Labor and Employment Law Commons^™

Employment Law, Office Of Continuing Legal Education At The University Of Kentucky College Of Law, Matthew R. Westfall, Alvin L. Goldman, Jon L. Fleishaker, Carl B. Boyd Jr., Marvin L. Coan, Carolyn S. Bratt, Michael W. Hawkins, Richard C. Stephenson, Dorothy M. Pitt, Paul H. Tobias, Judith B. Hoge

Continuing Legal Education Materials

Outlines of speaker presentations at the Employment Law Seminar held by UK/CLE on January 22-23, 1988.

Test Defamation In The Workplace: False Positive Results In Detecting Lies, Aids, Or Drug Use, Elaine W. Shoben

Scholarly Works

Workplace tests given to applicants or employees can be divided into two general types: (1) Tests with results that measure ability or performance on a continuous, comparative scale and (2) tests with essentially dichotomous results indicating the truth or falsity of some fact about the worker. Aptitude tests or quantified supervisorial ratings fall into the first category. They have been the subject of substantial litigation brought primarily under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In contrast, the second category of workplace tests has received comparatively little judicial attention. This group includes drug tests, other medical tests such …

Rebuilding The Barriers: The Trend In Employment Discrimination Class Actions, Judith J. Johnson

Journal Articles

Congress intended that employees vindicate the rights given them under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by private action. For several years private actions proved to be very successful in eliminating employment discrimination. Recent decisions of the Supreme Court and lower courts have limited the effectiveness of the private employment discrimination suit as a major deterrent and remedy for such discrimination. This is especially true in the area of class action suits, which have been the single most effective tool in eliminating employment discrimination. Many courts today interpret Rule 23, the federal rule governing class action suits, …

H.R. 4300, The Family And Medical Leave Act Of 1986: Congress' Response To The Changing American Family, Amy K. Berman

Cleveland State Law Review

On March 4, 1986, H.R. 4300, The Family & Medical Leave Act of 1986 was introduced in the United States House of Representatives. The purpose of the bill is "to entitle employees to parental leave in cases involving the birth, adoption, or serious health condition of a son or daughter and temporary medical leave in cases involving the inability [of an employee] to work because of a serious health condition." The bill requires an employer to provide up to 18 weeks job-protected family leave and up to 26 weeks job protected medical leave for all temporarily disabled employees. The scope …

Mutable Characteristics And The Definition Of Discrimination Under Title Vii, Peter Brandon Bayer

Scholarly Works

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits racial, religious, gender, ethnic, and color discrimination in employment. In most instances the courts interpret the statute very broadly. However, a line of cases holds that discrimination predicated on a forbidden criterion coupled with a ‘mutable’—easily altered—characteristic does not constitute a violation of Title VII. This Article attempts to debunk the ‘mutable’ characteristic doctrine by discerning a general definition of discrimination under Title VII and applying that definition to demonstrate that mutability analysis contradicts the letter and spirit of the law.

Labor Law—Employment Discrimination—Employer May Be Held Liable For Hostile Work Environment, Frances Scroggins

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Metamorphosis Of Comparable Worth, Nancy E. Dowd

UF Law Faculty Publications

The concept of comparable worth has as its factual predicate two typical characteristics of women's employment: occupational concentration or segregation and significantly lower wages compared to those paid to men. What continues to be most troubling about this employment pattern is its stubborn persistence, despite the increased presence of women in the workforce and the existence for over two decades of legislation prohibiting sex discrimination in employment.

The concept of comparable worth has provoked an outpouring of emotional rhetoric and scholarly analysis debating the concept’s viability and desirability. Rather than add to that debate, Professor Dowd traces the evolution of …

Stotts' Denial Of Hiring And Promotion Preferences For Nonvictims: Draining The "Spirit" From Title Vii, Mary C. Daly

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The author questions whether the dicta in a recent Supreme Court case, Local Union No. 1784 v. Stotts, effectively narrow the scope of relief available under Title VII to non-victims. Specifically, the Court addressed affirmative action and the possible reparations under a Title VII employment race discrimination class action. The dicta in question appear to limit courts' ability to grant relief to "non-victims" (individuals who were not named parties in an employment discrimination suit) in the form of consent decrees or post-trial injunctive relief. The author examines Supreme Court caselaw on affirmative action, the legislative history of the 1964 Civil …

Employee Recruitment By Design Or Default: Uncertainty Under Title Vii, Elaine W. Shoben

Scholarly Works

The employment of every new worker is the result of a two-stage process: recruitment of applicants and selection from the applicant pool. A personnel officer may evaluate only John and Jane Worker because Juan and Juanita Worker are not in the applicant pool. What active or passive acts by the company establish the applicant pool? The issue becomes particularly troublesome when Juan and Juanita Worker are members of one minority group and John and Jane Worker are members of another racial or ethnic minority group. May employers legally recruit more actively from one group than another?

This Article examines the …

An Observation About Comparable Worth, George Schatzki

Seattle University Law Review

The ultimate legal question is: Does Title VII incorporate the comparable worth doctrine? The courts are saying, "No." Their reasoning is, at best, unpersuasive. Indeed, often their reasoning is nothing more than mere conclusion. Given what I have described briefly as the legal arguments pro and con, one can easily understand that so long as Griggs remains a part of the Title VII scene, there is a rational but not compelling argument to incorporate comparable worth into the Act. How, then, does a court decide? The following discussion is offered not as an example of desirable or undesirable judicial analysis. …

The Bottom Line Limitation To The Rule Of Griggs V. Duke Power Company, James P. Scanlan

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I of this article analyzes the background to the Teal decision and the treatment by the majority and dissent of the issue known in employment discrimination law as the "bottom line" limitation to the disparate impact theory of employment discrimination. Part II explains why, for reasons beyond those considered by the Teal majority, not only was the Court's rejection of the bottom line theory manifestly correct, but a contrary result would have had grievous consequences. Part III then argues for a similar rejection of the bottom line limitation in those situations where most observers have taken for granted that …

Alternatives To Challenged Employee Selection Criteria: The Significance Of Nonstatistical Evidence In Disparate Impact Cases Under Title Vii, Julia C. Lamber

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In contrast to most recent commentary and a superficial reading of Supreme Court cases, Professor Lamber rehabilitates the concept of a distinct disparate impact theory under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. She examines one important evidentiary question-the significance of alternative employee section criteria-to expose underlying policy questions often buried in technical questions of form. Others have argued that the Supreme Court's apparent analytical and evidentiary alignment of disparate impact and disparate treatment cases shows that Title VII bars only "intentional discrimination" and thus the purpose of alternatives evidence is quite limited. Professor Lamber presents a different view, …

Discretionary Decisionmaking: The Application Of Title Vii's Disparate Impact Theory, Julia C. Lamber

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

The Liability Of Third Parties Under Title Vii, Andrew O. Schiff

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Note considers the extent to which Title VII covers discrimination by third parties other than employment agencies and labor organizations. Part I analyzes the rationale for covering third parties, discussing Title VIl's language and the policies that Congress intended it to serve. Part II proposes a framework for analyzing the liability of third parties. Part III applies this framework to three instances where courts have disagreed about the liability of a particular third party: insurance companies' administration of employee benefits, state licensing agencies' licensing of individuals for various occupations, and hospitals' granting of staff privileges to doctors.

Challenges To Employment Testing Under Title Vii: Creating "Built In Headwinds" For The Civil Service Employer, Ellen Zweig

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Since the Supreme Court held in Griggs that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from using employment selection systems which are not job-related or which act as "built in headwinds" for minorities, employment tests have been subject to more challenges in courtrooms. Since Griggs, courts have presumed employment tests challenged pursuant to Title VII to be invalid once the plaintiffs establish that the tests produce an adverse impact upon minorities. However, these courts have not suggested many alternative methods of testing and those that have been suggested are generally unworkable for employers who must comply …

Privacy And The Sex Bfoq: An Immodest Proposal, Carolyn S. Bratt

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Since the adoption of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, courts have been called upon to determine whether an employer can avoid liability for refusing to hire employees of one sex by invoking the privacy rights of its customers. Two recent court decisions are illustrative of the question and its resolution. In Backus v. Baptist Medical Center, the defendant employer's policy of excluding male nurses from the labor and delivery section of its obstetrics and gynecology department was challenged. The defendant established that most of the duties of a labor and delivery nurse involve exposure to …

The Seniority System Exemption To Title Vii Of The Civil Rights Acts: The Impact Of A New Barrier To Title Vii Litigants, Beth Wain Brandon

Cleveland State Law Review

Congress has prohibited discrimination in employment by enacting Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Section 703(h) was passed as an exemption to Title VII, in order to protect bona fide systems of seniority. The purpose of Title VII was "the prevention of unlawful employment discrimination and the amelioration and elimination of the effects of past discrimination." To this end, the courts historically have looked at the "effects" of discrimination rather than the "intent" to discriminate, when analyzing a Title VII violation. Recently the Supreme Court, in American Tobacco Co. v. Patterson, has required a showing of intent to …

Title Vii: When Is A Pretext Not A Pretext? An Analysis Of Westinghouse Electric Corp. V. Vaughn, Barbara J. Fick

Journal Articles

This article previews the Supreme Court case Westinghouse Electric Corp. v. Vaughn, 466 U.S. 521 (1984). The author expected the Court to clarify the evidentiary requirements and burdens of plaintiffs and defendants in litigating a disparate treatment claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Employment Discrimination—The Bottom Line Defense In Disparate Impact Cases, Robert S. Tschiemer

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Deduction Of Unemployment Compensation From Back-Pay Awards Under Title Vii, Eric A. Martin

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Note argues that federal courts should not deduct unemployment insurance benefits from Title VII back-pay awards. Part I reviews the legislative history and purposes behind the remedial provisions of Title VII. Part I also presents the arguments that courts have advanced regarding the deduction of unemployment benefits from Title VII back-pay awards. Part II assesses these arguments in light of analogous common law doctrine and the legislative objectives of Title VII, and advances arguments not yet considered by the courts. Finally, Part II concludes that federal courts should resolve this division of authority by not deducting unemployment benefits from …

The Creeping Eruption Of Mt. Healthy, Morell E. Mullins Sr.

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Applying Restitution To Remedy A Discriminatory Denial Of Partnership, Candace Kovacic-Fleischer

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This article suggests that a plaintiff can bring a state cause of action in restitution, liability in unjust enrichment, as an alternative to a federal cause of action in Title VII if the plaintiff was discriminatorily denied partnership by a firm that paid her a salary, but billed her time by the hour to clients. If the firm earned more than it paid in salary and overhead to the plaintiff, that amount would be defendant’s gain, one of the elements of an action in restitution, and the amount to be disgorged should plaintiff prove the other two elements, that the …

Employment Problems Of The Handicapped: Would Title Vii Remedies Be Appropriate And Effective?, Cornelius J. Peck

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article argues that the employment problems of the handicapped are not well-suited for treatment under a statutory discrimination model. Underlying this argument is the belief that the concept of discrimination is not adaptable to the problems of the handicapped, and efforts to apply it will only worsen existing problems. Part I begins by defining the meaning of discrimination, and then explores the similarities and differences between discrimination against the handicapped, and discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and national origin. The purpose of this discussion is to provide a basic framework for understanding claims that the handicapped should be …

Sex Stereotyping And Statistics—Equality In An Insurance Context, Cheryl Bleakney

Seattle University Law Review

This Comment first outlines a few basic insurance concepts and distinguishes employer-provided plans from individually purchased policies. It then examines discrimination criteria and City of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power v. Manhart's application of Title VII and applies those principles to Supreme Court cases. The Comment also suggests that FIPA be revised to extend its gender-neutral requirements only to employer provided group plans.

United States Postal Service Board Of Governors V. Aikens, Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Supreme Court Case Files

No abstract provided.

Alternatives To Seniority-Based Layoffs: Reconciling Teamsters, Weber, And The Goal Of Equal Employment Opportunity, Paul M. Hamburger

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Note advocates the use of legal incentives for adopting nonpreferential alternatives to seniority-based layoffs. Part I analyzes the impact of bona fide seniority systems on recently hired minorities and women. Part II discusses existing legal incentives for unions and employers to seek alternatives to strict seniority layoffs and for courts to enjoin such layoffs, thereby forcing the parties to negotiate over alternatives. Finally, part III examines two kinds of potential alternatives: racially preferential alternatives, which are prohibited under Title VII, and nonpreferential options, which are permissible and should be used increasingly.

The Proper Role Of Res Judicata And Collateral Estoppel In Title Vii Suits, Charles C. Jackson, John H. Matheson, Thomas J. Pikorski

Michigan Law Review

The Article proceeds from the premise, established in Part I, that federal courts must apply preclusion principles unless Congress clearly indicates otherwise. Part II considers a number of indicators of Congress's intent, and finds no evidence to rebut the presumption that federal courts must give preclusive weight to certain state decisions. Part III then proposes general guidelines for the application of preclusion doctrines in title VII litigation.

Compound Discrimination: The Interaction Of Race And Sex In Employment Discrimination, Elaine W. Shoben

Scholarly Works

The courts have not yet clearly resolved whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits compound discrimination, that is, discrimination based on a combination of protected characteristics—such as race and sex-rather than single protected characteristics—such as race alone or sex alone. Professor Shoben argues that both the logic and the legislative history of Title VII support the view that compound discrimination is separately protected. She then offers a systematic method for statistically determining whether an employer is discriminating on the basis of a combination of characteristics. Finally, Professor Shoben considers whether single plaintiffs can, consistently with rule …

Recent Development: Amenability Of Foreign Corporations To United States Employment Discrimination Laws, Kevin C. Tyra

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

As the Linskey court noted, the existence of employment exemption provisions in over thirty commercial treaties, if liberally construed, would create a loophole in Title VII enforcement. Given the ever-increasing number of United States employees of foreign-owned corporations, liberal treaty constructions could decrease the scope of Title VII.

Nevertheless, the effect on international commerce must be considered. Although equal employment opportunity is a laudable goal, this goal may conflict with the values of other cultures, as it did with the culturally-based organization and management philosophy of the C. Itoh Co. A more prudent approach to the problem of subsidiaries might …

Wage Discrimination And Job Segregation: The Survival Of A Theory, Ruth G. Blumrosen

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

My earlier article in this journal, Wage Discrimination, Job Segregation, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, advanced the theory that the same discriminatory factors which lead to job segregation are also likely to be responsible for wage differentials between segregated jobs. The discriminatorily depressed wage rate of the segregated job is therefore one of the "adverse effects" under Griggs v. Duke Power Co. of job segregation. In order to establish a prima facie case of wage discrimination in a Title VII action, plaintiffs must show the fact of job segregation - that the jobs were …