law + order

Wondering what’s legal and illegal at work? Answers to your questions about law + order at work.

my younger coworker keeps making ageist comments to me

A reader writes: I am an older worker doing very well in my executive position in a small think tank. Apart from the director and myself, the other staff are in their 20s and 30s. One staff member in particular continually makes both oblique and direct references to age. For example, she said one day […]

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I’m a public employee and the governor pushes religion at work

A reader writes: Unlike the bulk of your letters, I’m going to name my employer for two reasons: (1) I technically work for an elected official so it’s not a standard boss/employee relationship and (2) multiple reporters covered and recorded the behavior in question because these were public events. You can find it online everywhere. […]

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can I hold a job applicant’s proselytizing email signature against them?

A reader writes: I’m curious about your thoughts on a situation that I encountered recently. I conducted an initial interview with a candidate for a part-time position whose email address and signature caught my attention. The email came from an explicitly religious domain — think Name@JesusSaves.com or Name@ChristDiedForYou.com. A little research revealed that this address […]

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can an employer require you to be “sexually pure”?

A reader writes: I have been working in the nonprofit industry for two years, and I am currently looking for a new job in a new city. Many nonprofits, including the one I currently work with, are affiliated with religious organizations. This is fine with me, even as a person who does not practice religion. […]

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