Employment Liability News

Suit Charges Wal-Mart with Discrimination Against Gay Employees Over Health Benefits

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was accused of discriminating against gay employees in a lawsuit that pits the biggest U.S. retailer against rights activists just weeks after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide. In a proposed class-action complaint, Wal-Mart employee Jacqueline Cote says …

Supreme Court to Weigh Rejection of Muslim Applicant Over Head Scarf

In an era of heightening religious tension worldwide, Abercrombie & Fitch has pulled off a miracle: The retailer managed to unite Christians, Jews, and Muslims, as well as Buddhists, Hindus, Santeros, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. Lawyers representing all these faiths (and …

3 Employees Allege Racial Bias by Tennessee Temple University

Three one-time Tennessee Temple University employees have sued the school for alleged racial discrimination. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that Emmanuel Awotula, Dennis Clark and Jeffrey Davis filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Circuit Court on Wednesday afternoon. The …

Senate Expected to Pass Gay Workplace Rights Bill Opposed by House

Most employers would be banned from firing, demoting or refusing to hire workers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity under legislation in line for action today in the U.S. Senate. The measure, known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, …

Monitor Launches Enhanced Executive Liability Insurance for Private Companies

Monitor Liability Managers has launched a new executive liability insurance suite of coverages for privately held companies called ExecSuite. With ExecSuite, businesses can choose the coverage that best suits their needs. Choices include: directors, officers and corporate liability; employment practices …

Court Says Facebook ‘Like’ Is Protected Speech for Employees

Using Facebook Inc.’s “Like” feature to show support for a candidate in an election is speech protected under the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court said, handing a victory to the social networking company which argued such protection is vital …

Bank of America, Merrill Settle Gender Bias Claims for $39M

Bank of America Corp. agreed to pay $39 million to settle a gender bias lawsuit by female brokers who claimed they were paid less than men and deprived of handling their fair share of lucrative accounts, court papers made public …

XL Launches Wage & Hour Liability Insurance Coverage

XL Group’s Bermuda Professional Lines Unit has launched a new insurance product to specifically address the needs of Fortune 500 companies and other large employers potentially exposed to employee compensation and classification disputes. The new Wage & Hour liability insurance …

Wage and Hour Claims Among Top Threats to U.S. Employers

Federal wage and hour lawsuits have reached a surprise record high, according to a report by law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Cases filed under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in have continued to skyrocket in 2013, despite indications that …

ACE Releases Employment Practices Risk Management Tool

The ACE Group has created an employment practices risk management tool with a global labor and employment law firm – Littler Mendelson (Littler). The new tool will be available to ACE’s primary EPL and private & not-for-profit company management liability …