Accusations of harassment and discrimination are two common and potentially costly threats to employers.
Harassment
Employers as well as co-workers can be sued not only for sexual harassment, but for other forms of harassment such as gender, race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, age, and disability. Be sure your employee policies address the intent of any federal, state, and local laws regarding harassment. |
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A harassment policy should contain the following:
- Definition of harassment
- Statement prohibiting harassment
- Description of your complaint procedure
- Description of disciplinary measures
- Statement of protection against retaliation
Discrimination
Generally, employers are prohibited from discriminating against applicants for employment, current employees and termination of employees based on certain protected classifications, including race, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, national origin, age (40 or older), and disability. Therefore, employers are prohibited from terminating an employee if the basis of that termination is his or her membership in any of these protected classifications.
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