Providing An Accommodation Is Not “A Shield From Criticism”
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
In yesterday’s “Work Friend” column in The New York Times, “Anonymous” writes to columnist (and acclaimed author) Roxane Gay complaining that a direct report’s chronic health condition causes unpredictability in attendance and inconsistent performance. Anonymous writes that HR supports and works with this employee. (Yay HR!) But Anonymous is frustrated because when trying to provide…
Read More The OFCCP Reminds Federal Contractors and Subs Of LGBTQI+ Obligations
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) reminds federal contractors and subcontractors that it strives to ensure that LGBTQI+ workers are not the subject of discrimination and that federal contractors advance equal employment opportunity. The OFCCP is the agency that “protects the rights of employees and job applicants of companies…
Read More Companies Confounded by RTO Conflicts
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
RTO or “return to work” issues continue to plague employers. Executives tend to want workers to come into the workplace, and employees collectively respond “Meh. We’ll see.” Employers, I implore you to craft your RTO policies with enough flexibility to maintain that workplace culture you think you are cultivating by trying to mandate attendance in…
Read More Siding With Transgender Employee, Iowa Supreme Court Sidesteps Bostock
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
Last week, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a 2019 jury verdict that found the state discriminated against a transgender state prison employee by denying him the use of men’s restrooms and locker rooms at his workplace. The ruling means former Iowa state prison nurse Jesse Vroegh, a former Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) nurse, won…
Read More One Employer Sends A Clear Message: We Do Not and Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
Anti-harassment, -discrimination, and -retaliation policies and procedures are not just for show. These policies and procedures must be clear, strong, and, most important, followed. And the tone is set at the top. Leaders that ignore their companies’ own anti-harassment procedures send the message that the company culture tolerates sexual harassment (and other forms). CEO Karen…
Read More COVID-19 Vaccine Policy Exemptions—It’s a Process
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
The interactive process, that is. Doctors writing bogus opt-out letters. An online religious exemption package for sale with “a personalized exemption letter” and “a signed attestation of faith from Pastor David,” which my partner Eric Meyer wrote about a few weeks ago. Bogus claims that a drug that treats parasitic worms in livestock as a…
Read More Careful With Those Return To Work Policies
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
I had the pleasure this week of speaking with Washington Post Work Advice columnist Karla Miller about pitfalls that employers face when creating return-to-work policies. Karla was asked why parents could continue to work remotely but not workers on the same team without young children—could this be discrimination? Well, it depends. When it comes to…
Read More Advancing Equity and Inclusivity At Work Requires Eradicating Inequity and Harassment
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
The federal government, the nation’s largest employer, continues to take steps to shape its organizational culture in a way that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusivity while preventing unlawful harassment. On June 25, 2021, the White House released an executive order, which includes a strategic plan to address employment discrimination and workplace harassment, including sexual harassment,…
Read More Workin’ Moms During COVID-19
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
Whether we’re talking about show on Netflix about four Canadian women with very different jobs and families or the oxymoron of the “working mom” (because, of course, all moms work), mothers, in particular, seem to have carried a heavier load during this pandemic. The devastation hit Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (AANHPI)…
Read More Fire Department In Flames With Discrimination and Retaliation Claims
By Amy Epstein Gluck |
Quite often, retaliation claims bite employers in the backside rather than employees’ underlying claims for sexual or race-based harassment and other forms of discrimination. That’s what I was thinking as I read about a complaint filed last month against the Hillsboro government and chiefs at the Hillsboro Fire & Rescue Department. Three current employees allege…
Read More AMY EPSTEIN GLUCK
Amy Epstein Gluck has represented individuals and corporate clients in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and various federal district courts for more than twenty years. Ms. Epstein Gluck’s current practice areas include employment law—advising on and drafting employment agreements; handling employment negotiations, severance agreements, noncompete and nondisclosure agreements, “wrongful terminations” and other EEO matters; representation at the EEOC level; advising employers about discrimination laws and how to remain in compliance, and employment negotiations.
RICHARD COHEN
Richard Cohen has litigated and arbitrated complex corporate, commercial and employment disputes for more than 35 years, and is a trusted advisor to business owners and in-house counsel both in the United States and internationally. His clients have included Fortune 100 companies, domestic and foreign commercial and investment banks, Pacific-rim corporations and real estate development companies, as well as start-up businesses throughout the United States.
