Here’s more reason to reinforce anti-bias policy

If it’s been awhile since you’ve reminded employees about your anti-discrimination policy, now’s a good time. Why? A big U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month makes it easier for workers to sue their companies for discrimination. Specifically, the court unanimously ruled that employees no longer need to show direct evidence of discrimination. Circumstantial evidence is enough. The ruling applied to “mixed-motive” cases, in which a legitimate reason for a firing or demotion is combined with a discriminatory one. Until now, employees who filed mixed-motive cases were required to prove direct evidence of discrimination, such as a “smoking gun” statement from a bias boss. (Desert Palace v. Costa, No. 02-679)