New York Continues To Crack Down On Sexual Harassment, Now With a New Model Policy
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Sexual Harassment, Workplace Safety
In what seems like a New York minute, New York State issued a stronger and longer anti-harassment policy. The goal of the new policy, according to Governor Kathy Hochul, is to ensure “safe and inclusive work environments.” The model policy constitutes a major expansion of current law with a greater focus on gender identity, bystander…
Read More Must An Employer Accommodate An Employee’s Refusal To Use A Co-Worker’s Preferred Pronouns?
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | LGBTQ+, Race, Religion, and National Origin
What is an employer to do when faced with conflicting legal obligations to different employees? One employee has the right to have their preferred pronouns utilized in the workplace and another is entitled to a accommodation based on her religious beliefs. That’s the dilemma confronted by the employer in Michigan, Bio Blood Components. The employer…
Read More Siding With Transgender Employee, Iowa Supreme Court Sidesteps Bostock
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Discrimination in the Workplace, Sex Discrimination
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 Employers May Not Want To Judge A Book By Their Cover
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | EEOC, LGBTQ+, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment
Growing up, my mom always taught my brother and me: never judge a book by its cover. Looks may be deceiving. Give people a chance. It’s sage advice. Employers who fail to heed this common-sense advice may risk a federal discrimination lawsuit, as the City of Boise, Idaho is discovering. After a favorable determination—finding probable…
Read More Supervisor: “Being Gay Is A Mental Disorder.” Such Comments Do Not Bode Well For An Employer’s Motion for Summary Judgment
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Discrimination in the Workplace, LGBTQ+, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment
Since June, federal law protects employees from discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This means that an employer, supervisor, or co-worker may not discriminate or harass an employee because he is gay or is gender non-conforming. If an employee appears to be man, but does not identify as one, that’s his…
Read More Employers, Can You Fire An Employee For Being Gay or Transgender?
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Abuse in the Workplace, Discrimination in the Workplace, EEOC, LGBTQ+, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment
By: Amy Epstein Gluck We will soon see—at least under federal law. What am I talking about? Tomorrow, October 8, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will do what it does when states and federal courts and agencies are divided on an important issue: it will hear arguments on three cases in order to…
Read More What's All The Fuss? SCOTUS (Finally) Considers Whether Adverse Decisions Against LGBT Employees Constitute Sex Discrimination In Violation of Title VII
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Abuse in the Workplace, Discrimination in the Workplace, EEOC, LGBTQ+, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment
By: Amy Epstein Gluck With this post, I join the multitude of bloggers writing about the historical announcement yesterday that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will hear and decide a series of cases this fall to determine whether the federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of “sex,” Title VII of the Civil…
Read More Hey 2019, How Is Corporate America Doing With LGBT Policies?
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Abuse in the Workplace, Discrimination in the Workplace, Diversity and Inclusion, EEOC, LGBTQ+, Sexual Harassment
By: Amy Epstein Gluck The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation gives us some indicator to answer this question. Last week, the HRC released its 2019 Corporate Equality Index report— a national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality. Some results are as follows: 571 US companies and law…
Read More You Should Dress More Gender Appropriate
By Amy Epstein Gluck | | Discrimination in the Workplace, EEOC, LGBTQ+, Sex Discrimination
By: Amy Epstein Gluck The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is taking on Chili’s. No, it’s not because a server added to salt to a margarita when a customer specifically asked for no salt (this happens to me a lot), and it’s not because there were not enough jalapeños on the nachos. Rather, the ACLU…
Read More US Department of Justice: Title VII does not protect transgender employees
By Richard Cohen | | Uncategorized
A big shout out to our esteemed and erudite partner Eric B. Meyer for his excellent blog post today on the status of Title VII as it pertains to gender identity, sexual orientation, and transgender employees. He begins by noting that: “Chris reported yesterday that the U. S. Department of Justice filed this brief with the…
Read More 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.
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.
