Wednesday May 17, 2023

A Closer Look at a High-Stakes Sex Discrimination Lawsuit

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently fined R&L Carriers, a nationwide trucking company headquartered in Wilmington, Ohio, $1.25 million to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit brought against it by a class of female employees.

The female employees claimed that the company discriminated against them in their hiring process by reserving the loader positions for men. The EEOC investigated and found that this was indeed the practice resulting to the massive settlement.

As we reimagine the workplace of the future, we've got to think about how our hiring practices prevent some people from pursuing certain roles, especially when it's a protected class like gender.

Many businesses aren't even aware they're breaking the law until the authorities come for them.

In the While We Were Working Section, Sommer and I discuss this case and what businesses need to know regarding hiring practices in a more inclusive society.

In the Consultants Corner, we tackle a question about employee compensation.

When structuring employee benefits, businesses can make significant mistakes related to things like tax and misclassification of workers as independent contractors.

While these arrangements might seem to reduce the burden on employers, when done wrong, they can lead to legal and financial consequences.

In this episode, Sommer and I unpack some things that can help you stay out of the EEOC's bad graces and some common mistakes to avoid when structuring employee compensation and benefits.

Key Takeaways

- Discrimination in the hiring process (03:41)

- What is your DEIB strategy (06:44)

- Using data to correct unlawful hiring practices (10:36)

- Don't put your reputation as an employer on the line (13:20)

- Make sure your hiring practices are inclusive (14:25)

- Common mistakes with employee benefits (16:51)

- Domestic partners and pretax benefits (20:56)

- Misclassification of independent contractors (24:05)

Additional Resources

Check out our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@jumpstarthr

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