charged With Gender Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Two vastly different professions – banking and law enforcement – yet they share something in common and that is a culture of gender discrimination. It’s the same stuff that’s been going on for decades in spite of federal laws which make sex discrimination, …
It’s Nothing New: Male Dominated Professions Foster Culture Of Sex Discrimination Read More »
Complaints To Supervisor/Harasser Are Sufficient To Overcome Affirmative Defense On Hostile Environment Claim There’s lots of meaty reading in the Second Circuit case of Gorzynski v JetBlue Airways Corporation decided this month. The 31 page opinion hits multiple issues including sexual harassment, age discrimination, race discrimination, and retaliation. The Federal District Court threw out the …
When Do Discussions About Sexual Harassment At Work Constitute Reporting Which Requires Investigation? This case addresses an issue in sexual harassment cases that comes up often in real life experience but is not often the central issue of an opinion from a federal court of appeals. It has to do with reporting of sexual harassment …
Sexual Harassment Victim Wins Important Appeal In Second Circuit Read More »
Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.
