HR Specialist: North Carolina Employment Law

Complex state and local laws in the Tar Heel State can give employers the blues. Aggressive attorneys don’t stop with federal laws like FMLA, ADA and FLSA: they use state and local living-wage statutes, rural codes, plus discrimination and other laws to sue employers for sky’s-the-limit damages. This North Carolina-specific newsletter arrives monthly to help sue-proof every aspect of HR. Written in plain English, it’s your insurance policy for staying in step with current interpretations of state and local laws – and staying out of court. Learn more about HR Specialist: North Carolina Employment Law and the free report you’ll get when you subscribe...

Propak Logistics, an Arkansas-based freight management company, has drawn the ire of the EEOC, which is suing the firm for refusing to hire applicants who weren’t Hispanic for nonmanagement positions at its plant in Shelby.

The EEOC’s lawsuit claims the company would hire Hispanic workers almost exclusively, even if better-qualified workers of other heritages applied. The alleged discriminatory acts occurred between Oct. 1, 2002, and June 30, 2004.

When attempts to conciliate an initial complaint failed, the EEOC filed suit in federal court.

Note: Refusing to hire qualified workers based on ethnicity or national origin violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Employers may not pigeonhole employees based on their race, ethnicity, gender, religion or national origin.