Free Republic

For women struggling with infertility, the unpredictable and time-consuming treatment process can wreak havoc with work schedules, causing conflicts with bosses and triggering reprisals or layoffs. Now, a federal appeals court has come down on the side of women, fortifying legal protections on the job. In the first decision of its kind at the federal appeals-court level, a three-judge panel in Chicago found women who need time off work for infertility treatment may invoke the Pregnancy Discrimination Act as potential protection against adverse action. The ruling came in a case involving Cheryl Hall, a secretary who was laid off after...

Man Says Job Reviews Were More Favorable With 1 Eye, Rather Than 2 (STNG) CHICAGO James Filson says he always met and "often exceeded" the expectations of the Big Ten Conference in the eight years he worked as a football official for the collegiate athletic conference. In the spring of 2000, an accident caused him to lose one eye. He returned to his job that season -- without informing his bosses of the accident -- and contends that in the five years that he worked with one eye -- which included officiating two Bowl games -- reviews of his work...

What are ‘extreme’ hairdos for amusement park workers? By ROSE RUSSELL FOLKS are intimidated about hair, especially black people’s hair. This was an issue in the 1980s, and hasn’t been in the news until recently when Six Flags amusement park in Largo, Md., targeted employees wearing “extreme hairstyles,” such as locks — also called dreadlocks — long braids, and some cornrows. The park’s new general manger is a black man. But more about Terry Prather later. Six Flags America’s 2006 seasonal handbook says workers can’t wear locks, tails, partially shaved heads, “or any hairstyle that detracts or takes away from...

OLYMPIA, WA—The Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) filed a petition today with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) on behalf of public employees requesting an administrative rule change that would allow non-union employees to participate in workplace decisions that directly affect their employment. EFF filed the petition after receiving reports of exclusion from many public employees. Public employees have the option to decline union membership, but are often required by law to pay dues for union workplace representation. Many workers refuse to join a union because of concerns with the union’s political and ideological agenda. Despite paying for union representation, non-members...

Drug-Search Law Worries Some Officers Private Dog Handlers Will Be Able To Sniff Out Drugs For Businesses FAYETTEVILLE -- Some North Carolina police officers say they're concerned about a new state law that allows private dog handlers to conduct drug searches for businesses. The law, which the legislature approved last year and takes effect in October, lets private dog handlers register with the state and establish a commercial detection service. Supporters of the new law say that the private services can help employers maintain a drug-free workplace, but critics say that only sworn officers should be allowed to search for...

Muslim Trucker Sues Company for Firing Him After He Refused to Haul Beer The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Muslim truck driver is suing his former employer for religious discrimination, claiming he was fired for refusing to haul beer because doing so would violate his beliefs. Ibrahim Barzinji, 42, filed the federal lawsuit earlier this week against Arkansas-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services. J.B. Hunt declined to comment. Barzinji had been working just a few months when he drove a load of auto parts to St. Louis in June 2003. He said he was asked to pick up a...

From the Smart Answers advice column:Q: One of the employees in my fabrication business uses the office computers to cruise the Internet and post comments at political forums. He is a very left-wing loudmouth, hates our President, and rants about the war in Iraq as "genocide for oil." Some of his opinions get his fellow workers so angry I have to step in to keep the peace. He is about 24 years old, has a degree, and is smart. My question: If I have to, can I fire him? I can't say it's a routine layoff because I'm hiring other...

A court victory for a Colorado man fired by AT&T was a breath of fresh air for beleaguered Christian employees in the workplace. In April, U.S. District Judge Marcia Krieger awarded nearly $150,000 to Albert Buonanno, who was fired by AT&T Broadband for refusing to sign a diversity policy requiring him to value the beliefs of "gays." In 2001 Buonanno, who had been with the company nearly two years, objected to the language of a directive in its new employee handbook. It required all workers to "fully recognize, respect and value the differences among all of us," including differences in...

Rutherford Institute Secures Victory For Religious Employee Fired By AT&T For Refusing To Sign Certificate Of Understanding About Homosexuality DENVER —In response to a lawsuit filed by Rutherford Institute attorneys, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado has ruled in favor of a Denver man who was fired from his job with AT&T Broadband after he refused to sign off on portions of the company’s employee handbook that he felt violated his sincerely held religious beliefs. The ruling awards Albert Buonanno with back pay and lost 401(k) matching contributions arising out of AT&T’s refusal to accommodate his religious...