January

The EEOC announced that Wal-Mart Stores East, L.P., will pay $72,500 and provide significant equitable relief to settle a federal disability discrimination lawsuit.

According to the EEOC's suit, Wal-Mart offered Laura Jones a job as an evening sales associate, contingent on Jones passing a urinalysis test for illegal drugs. After Jones advised that she cannot produce urine because she has end-stage renal disease, the assistant store manager told her to ask the designated drug testing company about alternate tests, the EEOC said.

According to the complaint, Jones went to the drug testing facility the same day and learned that the facility could do other drug tests if the employer requested it. Jones relayed this information to the Wal-Mart assistant store manager, but management refused to order an alternative drug test. Jones's application was closed for failing to take a urinalysis within 24 hours.

"Party City has reached a settlement with New York 's Attorney General's office to ""Ban the Box"" during their hiring process. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement that the company, which employs 5,000 people in 49 stores across the state, must change its hiring policies as a result of the settlement to:

•  Conduct training for employees to ensure fair consideration of all job applicants,
•  Conduct outreach and recruiting efforts with non-profits that specialize in job training and rehabilitation of individuals with criminal records,
•  Reconsider applications from hundreds of former applicants who may have been denied employment opportunities unlawfully,
• Submit periodic reports to verify its continued compliance with the law for a period of three years, and
•  Pay a $95,000 penalty

The Atlanta City Council approved an ordinance on Monday, Oct. 6 expanding efforts to eliminate discrimination against potential applicants for jobs with the City of Atlanta who have prior criminal convictions. The City of Atlanta's current application process no longer requires an applicant to reveal a prior conviction on an application, the legislation officially makes it city policy except when state and|or federal laws require criminal background investigations for certain positions, including positions that involve work with children, positions in law enforcement, and other sensitive positions.