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EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES LIABILITY

Peter Szendro

Zurich Reinsurance (North America), Inc.

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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

(EEOC) •Federal Agency

•Jurisdiction over major Federal Laws

- Title VII - Civil Rights Act

- American with Disabilities Act (ADA)

- Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)

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PROHIBITED DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES

• Harassment

- Race, Color, Religion, Sex, National

Origin, Disability, Age

• Employment Decisions based upon above factors

• Denial of Employment Opportunity,

Marriage/Association - Protected Class

• Retaliation

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• Prohibition Extends to Any Aspect of Employment

- Hiring

- Firing

- Compensation Benefits

- Promotion

- Training

- Recruitment

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TITLE VII • Harassment Claims• Hostile work environment• Quid pro quo discrimination• Same sex harassment (Oncale)

ADA• Corrective measures• Recent U.S. Supreme Court Cases

Sutton v. United AirlinesMurphy v. United Parcel ServiceAlbertson v. Kirkinberg

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REMEDIES

C0MPENSATORY DAMAGES

– Retroactive and Future Pay

– Attorneys’ Fees

– Court Costs

– Expert Fees

– Mental Anguish– Other Actual Monetary Loss,

Past & Present

DECLARATORY RELIEF

– Hiring

– Promotion

– Reinstatement

– Reasonable Accommodation

PUNITIVE DAMAGESEgregious conduct not required (Kolstad)

Employer good faith defense

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CURRENT TRENDS

• Age Discrimination Claims on the Rise

• Retaliation Claims Likewise Increasing• Employer Counterclaims

- Lauricia v. MicroStrategy, Inc.Trade SecretsEmployer claim still in investigation phase

• Supreme Court Reviews Standard - Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products

Issue of Evidentiary StandardPretext v. Pretext Plus

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CYBERSPACE AND EMPLOYEMENT PRACTICES

• Employee use of Internet

- ECPA

- Expectation of Privacy in Workplace

- E-Mail abuse/sexual harassment

• Need for corporate policy