Trends in Personnel Issues: “Our employee did WHAT?!” Tamara E. Jones Pre-Loss Program Supervisor / Senior Pre-Loss Attorney July 10, 2019 Photo by Daniel Mingook Kim on Unsplash
• New employment laws on the horizon (oh no!) • What would YOU do? • Some employment law trends for your consideration Ag e nda (and avoidance) • Q&A ( a.k.a., “Let’s Play Stump the Lawyer!” )
Ne w E mplo yme nt L a ws o n the Ho rizo n (oh no!)
#1a : Ac c ommoda tions for Pre g na nt E mploye e s • Applie s to e mplo ye rs with six o r mo re e mplo ye e s • E ffe c tive Da te : Ja nua ry 1, 2020 • Must pro vide re a so na b le a c c o mmo da tio ns to e mplo ye e s/ a pplic a nts who c a n’ t pe rfo rm a ll e sse ntia l dutie s due to the “kno wn limita tio ns” c a use d b y pre g na nc y, c hildb irth, la c ta tio n o r “a re la te d me dic a l c o nditio n”. – UNL E SS “undue ha rdship” (like disa b ility la w) (b ut we ’ re no t ne c e ssa rily de a ling with a “disa b ility”)
#1a : Ac c ommoda tions for Pre g na nt E mploye e s (e ffe c tive Ja nua ry 1, 2020) E mplo ye rs c a n’ t re q uire a n a pplic a nt/ e mplo ye e to a c c e pt a re a so na b le a c c o mmo da tio n “tha t is unne c e ssa ry” fo r the pe rso n to “pe rfo rm the e sse ntia l dutie s o f the jo b ” o r whe n the e mplo ye e “do e s no t ha ve a kno wn limita tio n”.
#1a : Ac c ommoda tions for Pre g na nt E mploye e s (e ffe c tive Ja nua ry 1, 2020) E mplo ye r’ s c a n’ t re q uire a n e mplo ye e to ta ke a ny le a ve (OF L A, F ML A, sic k le a ve , e tc .), if the e mplo ye r c a n ma ke re a so na b le a c c o mmo da tio ns fo r the “kno wn limita tio ns”.
#1b: Disc rimina tion Prote c tion: Pre g na nt E mploye e s (e ffe c tive Ja nua ry 1, 2020) Whe n a n e mplo ye r ha s info rma tio n re g a rding the limita tio ns impo se d b y a n e mplo ye e ’ s pre g na nc y, c hildb irth, la c ta tio n o r a re la te d me dic a l c o nditio n: • No de nia l o f e mplo yme nt o ppo rtunitie s if the de nia l is b a se d o n the ne e d o f the e mplo ye r to ma ke re a so na b le a c c o mmo da tio n to the kno wn limita tio ns; • No re ta lia tio n fo r a sking a b o ut o r using a c c o mmo da tio ns.
#1: Pre g na nc y Ac c ommoda tion/ Disc rimina tion L a ws E mploye r’s Ac tion Ite ms • Ge t a no tic e / po lic y re a dy to g o b y Ja nua ry 1, 2020. • T re a t e mplo ye e s who se e k pre g na nc y a c c o mmo da tio ns the sa me wa y a s e mplo ye e s who se e k a c c o mmo da tio ns fo r disa b ilitie s. Co nside r: – E ng a g ing in the inte ra c tive pro c e ss; a nd – Se e king me dic a l ve rific a tio n o f the ne e d fo r the a c c o mmo da tio n.
#1: Pre g na nc y Ac c ommoda tion/ Disc rimina tion L a ws Othe r E mploye r Ac tion Ite ms • E duc a te yo ur supe rviso rs a nd ma na g e rs a b o ut the se la ws b e fo re Ja nua ry 1, 2020. • I f yo u’ re a wa re o f a n issue invo lving yo ur o rg a niza tio n’ s ha ndling o f a n e mplo ye e who wa s pre g na nt in the pa st, c o nside r a uditing tha t situa tio n no w (b ut do so q uie tly).
Oregon’s unnamed Oregon harassment law that provides public Workplace sector employers Fairness Act with additional (signed into law June 11) burdens (“P.S.”) (signed into law June 20)
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ke y Provisions • E xte nds the sta tute o f limita tio ns fo r c e rta in c la ims (five (!) ye a rs!) • Spe c ifie s wha t la ng ua g e ma y b e use d in se pa ra tio n/ se ve ra nc e a g re e me nts with a lle g e d vic tims a nd a lle g e d b a d a c to rs • Re q uire s spe c ific la ng ua g e in po lic ie s pro hib iting ha ra ssme nt in the wo rkpla c e
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws • Applie s to a ll Ore g o n e mplo ye rs, re g a rdle ss o f the numb e r o f e mplo ye e s e mplo ye d. • E ffe c tive da te s: – Cla ims unde r ORS 659A.030, 659A.082, a nd 659A.112: Se pte mb e r 30, 2019. – Po lic y a nd pro c e dure s: Ja nua ry 1, 2020 (P.S.) – Se pa ra tio n/ se ttle me nt a g re e me nts: Oc to b e r 1, 2020.
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re quire me nts for No- Ha ra ssme nt Polic ie s (e ff. 1/ 1/ 20) E a sy Co mplia nc e : • A sta te me nt pro hib iting wo rkpla c e ha ra ssme nt (P.S.) ; • Pro vide a c o mpla int-re po rting pro c e dure ( but se e P.S. disc ussion be low) ; • No -re ta lia tio n pro visio n (P.S.) ; • I de ntify (a t le a st) two pe o ple in the o rg a niza tio n who c a n re c e ive c o mpla ints;
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re quire me nts for No- Ha ra ssme nt Polic ie s (e ff. 1/ 1/ 20) E a sy Co mplia nc e : • T e ll e mplo ye e s tha t the y must do c ume nt a ny inc ide nts o f ha ra ssme nt, disc rimina tio n o r se xua l a ssa ult; a nd • T e ll the “vic tim” tha t he / she ma y vo lunta rily disc lo se info rma tio n re g a rding a n inc ide nt o f wo rkpla c e ha ra ssme nt tha t invo lve s him/ he r. (P.S.)
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re quire me nts for No- Ha ra ssme nt Polic ie s (e ff. 1/ 1/ 20) Diffic ult Co mplia nc e : I nc lude a sta te me nt tha t the e mplo ye r c a n’ t re q uire e mplo ye e s to e nte r into a no ndisc lo sure o r no n- dispa ra g e me nt a g re e me nt (“inc luding a de sc riptio n o f the me a ning o f tho se te rms”).
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re quire me nts for No- Ha ra ssme nt Polic ie s (e ff. 1/ 1/ 20) Cra ppy Co mplia nc e : • E duc a te e mplo ye e s tha t the y ha ve five ye a rs to file a BOL I c o mpla int o r c ivil la wsuit re la ting to ha ra ssme nt o r disc rimina tio n; • Advise tha t a n e mplo ye e c la iming to ha ve b e e n ha ra sse d o r disc rimina te d a g a inst c a n re q ue st to e nte r into a se pa ra tio n a g re e me nt with the e mplo ye r tha t ha s a se ve n-da y re vo c a tio n pe rio d.
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re quire me nts for No- Ha ra ssme nt Polic ie s (e ff. 1/ 1/ 20) Cra ppy Co mplia nc e : “I nfo rma tio n sta ting tha t a vic tim o f wo rkpla c e ha ra ssme nt ha s a rig ht to se e k re dre ss thro ug h the e mplo ye r’ s [c o mpla int-re po rting pro c e dure ], thro ug h the Bure a u o f L a b o r a nd I ndustrie s’ c o mpla int re so lutio n pro c e ss . . . o r unde r a ny o the r a va ila b le la w, whe the r c ivil o r c rimina l.” (P.S.)
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re quire me nts for No- Ha ra ssme nt Polic ie s (e ff. 1/ 1/ 20) Cra ppy Co mplia nc e : A sta te me nt o f the sc o pe o f the po lic y, inc luding tha t the po lic y a pplie s to e le c te d pub lic o ffic ia ls, vo lunte e rs a nd inte rns. (P.S.)
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re quire me nts for No- Ha ra ssme nt Polic ie s (e ff. 1/ 1/ 20) Cra ppy Co mplia nc e : “I nfo rma tio n to c o nne c t a vic tim o f wo rkpla c e ha ra ssme nt with le g a l re so urc e s a nd c o unse ling a nd suppo rt se rvic e s, inc luding a ny a va ila b le e mplo ye e a ssista nc e se rvic e s.” (P.S.)
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re quire me nts for No- Ha ra ssme nt Polic ie s (e ff. 1/ 1/ 20) T he po lic y must b e in writing , a nd must b e ma de a va ila b le to e mplo ye e s within the wo rkpla c e . T he po lic y must b e pro vide d: • T o a ll c urre nt e mplo ye e s; • T o e a c h ne w e mplo ye e a t time o f hire ; • T o a n e mplo ye e “a t the time tha t the e mplo ye e disc lo se s info rma tio n re g a rding pro hib ite d disc rimina tio n o r ha ra ssme nt”. – P.S. : T he supe rviso r o r the po lic y’ s de sig na te d c o mpla int re c ipie nts a re re spo nsib le fo r pro viding the po lic y.
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Side Note : How L uc ky a re We , E mploye rs?? BOL I to pro vide : • “Mo de l pro c e dure s o r po lic ie s” a va ila b le fo r e mplo ye rs; a nd • Re g ula tio ns (must b e a do pte d b y Oc to b e r 1, 2019).
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws “Writte n Polic ie s a nd Proc e dure s” (P.S.) • Pro vide instruc tio n fo r ma inta ining re c o rds o f wo rkpla c e ha ra ssme nt; a nd • Cre a te a pro c e ss fo r fo llo wing -up with the c o mpla ining e mplo ye e e ve ry thre e mo nths in the c a le nda r ye a r fo llo wing re c e ipt o f the c o mpla int.
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re q uire me nts fo r Se pa ra tio n/ Se ve ra nc e Ag re e me nts (e mplo ye e s who a lle g e ha ra ssme nt, disc rimina tio n o r se xua l a ssa ult): 1. No no n-disc lo sure pro visio ns; 2. No no n-dispa ra g e me nt pro visio ns; (E ffe c tive 10/ 1/ 20)
#2: Ne w Ha ra ssme nt L a ws Ne w Re q uire me nts fo r Se pa ra tio n/ Se ve ra nc e Ag re e me nts (e mplo ye e s who a lle g e ha ra ssme nt, disc rimina tio n o r se xua l a ssa ult): 3. No pro visio ns tha t ha ve the “purpo se o r e ffe c t o f pre ve nting the e mplo ye e fro m disc lo sing o r disc ussing c o nduc t”; a nd 4. No “no -re hire ” pro visio ns. (E ffe c tive 10/ 1/ 20)
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