Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
With the increase in sensitivities to gender and race discrimination and the resulting lawsuits, more corporations are seeking ways in which to help cater for the divisions in gender and background of employees.
Sexual harassment suits have gone up in the light of the #metoo and many other ethnic-related and religious identities are not holding back when it comes to taking behavior that they do not approve of to the courts.
Some suits have gone so far to include the following words in their pleadings as proof of an alleged racist or sexist culture:
A consumer bureau “maintains a biased culture replete with harmful stereotypes regarding its racial minority and female employees that infect its policies and decision-making, including performance evaluations, compensation, and promotions.” (U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have charged they were discriminated against by officials of the bureau once headed by Cordray.)
In that suit, the bureau has responded by stating Cordray “worked hard to build a more inclusive and diverse workplace, launching initiatives to ensure women and minorities receive fair treatment and fundamentally reforming the management practices of the bureau. Civil rights leaders stood by Director Cordray then, and they stand by him now.”
This has forced some companies to change their approach when it comes to steering away from segregated groups within a workforce environment. People who are not included, do not divest and are more likely to drive up costs for employers overall. Disgruntled, angry employees take it to the news and courts, leading to bad publicity and unnecessary costs. Continue reading ›