In an article published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Tim Garrett provided insight on a 2015 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that reinstated a worker who made racist remarks to replacement workers during a strike. Tim states that an employer that does nothing in response to racist slurs risks liability under Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964, regardless of NLRA protections. In this case, Tim stated “the board accepted a ‘vicious personal attack’ based on stereotypes that society is trying to overcome.”
Recent NLRB decisions, such as the one in this case protecting free speech as part of concerted activity, are contradictory to guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recommending training all employees on civility. The SHRM article outlines the inconsistent approach between the two agencies and ways to overcome the differences.
The full article, “EEOC Guidance on Harassment Calls for Civility Training,” was published by SHRM online on January 13, 2017, and is available online.