Latest news with #EEOC
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This week in 5 numbers: Companies aren't being transparent about pay
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. More than half of workers recently surveyed thought their onboarding experience was too focused on administrative tasks and didn't spend enough time on job readiness, while others said there weren't enough personalized learning opportunities incorporated. Here's a look at those numbers and some of the others making headlines in the HR world. By the numbers 4 The number of days that Starbucks' corporate employees will be required to come into the office per week starting in October, according to a letter from CEO Brian Niccol. 9% The percentage of workers who said diversity, equity and inclusion efforts seem to exist only for show at their company, a Resume Now report found. 41% The percentage of workers surveyed who said they've never had a transparent discussion at work about how compensation is set, according to Payscale's 2025 Pay Confidence Gap Report. 52% The percentage of employees who said their onboarding overly focused on administrative tasks, often overshadowing job readiness, a TalentLMS and BambooHR report found. $85,000 The amount a Maryland retirement community will pay to settle U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims that it refused to promote a Black manager and then fired her when she complained of discrimination, per EEOC. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Employer settles claims that it refused to promote Black employee, fired her after bias complaint
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: A Maryland retirement community will pay $85,000 to settle U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims that it refused to promote a Black manager and subsequently fired her when she complained of discrimination, EEOC said in a press release Tuesday. Per the 2024 complaint, the plaintiff sought promotion to a vice president or executive director position, but was told that she was ineligible because she lacked a bachelor's degree. She alleged Westminster Ingleside King Farm Presbyterian Retirement Communities nonetheless employed a White employee who lacked a bachelor's degree as its VP of HR and promoted another White employee with the same job title as the plaintiff to an executive director role. The plaintiff later received a bachelor's degree, but EEOC claimed her supervisor ignored the plaintiff's promotion request. It also alleged she received a 'false' written warning from HR, after which the plaintiff expressed a desire to file a race discrimination charge. She was terminated shortly afterward. EEOC alleged violations of federal laws including Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. As part of its consent decree with EEOC, the employer did not admit wrongdoing. Dive Insight: The EEOC noted that retaliation — such as that alleged in the Westminster Ingleside lawsuit — is unlawful irrespective of the validity of an employee's claims. Such complaints 'can be early warning signs for employers,' Debra Lawrence, regional attorney at EEOC, said in the press release. 'What employers should never do is treat complaints as the problem or take adverse action against the complainant.' According to agency enforcement guidance, employers may not retaliate against employees for opposing unlawful equal employment opportunity practices. This opposition may include actions such as complaining or threatening to complain about alleged discrimination against oneself or others. Retaliation has formed the basis of previous EEOC settlements with employers, including a 2024 agreement between the agency and an employer that it alleged retaliated against three employees — including an HR manager — for raising concerns about discriminatory workplace treatment. Employers should swiftly and thoroughly investigate employee complaints — with the assistance of an external investigator if necessary, an employment law attorney wrote in an op-ed to HR Dive in March.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lender reaches agreement with EEOC over claims it ignored supervisor's harassment victims
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Academy Mortgage Corp. entered into a public conciliation agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to resolve sexual harassment and retaliation charges, the agency announced Tuesday. A former supervisor at the Albuquerque-based mortgage lender allegedly sexually harassed female workers, then retaliated against them after they complained or denied him, per EEOC. The supervisor also allegedly repeatedly texted inappropriate requests to a female worker and physically touched unwilling female employees, the agency said. Under the terms of a year-long agreement, Academy Mortgage agreed to provide a total of $75,000 in monetary relief to two women and to hold sexual harassment and discrimination training, according to a news release. Dive Insight: EEOC alleged that Academy Mortgage violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment-based discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment, and retaliation. The agency's charge claimed that the company didn't take appropriate action to address the supervisor's behavior after a female worker complained. Instead, it allegedly retaliated against the victim by transferring her to another branch before firing her. The supervisor then sexually harassed another worker, EEOC said. 'We applaud Academy Mortgage for agreeing to an early resolution of this charge,' April Klug, director of EEOC's Albuquerque office, said in the release. 'This resolution helps give the affected workers closure and highlights the importance of sexual harassment training. Managers have an obligation to maintain workplaces free from harassment and to appropriately respond to harassment complaints.' EEOC and Academy Mortgage participated in a pre-litigation conciliation process to resolve the charges, the agency said. The commission regularly files charges against companies alleged to have allowed sexual harassment to fester. Last month, for instance, EEOC reached a $100,000-settlement with 'Murica LLC over allegations that the company allowed the owner of the Western-themed Starlite Station bar and dance hall in Greeley, Colorado, to create a sexually hostile environment for workers. The agency further alleged that 'Murica LLC retaliated against workers who complained or spoke out against the owner's conduct by firing or threatening to discipline them. Recommended Reading Scientist couldn't show NASA failed to hire him due to race, court says Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
Hispanic officers allege mistreatment in Miami Gardens, call for chief's removal
Five Hispanic male police officers have notified Miami Gardens that they intend to file a class-action whistleblower lawsuit claiming they were the targets of racial discrimination. The Miami Gardens officers — who said they were suspended or demoted after filing complaints of unfair treatment with the city — have also demanded the termination of Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt, named the city's first female Black chief in the largest Black majority city in Florida in 2017. 'The current police chief is out of control in terms of the mistreatment and abuse of officers, in particular Hispanic officers and officers who complain about wrongdoing,' Attorney Michael Pizzi said from a conference room at his Miami Lakes law office Wednesday, four of the five officers at his side. Miami Gardens police officers Juan Gonzalez, Christian Vega, Francisco Mejido, Rudy Hernandez and Sgt. Pedro Valdes all said they were retaliated against by command staff after questioning promotions, discipline and how rules are enforced internally. Federal complaint filed The officers have already filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Under federal law, the EEOC has up to 180 days to conduct an investigation into claims of discrimination or it must issue a notice of right to sue, allowing the officers to seek damages through a lawsuit. A whistleblower lawsuit can be filed in 30 days after giving the city notice. Sgt. Valdes claims he was relieved of duty for six months, forced to sit home 10 hours a day with pay — without any type of explanation. 'I was told, go home. No cause,' Valdes said. 'It's demoralizing because I have family members, including my wife, who's a police officer there. To play with our emotions and mental state for no reason — it's not right.' Miami Gardens Police executive officer Emmanuel Jeanty wouldn't go into detail about the reasons Valdes was relieved of duty, but said it was 'false' that the officer wasn't given a reason. 'He was informed and signed paperwork,' Jeanty said. The city did not comment on the officers' accusations when asked Wednesday. The police department, however, stood behind its decisions involving them. 'As the chief of police, I have every right to make the transfers or demotions that I see fit,' Noel-Pratt said. Miami Gardens, with a population of 110,000, is 71% Black and 26% Hispanic, according to the city's website. The police department's officers, in comparison, are 48% Black and 36% Hispanic as of 2024, according to data from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Claims of demotions, harassment, abuse The officers claimed the targeted harassment campaign by the department left them with severe mental and emotional stress, even PTSD. Pizzi noted that some of the officers who served in the U.S. military were shocked and appalled that interactions with fellow officers were where they experienced trauma, not on the battlefield or on the streets fighting crime. Valdes, a 17-year Miami Gardens police veteran, said he was relieved of duty for six months without explanation and was only recently reinstated last week. Valdes said he had led a violent crime unit credited with reducing crime by 14%, only to be abruptly removed and reassigned. He also alleged that the department has systematically replaced experienced Hispanic and white officers with younger Black officers. Officer Francisco Mejido, a 13-year Miami Gardens police veteran, said his K-9 partner was taken away and he was removed from the unit after a minor body camera violation — even though his replacement had the same infraction. 'I had to break that news to my two young kids, to my wife,' Mejido said. 'Ever since then, the agency has come after me with multiple forms of discipline.' He also spoke of a broader issue of inconsistent disciplinary practices and favoritism within the department. Officer Juan Gonzalez, a 12-year Miami Gardens police veteran, described being reprimanded for speaking to other Hispanic officers at a crime scene. 'I was scolded for talking to Hispanic officers on scene,' Gonzalez said. 'I was followed by my supervisor in a threatening manner, in a hostile fighting position, with both fists clenched.' Gonzalez said he was demoted and removed from a federal task force assignment, resulting in a loss of income. The officers say their complaints to internal affairs, the city manager and human resources have been ignored. Now, they're turning to the courts. 'They've all stood up and complained,' Pizzi said. 'And they've all been targeted as a result of their complaints.' Miami Herald staff writer Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Werner loses again on issue of deaf driver, but dollar amounts are a lot lower
Werner Enterprises has lost on appeal in a case that at one point saw it facing a $36 million penalty for not hiring a deaf driver–later reduced by a federal court–who had gone through a company training program. The financial stakes in the case brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act are now about $335,000, a far cry from a jury's decision in 2023 to award deaf truck driver Victor Robinson about 107 times that figure. The unanimous decision last week from an Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals three-judge panel fully affirmed all the September 2023 decisions from both a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for Nebraska and later decisions handed down from the bench over post-trial motions. The affirmation includes a reduction in the original punitive damages awarded by the jury. That reduction came after the court ruled that EEOC awards are capped at $300,000. The EEOC was the plaintiff in the case on behalf of Victor defendants along with Werner (NASDAQ: WERN) included Drivers Management LLC, which is Werner's training subsidiary. Werner made several points on appeal, all of which were rejected by the appellate court. A recap of the case in the recent appellate court decision noted that Robinson had a 'medical variance' from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That waiver is needed for a deaf driver to obtain a CDL. It was obtained in 2015. With the variance in hand, Robinson enrolled in Roadmaster, the driving school owned by Werner. His training involved not just a regular trainer but also an interpreter for the deaf, 'who communicated with Robinson from the backseat of the vehicle throughout the process,' according to the court's recap of the case's history. In September 2016, Robinson completed the training and received his CDL. But soon after, according to the recap of the case by the appellate court, Werner Vice President of Safety and Compliance Jamie Hamm told him on a call, 'I'm sorry, we can't hire you because of your deafness.' The call took place, according to the court, after Robinson had been told he had been preapproved for employment by recruiter Erin Marsh in an email. After calling Marsh–using a relay service for the phone call–the two talked about, according to the court, ''the job, the orientation, providing interpreting services,' and other general matters.' The district court's decision in January 2024 to award back pay to Robinson of about $35,000 lists several driving jobs Robinson had after not being hired at Werner, none of which lasted very long; only one, with Stan Koch Trucking, reached 12 months. Other jobs on his record included with J.B. Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT) and U.S. Xpress, now part of Knight Swift (NYSE: KNX). The roughly $335,000 award is a combination of the punitive damages, capped at $300,000, and the backpay. In a May 2024 series of decisions on post-trial motions in the case, the district court summed up the basis for the jury's decision against Werner. 'The jury determined that Robinson was qualified to perform the job to which he applied, he could have safely performed the essential functions of the job with a reasonable accommodation, and Werner's refusal to hire Robinson was not based on business necessity,' District Court Judge John Gerrard wrote. There were multiple issues raised by Werner in its appeal over events in the trial. They included the question of 'causation' and whether Robinson's dismissal was because of his deafness; whether Robinson's overall driving record (which included several accidents) could be introduced to the jury; Werner objections to the admission of emails sent between Werner executives on the decision-making to deny Robinson employment; whether hiring a deaf driver would provide 'undue hardship' for Werner; and whether the FMCSA waiver meant Werner could not deny Robinson employment on the basis of his deafness. Ultimately, the appellate court did not side with Werner on any of the points made in its appeal. An email to Werner seeking comment had not been responded to by publication time. More articles by John Kingston At a conference of mostly green investors, AlFleet pushes marriage of AI and trucking Another broker liability case knocks at Supreme Court door, this one involving C.H. Robinson XPO rating cut by S&P, agency cites continuing weak freight market The post Werner loses again on issue of deaf driver, but dollar amounts are a lot lower appeared first on FreightWaves.
