Music fans in Illinois anticipate the Grammy Awards every year, but a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has exposed allegations of sexual harassment within the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The Recording Academy's suspended president and CEO has accused the man serving as the organization's general counsel of repeatedly asking her to spend time with him. According to her complaint, she complained to human resources about his unwanted advances and was placed on administrative leave as a result.
Winter brings icy sidewalks to Belleville
With the Arctic blasts sweeping down from the Canadian prairies, the streets and sidewalks in Belleville are frequently coated in layers of ice and snow. Both can bring hazards to unwary pedestrians who may trip and fall on the slippery surfaces.
Lawsuit accuses McDonald's Corp. of racial discrimination
A lawsuit filed in an Illinois federal court on Jan. 7 by two African-American executives accuses McDonald's Corporation of racial discrimination. The female plaintiffs say the Chicago-based fast-food giant nurtures a hostile work environment and denies its black employees promotions. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and claims that the discrimination has cost the two plaintiffs more than $2 million in lost pay and benefits.
Workplace class-action lawsuits declined in 2019
While the statistics for employee lawsuits in 2019 may appear promising for improved workplaces in Illinois and nationwide, they may highlight more troubling realities. The year marked the first time in over 10 years that the number of class-action lawsuits filed over issues like workplace discrimination, endangered retirement benefits or wage and hour violations dropped. However, this may not indicate that employers are actually improving their practices or offering safer, more responsive and equitable workplaces. Instead, a growing number of workplaces may be enforcing arbitration against employees rather than allowing them to proceed with class-action lawsuits.
Marijuana impaired driving is illegal, but hard to prove
Smoking marijuana became legal in Illinois on January 1, but driving while stoned is still illegal. Although impaired driving has legal consequences and may cause personal injury, proving that a driver is impaired by marijuana is difficult.
New Year brings pay raise to Illinois' minimum wage workers
For the last seven years, both Illinois and the federal government have engaged in inaction on raising minimum wages for their citizens. But state employment law will grant a pay raise to Illinois minimum wage workers on New Year's Day.
