Tag Archives: EEOC

A jury verdict earlier this month to mentally disabled workers who were abused and forced to live in a “house of horrors” has been drastically slashed after trial. A federal law that limits damages will cut the jury’s award from $240 million to $1.6 million. After deciding that Texas-based turkey processing plant Henry’s Turkey Service subjected the workers to abuse, discrimination and physical punishment at home and at work, the jury awarded $7.5 million to each of the 32 workers. …

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law last week that provides recourse against discrimination to workers at companies that employ fewer than 15 people. The legislation amends state law so that employees who bring harassment and discrimination suits against their employer can receive punitive and compensatory damages, as well as attorney fees. Previously, workers who brought successful claims through the state could only get their job back, along with back pay. Employees could receive damages by suing under …

A turkey processing company has been ordered by a jury to pay a whopping $240 million for paying mentally disabled workers 41 cents per hour and housing them in a rodent-infested “house of horrors.” The award will be divided evenly among 32 mentally disabled workers who worked for Henry’s Turkey Service in Atalissa, Iowa. The lawsuit alleged the company violated federal law protecting workers with disabilities and that the men were abused, harshly disciplined, including being kicked in the groin, …

A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit states that a plaintiff may bring a harassment claim against an employer for a single offensive slur, if the insult is egregious enough. The case revolves around Magliore Ayissi Etoh, a black man originally from Cameroon, who was hired by Fannie Mae in April 2008 as a financial modeler. The company created a new “team leader” position later in the year, and out of a dozen people promoted, …

The growing number of men taking on family caregiver roles is a sign of the times. But when old-fashioned employers fail to keep up with changing gender expectations, it can mean trouble for male employees who need time to care for their children, spouses or parents. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has reported a steady increase in charges of caregiver discrimination over the last five years. And though the report does not distinguish between complaints from male and female …