Central Florida Taco Bell provides training to employees after settling a harassment suit

A male employee of a Taco Bell in Polk County, who was sexually harassed by a female manager, will be paid $76,050 to settle his suit, the EEOC announced on August 14, 2007 .

This employee said he had been subjected to repeat physical and verbal sexual harassment, and he left the company after management took his complaints as jokes.

Taco Bell was also required to train all of its employees in Central Florida on its sexual harassment policies and to make semi-annual reports to the EEOC on any harassment complaints it receives.

Justice Department Sues Spartanburg County for Alleged Sex Discrimination

On Aug 14, 2007, The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Spartanburg County, South Carolina, alleging that the county discriminated against a county employee for her sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The government's complaint advocates that the county discriminated against the employee during her employment by the county's Department of Roads and Bridges as a senior sign technician. They put her into sexual harassment, thus created a hostile work environment, and they failed to take appropriate action to remedy the discrimination. The employee is no longer employed by the county.

In its complaint, the government now seeks, among other things, compensation to the employee for the county's discriminatory conduct as well as the implementation of county policies to address and prevent sexual harassment.

Mena Restaurant Settles sexual-harassment lawsuit

EEOC announced this week that a Mena-based Sonic Drive-In restaurant and its holding company agreed to pay $75,000 to settle a sexual-harassment lawsuit filed last year .

This lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas in Fort Smith on May 2006. In this case, two women were subjected to sexual harassment by a night manager in the period of their employment at the Sonic. One of the women was a teenager at the time.

Sexual harassment violates Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Investment Holdings Inc. will pay totally $75,000 to the two female employees.

In addition, Mena SDI, doing business as Sonic Drive-In, will conduct training for all of its employees in order to prevent sexual harassment and retaliation, it also will post a notice reinforcing the company's policies on Title 7. All new employees will accept a similar training when hired, and the company will provide a copy of its sexual harassment policy to all employees.

R＆G FOODS WAS FINED FOR CHILD LABOR VIOLATION

On Tuesday,The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it has fined R&G Foods, the owner of Rex's Foodland grocery, $24,750 for allowing 20 children, some even as young as 15, to load and operate a paper baling machine which the department thought to be dangerous equipment. it is only can be operated by adults.

A manager was called by telephone at the grocery said Tuesday she was unaware of the fines, refused to give her name and hung up.

An investigation also found two workers under 16 worked longer hours than allowed.

teenagers may not work more than three hours on school days and eight hours on non-school days.

The grocery in Chapel Hill, about 40 miles south of Nashville, advocates on its Web site it aims to provide job opportunities for adults and "teens still in school that are interested in learning the business."

Fines for worker misclassification

A new law means fines for construction companies that inappropriately classify workers as independent contractors instead of regular employees, a practice condemned by labor unions because they say it deprives workers of benefits such as worker's compensation and unemployment.

"Misclassification of employees as independent contractors is one of the chief devices that greedy employers use to cheat workers out of their benefits," one official said.

Other states have addressed worker misclassification and Illinois is one of at least five states to pass a law.

Violations can cost a company up to $2,500.