In This Issue:

Seven (Sometimes Surprising) Facts About Mediation By Jennifer Achtert (San Francisco)

If you have ever been part of a lawsuit, you are probably aware that somewhere in the range of 95% of employment-related lawsuits are settled, dismissed, or otherwise resolved before trial. While some cases are resolved through direct negotiation between the lawyers, or through motions filed with the court, a significant number are resolved through mediation....

Work-Faith Conflicts And The EEOC By Regina Petty (San Diego)

It’s been nearly two years since the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a compliance manual update on religious discrimination. Religious discrimination involves disparate treatment, harassment, retaliation or refusal to reasonably accommodate religious beliefs or practices. At the time of the release of Section 12 of the new Compliance Manual on “Religious Discrimination” on July 22, 2008, the EEOC announced that it “issued this section in response to an increase in charges of religious discrimination, increased religious diversity in the United States, and requests for guidance from stakeholders and agency personnel investigating and litigating claims of religious discrimination.” Since 2000, religion-based charges filed with the EEOC increased from 1,939 to 3,386 in 2009....

March Mayhem Bracket For Employers - Final Four Revealed! By Rich Meneghello (Portland)

The votes are in, the contests have been played – we are down to the Final Four Biggest Workplace Headaches for 2011! We received bracket entries from employers across the country telling us about their biggest frustrations, and after tallying all of the submissions, we can reveal the most annoying four situations that employers face every day. Here are the winners, along with some practical tips for dealing with them....