By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Mark Casciari, and Christina M. Janice
Seyfarth Synopsis: For the first time since 1998, the EEOC has updated its enforcement guidance on retaliation claims brought under the various anti-discrimination laws the Commission is charged with enforcing. Observing that retaliation is now the single largest category of claims presented in
By Christopher J. DeGroff, Matthew Gagnon, Andrew R. Cockroft, and Gerald L. Maatman, Jr.,
Seyfarth Synopsis: The EEOC’s Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace offers insight into how employers’ harassment prevention policies can change for the better and, in furtherance of this desire for change, calls
By Paul Kehoe and Larry Lorber
Today, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addressing wellness program incentives under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA Proposed Rule”) in the Federal Register (here). This NRPM comes on the heels of the EEOC’s proposed rule covering wellness program incentives
By Paul H. Kehoe and Lawrence Lorber
Earlier today, the EEOC published its much anticipated Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) regarding the interaction between wellness plans and the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”). As we have discussed here and here, the issue of whether an incentive or surcharge permitted (indeed, encouraged) under the Patient
By William David and Laura Maechtlen
In 2011, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) invited the public to comment on how its significant regulations could be improved by modifying, streamlining, expanding, or repealing them. Since opening its doors for public comments, the EEOC has received 93 comments. The EEOC summarized and responded to these
On January 29, 2015, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions held a hearing on employer wellness plans. While bipartisan sentiment may be difficult to find in Washington, it is clear that both Republican and Democrat Senators view wellness plans favorably, recognize the crucial role that wellness plans
No federal statute explicitly prohibits employment discrimination based on gender identity or expression. Nevertheless, in recent years, the EEOC has advocated — including as part of its strategic plan — that it would pursue protections for transgender workers under Title VII’s prohibition against “sex” discrimination and harassment. Indeed, on April 20,
By Gerald L. Maatman Jr. and Howard M. Wexler
There continues to be growing firestorm of litigation initiated by the EEOC over hiring checks based on criminal backgrounds. In one of the most high profile cases addressing this issue (that we previously blogged about here and here,) Judge Sam R. Cummings of the U.S. District
By Paul Kehoe
Today, without the fanfare of a public meeting, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published Guidance on its website addressing the treatment of pregnancy under Title VII. Once again, it appears as if the EEOC adopted a position exceeding the statutory mandate that Congress bestowed upon it. Requiring employers to provide a
By Christopher DeGroff and Paul Kehoe
Yesterday, the EEOC held a public meeting entitled Social Media In The Workplace: Examining Implications for Equal Employment Opportunity Law. The Commissioners welcomed five individuals to testify regarding how the ever-changing social media platforms impact the workplace in areas such as recruitment and hiring, harassment, records retention, and
