Orange County Employment Lawyer

A recent study released by a national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights organization shows that a large percentage of fortune 500 companies in the United States include sexual orientation as part of their employment nondiscrimination policies.  The research was done by the group Equality Forum that reported an approximate 94% of the country’s leading companies voluntarily protect employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The group says that this is a huge increase from when they started contacted the companies in 2003.  In that year only  64% included gays and lesbians in their nondiscrimination rules.  After its initial research Equality Forum reached out to the CEO’s and Boards of Directors of the companies who did not offer the protection.

Of the 30 Fortune 500 companies that are non-complaint, 13 are in Texas.

If you have been the victim of workplace discrimination based on your sexual orientation or gender identity, contact Orange County Employment Lawyer Perry Smith at 888.356.2529 to discuss your case and further legal options.

Missouri- County commissioners in Cape Girardeau are reviewing plans for encouraging elected city officials to attend sexual harassment training.

This is the first time the class is being offered, however elected officials cannot be required by the county to attend.  One of the concerns raised was how public operation will be handled while the county employees are attending the training.  All county employees are expected to attend.

Other counties across the state handle sexual harassment training in a variety of way, some not addressing the issue at all.  Sheriff’s deputies in one neighboring county are required to attend a similar sexual harassment training class once a year.  Officials in Cape Girardeau County hope the training will raise awareness and compliance with the county’s sexual harassment policies.

If you have been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, contact the Orange County employment lawyers of Perry Smith at 888.356.2529 to discuss your case and further legal options.

Texas - A school nurse claims she was fired after speaking out about a man who threatened to kill her and student at her school.  The school board listed several reasons for her termination, but the woman believes it was because she contacted the media after school officials and local police did not follow up on her allegations.

The nurse has filed a grievance with the school district in hopes of getting her job back.  The school district has 10 days to respond, but the woman claims she will file a suit for wrongful termination if not reinstated.

The woman had been threatened by a man she met on the internet.  According to the police report the man threatened that there would be “a massacre” at the school if she was not gotten rid of.  The man is currently in a Williamson County jail.

If you have been a victim of wrongful termination, contact the Orange County wrongful termination lawyers of Perry Smith at 888.356.2529 to discuss your case and further legal options.

Germany- The Lufthansa airline strike has led more than 4,000 employees to walk off the job causing the German airline to cancel more than a dozen flights.  The ver.di union who represents about 50,000 ground service workers and a small group of cabin staff is leading the strike.

The open-ended strike was started by the union on Monday.  Strikers are demanding  a 9.9% pay increase for a year.  Meanwhile, airline officials have offered a 7.7% increase for 21 months with a one-time bonus.

The strike centers around airports in Frankfurt, Hamberg, and Berlin, mostly affecting short-haul flights.  By the end of the day there could be as many of 70 cancellations, accounting for three percent of the airline’s flights.  Little damage was suffered on the first day of the strike.  This is the first strike Lufthansa has experienced in 13 years.

A recent research study reveals that a 20 minute nap in the afternoon can boost employee productivity.

Commonly known as power naps, these quick trip into sleep have been found to improve heart function, hormonal maintenance, and cell repair according to Dr. Sara Mednick, a researcher fro the Salk Institue for Biological Studies.  Afternoon naps can also improve moods, lower stress, and improve memory and learning.  All of these benefits can improve office productivity.

Sleeping on the job is an obvious way to get in trouble with the boss.  A good tactic to catching an effectice power nap is setting aside 15-20 minutes of designated lunch or break time.  Any longer and waking up will be difficult and not result in a more energized afternoon.

If you have been unfairly terminated, contact Orange County employment lawyer Perry Smith at (888) 356-2529.