Hot Topics

EEOC Settles 23 Discrimination Cases in the Month of October (www.eeoc.gov)
Discrimination complaints at an all-time high!  Cases settled:  age discrimination (5); disability discrimination (4); retaliation (5), sexual harassment (4); pregnancy discrimination (3); national origin discrimination (1); and race discrimination (1). Avoid law suits!  Teach your employees that It's Not Just About Sex Anymore.

Thinking Twice About Union Organization Efforts
(SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership 09.22.11)
HR executive purports that employees who trust and respect company leaders will be less interested in union organization.
Communicate with employees about unions.  View vignette now.

Hiring Practices in the Spotlight (The Wall Street Journal 09.22.11)
Bass Pro Shops accused by EEOC of discriminatory hiring including refusal to hire non-white workers and retaliation against employees who disagree with company hiring practices.
Help managers avoid personal feelings about ethnicity that may interfere with hiring decisions. View vignette now.

$3 Million Provided to Ex-workers in Age-discrimination Settlement
(Dow Jones Newswires 08.22.11)
Money will be paid to about 290 former 3M workers who said the company laid off hundreds of higher-paid workers over age 45.
Avoid lawsuits! Utilize the strengths of all generations.  View vignette now.

How "Global Managers" Became Obsolete (Harvard Business School 08.08.11)
The Internet, cheap travel and increased immigration have turned every manager into a global manager. Increase competency for global communication.  View vignette now.

Hawaii Enacts Law Banning Gender Identity Bias (SHRM 05.04.11)
Legislation adds gender identity and anti-retaliation provision to Hawaii's law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.  Talk about the gender reassignment process.  View case study now.

Broadcasters battle after sexist remark (Fox Sports 01.04.11)
Veteran ESPN broadcaster pulled from the air for inappropriate comments.
Raise awareness about offensive figures of speech. View video vignette now.

Navy to relieve officer during inquiry over lewd videos (MSNBC 01.03.11)
Gay slurs, suggestive shower scenes and other inappropriate videos were shown through a nuclear-powered ship's closed circuit television system.
Help employees understand inappropriate behavior is not an acceptable way to keep morale up. View video vignette now.

Discrimination complaints rose to a record 99,022—up 7.1% (EEOC 12.01.10)
While the agency has yet to release the details by protected category, employers can expect to see retaliation, race, religious and disability discrimination top the list.
Prepare your managers to recognize, respond to and prevent retaliation. View video vignette now.

Investment in sales training not paying off (Harvard Business Review 11.01.10)
In the article, The Trouble with Salespeople, authors point out despite increased sales training, just 9% of sales meetings end in a sale and only one out of 250 salespeople exceed targets.
VisionPoint suggests a back-to-basics approach with a focus on listening skills. View video vignette now.

Roadmap for Hospitals: Culturally Competent Patient Care (Diversity, Inc. 11.4.10)
As the U.S. population becomes increasingly diverse, the healthcare system faces new challenges.
Effectively respond to an increasingly diverse patient population. View video vignette now.

Bullying on the rise (Diversity, Inc. 11.1.10)
65% of Americans say lack of civility is a major problem affecting human interactions in business, media and online.
Prevent teasing, hazing and bullying behavior in the workplace. View video vignette now.

Toxic office culture attributed to bringing down the Tribune Company (The New York Times 10.5.10)
Employees tell tales of top executives harassing service staff and engaging in vicious, sexually charged office banter.
Eliminate sexual innuendos from the workplace and prevent sexual harassment. View video vignette now.

Recession raises risks of employment-bias lawsuits (The Wall Street Journal 9.24.10)
70,000+ claims received by EEOC accuse employers of firing older workers in favor of younger, cheaper recruits.
Leverage generational differences. View video vignette now.

Military gay ban becomes election year hot button (The Associated Press 9.21.10)
Lesbian seeking return to Air Force testifies (The Associated Press 9.20.10)
The political debate about the rights of the LGBT community continues to make headlines.
Prevent anti-gay behavior. View video vignette now.

$10M settlement made in race-discrimination suit (Chicago Tribune 9.20.10)
EEOC alleged African-American employees received harsher treatment and more difficult work than white counterparts.
Address hidden bias and make discrimination prevention a training priority. View video vignette now.

Generational diversity in the news (Forbes 9.17.10)
Generational differences create technology challenges and opportunities in the workplace.
Leverage generational strengths to improve productivity. View video vignette now.

Food manufacturer under investigation for gender bias in hiring practices (NY Times 9.16.10)
Hiring managers and HR professionals are scrutinized for not conducting legal interviews.
Prevent harassment and stay out of court. View video vignette now.

Muslims face growing workplace bias (msnbc.msn.com 9.13.10)
Claims of discrimination against Islamic workers have spiked to a greater level than immediately after 9/11.
Stop discrimination based on national origin and religious practices. View video vignette now.

Workplace violence on the rise (Philadelphia Enquirer 9.11.10)
Coworkers report concern over colleague who went on shooting rampage.
Deal with uncontrolled emotions and fits of temper before they become disruptive and threatening. View video vignette now.