Much of Tennessee is immune from the hard winters that some of the country receives. While snow does fall, drivers here won't have to worry about a foot of standing snow on the road during the cold months. Still, inclement weather, including ice and snow on the roads, can certainly lead to crashes in Tennessee and other states. Believe it or not, however, the winter isn't the most dangerous time to be on the road.
Every motor vehicle crash carries a risk of brain injuries
One reason why people who drive must be licensed is to ensure that they are properly educated about safety behind the wheel. Small mistakes can prove deadly when you're in control of a heavy machine traveling around high speeds. Understanding and following traffic laws could save your life one day.
Minority women face racial and gender discrimination at work
Since 1963, when the Equal Pay Act became law in the United States, employers in Tennessee have had a legal obligation to pay men and women the same amount of money for the same work. Reality has fallen far short of that goal. Women persistently earn lower pay than their male counterparts for the same jobs do, and the pay gap is even higher for African American, Latina and Native American women. The general counsel for the National Women's Law Center attributed the lower pay for minority women to the people running companies. They lack awareness of the issue and fail to enforce employment laws meant to counteract discrimination.
Workplaces evolving on their views of transgender workers
Members of Tennessee's transgender community could face discrimination in the working world. According to a 2015 study from the National Center for Transgender Identity, 25 percent of respondents said that being transgender caused problems at work. Specifically, those respondents said that they were denied a promotion or fired because of their orientation. To help transgender individuals find work, a job fair has been held by MetroHealth hospital in Cleveland.
Veterans with certain discharge statuses may face discrimination
Transitioning from a military to civilian career may be challenging for any veteran. However, when a service member was discharged for committing a minor offense, it's often even more difficult for him or her to secure a good job. Employers in Tennessee sometimes use veteran status as a way to filter applicants for open positions. When the job requires that veterans have been honorably discharged, certain former service members might be unfairly disqualified due to no fault of their own.
National Park Service official investigated for crude conduct
The National Park Service manages 84 million acres in the United States, including locations in Tennessee. The service functions within the Department of the Interior, led by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who has publicly pledged to take strong action against sexual harassers within federal workplaces under his control. A man currently holding the highest position at the NPS due to no one being nominated to lead the agency has fallen under investigation after an anonymous complaint about his behavior.
Facebook job ad filters subject of age discrimination lawsuit
Older job seekers in Tennessee might be less likely to see ads on Facebook for open positions according to allegations in a federal class-action lawsuit filed by the Communications Workers of America. The amended court filings for the union accuse Facebook of enabling companies that want to discriminate against older workers with age filters on ads. The lawsuit names large companies, including Amazon.com Inc., Cox Communications Inc., T-Mobile and Ikea as defendants.
AT&T Mobility sued for pregnancy discrimination
AT&T Mobility employees in Tennessee may be interested to learn that two women filed a lawsuit against the company claiming that they were terminated for pregnancy-related absences. The lawsuit said that terminating them for this reason was a violation of the nation's federal anti-discrimination laws.
Fox News to pay $10 million to settle discrimination lawsuits
Tennessee residents may be aware that Fox News became mired in a sexual harassment controversy after Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit in July 2016 accusing the network's former CEO Roger Ailes of making unwelcome and inappropriate sexual advances toward her. The ensuing media storm led to a precipitous ratings drop, prompting the network to oust Ailes and sever ties with some of its most popular figures. Media outlets reported on May 16 that 21st Century Fox has agreed to pay about $10 million to settle workplace discrimination lawsuits filed by 18 former Fox News workers.
Former employees sue NFL team for age, race discrimination
Tennessee sports fans may be interested to learn that the Detroit Lions are being sued by two former employees for alleged age and racial discrimination. The complaint was filed in the Wayne County Circuit Court on April 5.
How Tennessee women can avoid age discrimination at work
While older men commonly face age-related workplace discrimination, older women tend to feel its impact even more. According to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, this may be because older women are subjected to both age and gender discrimination and because men are not penalized over their physical appearance as much as women are. However, experts say that there are things female workers can do to avoid getting marginalized as they age.
Seasons 52 to pay for discriminatory hiring practices
Tennessee employees may be interested to learn that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settled an age discrimination class action lawsuit against a national restaurant chain on May 2. The restaurant involved was Seasons 52, a Florida-based business that is part of the Darden family of restaurants, which also includes LongHorn Steakhouse and the Olive Garden.
Some workplace sexual harassment may not be overt
One challenge that employees of Tennessee companies who are victims of sexual harassment at work may face is that in many cases, the behavior does not reach a legal standard that permits action to be taken. Reports of harassment at Nike that have caused several executives to resign or announce their resignation is one example. They include going to strip clubs at staff outings, email comments about a woman's breasts and a number of reports of being overlooked for promotion.
