Is a single racial slur by an employee’s supervisor enough to create a hostile work environment under § 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866?  The answer is yes according to the Third Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision in Castleberry v. STI Group, No. 16-3131 (3d Cir. July 14, 2017). In Castleberry, two African American males were employed as general laborers.  They claimed that while working on a fence-removal project, their supervisor threatened to fire them if they “nr-rigged”...

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In the event of notifiable mass redundancies, the employer is obligated to consult the works council. The consultation procedure is a requirement that has to be satisfied so the termination notices issued in the context of mass redundancies become effective; it thus is of substantial practical significance. Consulting the works council includes notifying, informing and advising the works council and must be distinguished from the notification of collective redundancies subsequently submitted to the Labor Agency. Both procedures exist independently...

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Rulings of European Court of Justice (ECJ) In two recent landmark decisions, the ECJ expressed its opinion on the issue of whether employers may ban the wearing of an Islamic headscarf at work. First, the European judges established that an internal rule of a company that prohibits the wearing of any visible political, philosophical or religious sign at work does not constitute direct discrimination against employees who want to wear an Islamic headscarf based on their religion. The ECJ then ruled...

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The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) has rejected a proposed deal between the EU and Canada for the sharing of passenger data, claiming that it violates data protection and privacy laws. The purpose of the proposed Passenger Name Records (PNR) Agreement is to combat terrorism and transnational crime. However, the CJEU found that the PNR Agreement went beyond what was necessary to address those threats. While the deal was initially agreed in 2014, it attracted a lot...

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In addition to spotlighting the critical importance of a CMS, the CPFB’s citing of CMS-related deficiencies begs the question of whether anyone is capable of meeting the CFPB’s expectations. The CFPB has generated acute awareness of the term “compliance management system” (CMS) through its highly publicized consent orders. Since it began issuing orders in 2011, the CFPB has invariably cited “significant weaknesses” in the subject party’s CMS along with violations of specific federal consumer financial laws. In addition to spotlighting...

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Have you always dreamed of hosting a grand dinner party or just inviting people to enjoy your hospitality? Now is your chance to release your inner party planner for the weekend of August 25-27! Finnish Your Dinner is a dinner party that is open for everybody. The idea was born in 2013 when the first-ever Dinner Under the Helsinki Sky was organized in Helsinki as part of the city’s birthday, Helsinki Day. Pohjoisesplanadi street in the city center was closed...

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