Friday, November 3, 2023
- EEOC: Proposed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace (comments due 11/1/2023) would consolidate and supersede several earlier EEOC guidance documents in this area and focus on three components of a harassment claim: Covered Bases and Causation; Discrimination with Respect to a Term, Condition, or Privilege of Employment; and Liability
- US District Court ME: Employer’s motion for summary judgment on former employee’s §1981 claim denied where an individual involved in termination discussions called former employee “an evil man,” which the court recognized as a “particularly loaded term when used to describe a Muslim American,” despite employer’s disputed claim that comment was directed at plaintiff because of his allegedly disrespectful treatment of a coworker
- Maine Legislature: Effective October 25, 2023, new law authorizes the Department of Labor and the Attorney General to file civil actions against employers who retaliate against employees for exercising their rights under Title 26, Chapter 7 Employment Practices, and seek fines of up to $1000 per violation
- Maine Legislature: Effective October 25, 2023, Maine’s Equal Pay Law amended to prohibit pay discrimination on the basis of race in addition to sex
- Maine Legislature: Effective October 25, 2023, Maine’s severance pay statute amended to apply to more than “industrial or commercial” facilities
- Maine Legislature: Effective October 25, 2023, Maine’s statute prohibiting non-compete agreements amended to prohibit them for veterinarians regardless of income
- MHRC: The Maine Human Rights Commission’s 2023 Annual Report provides data on the 683 new complaints filed in FY 2023 (up from 614 the prior year), including that 57% were based on employment, 21% were based on housing, 16% were based on public accommodations, and 2% were based on education
- EEOC: Karla Gilbride sworn is as General Counsel, becoming the first person with a known disability to be appointed to the role
