The Supreme Court of the United States made a couple of key decisions regarding workplace discrimination and retaliation cases, and neither was in favor of the victim of such an act. Many people here in St. Paul and all across Minnesota have had the unfortunate experience of being victimized in a workplace discrimination incident -- and they know the pain and embarrassment such an incident can cause. So to hear that the Supreme Court has made cases similar to theirs more pro-business is unlikely to sit well with them.
More Labor Department scrutiny expected on unpaid internships
A couple of years ago, unpaid interns in the movie and media industries began making noises about whether those internships were all they were promised to be. Everyone understands that it's hard to get jobs in these popular industries and that unpaid internships are a way to get your foot in the door. After some of those interns found themselves unemployed anyway, they began to suspect that the months -- and sometimes years -- they spent sacrificing for their careers had been some kind of trick.
Criminal background checks and employment discrimination
A retailer called Dollar General and BMW have been accused of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. BMW has been accused of automatically excluding prospective employees allegedly convicted of a crime. The company has also been accused of not taking into consideration the nature of the supposed crimes.
Even hospitals engage in FMLA harassment and retaliatory firings
When a licensed vocational nurse with five children took rightful leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for her chronically ill children, she was subjected harsh retaliation and intimidation by the hospital she worked for. Ultimately, she was fired, allegedly for a rules infraction. She believes she was wrongfully terminated in a blatant example of FMLA retaliation.
