Please join us on Monday, October 6, 2008 from 11:45 am - 1:30 pm for a seminar on Independent Contractor Relationships: Independent Contractors versus Employees.
Please RSVP to rsvp@muslaw.com by October 1st if you would like to attend.
Additional Seminar Information:
In today’s workplace, there is an ever-increasing trend for employers to consider filling vacancies with independent contractors as opposed to committing to a full time employee. A maze of regulations exist that may or may not make this question easy to answer.
During this roundtable our attorneys will help you answer your questions about independent contractor relationships and discuss the advantages and disadvantages to these relationships. This important roundtable will also outline the pros and cons of completing your workforce with employees and independent contractors as well as the unforeseen circumstances involving benefits for improperly classifying independent contractors.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Religious Discrimination Complaints Up
By: Elaina Smiley, Esquire es@muslaw.com
The number of complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about workplace discrimination against employees because of their religion has doubled in the last 15 years. Filings complaining about religious discrimination jumped to a record 2,880 last year. On July 22, 2008, the EEOC issued a new compliance manual on religious discrimination, which offers a comprehensive review of the EEOC’s policies regarding religious discrimination, harassment and accommodation. The EEOC also offers a “Best Practices” book to assist employers.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing or conditions of employment. Employers cannot treat employees of one faith more or less fairly than other employees, nor can they force employees to participate in or not participate in any religious activity.
One of the most difficult issues for employees is the concept of “reasonable accommodation.” Employers must reasonably accommodate the sincerely held religious practices of employees unless to do so would proved to be a hardship to the employer. For example, in a recent Pennsylvania lawsuit, a federal court found that asking an employee to find her own replacement for Sunday work may not be a reasonable accommodation if the reason the employee needed to switch shifts is religious.
Employers should make sure that their anti-discrimination policies specifically define and prohibit religious discrimination and harassment and provide an effective procedure for reporting, investigating and correcting such acts. Employers should also establish policies in dealing with religious accommodation requests and train supervisors and managers on how to best handle religious issues in the workplace.
The number of complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about workplace discrimination against employees because of their religion has doubled in the last 15 years. Filings complaining about religious discrimination jumped to a record 2,880 last year. On July 22, 2008, the EEOC issued a new compliance manual on religious discrimination, which offers a comprehensive review of the EEOC’s policies regarding religious discrimination, harassment and accommodation. The EEOC also offers a “Best Practices” book to assist employers.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing or conditions of employment. Employers cannot treat employees of one faith more or less fairly than other employees, nor can they force employees to participate in or not participate in any religious activity.
One of the most difficult issues for employees is the concept of “reasonable accommodation.” Employers must reasonably accommodate the sincerely held religious practices of employees unless to do so would proved to be a hardship to the employer. For example, in a recent Pennsylvania lawsuit, a federal court found that asking an employee to find her own replacement for Sunday work may not be a reasonable accommodation if the reason the employee needed to switch shifts is religious.
Employers should make sure that their anti-discrimination policies specifically define and prohibit religious discrimination and harassment and provide an effective procedure for reporting, investigating and correcting such acts. Employers should also establish policies in dealing with religious accommodation requests and train supervisors and managers on how to best handle religious issues in the workplace.
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