It is certainly well accepted in our society that people in their private lives have the right to adorn their bodies with tattoos and body piercings, but such rights are indeed limited in the workplace. Tattoos and body piercings that are purely a personal preference unconnected with any sort of religious practice or belief may appropriately be forbidden by an employer so long as that employer does not discriminatorily enforce its dress/grooming policy (such as permitting Caucasian employees to exhibit them while forbidding African-American employees from doing so). Employers may permissibly ban such tattoos and body piercings to promote a certain work image, or conversely to prohibit any body exhibition that promotes violence or a hostile work environment. To learn more about this timely issue and how it may manifest itself in the workplace, tune in to this week’s Labor and Employment Telebrief here.
Also in this week’s Labor and Employment Telebrief: Fox News’ apology regarding sexual harassment claims against Roger Ailes, the EEOC’s final guidance on workplace retaliation, and whether obesity qualifies as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
ABOUT THE TELEBRIEFS®
Geared to executives with employee relations responsibilities (HR directors, supervisors, managers, business owners), Labor and Employment Telebriefs® are information-packed 30-minute briefings via the telephone. Telebriefs® provide information and insights to help executives stay current with latest workplace law developments and in front of trends so as to enable proactive policy making and management. On the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, from 9 – 9:30 am ET, join Offit Kurman Labor & Employment Chair Howard Kurman, as he discusses developments occurring over the past two weeks that will most significantly impact employers nationwide. The focus is squarely on the practical. Why is this event significant for employers? What are the lessons to be learned or actions taken? These twice-monthly teleconferences are an easy way to stay current and compliant with the latest Labor and Employment law developments that will significantly affect you and your company. Our guarantee: You will learn something useful, on every call! If you have any questions regarding labor and employment issues, please contact
Howard Kurman: hkurman@offitkurman.com | 410.209.6417
ABOUT HOWARD KURMAN
Howard K. Kurman is an employment attorney. Mr. Kurman regularly counsels clients on all aspects of proactive employment/labor issues. He represents employers ranging in size from as small as 20 employees to those employers with geographically disparate locations consisting of over 4,000 employees. Mr. Kurman assures, through regular contact with his clients, that they promulgate and maintain the most effective employment policies that will, to the extent possible, minimize their legal exposure in today’s litigious workplace. Mr. Kurman offers advice on employee handbooks, employment agreements, and covenants not to compete as well as confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. Previously, Mr. Kurman was the chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group.
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