In 2007, Joyce Quinlan, executive director of human resources at Curtiss-Wright in Parsippany, N.J., won a $10.6 million sex discrimination judgment when she proved that she was bypassed for promotion to vice president in favor of a male employee hired many years after her. At trial, she introduced “smoking gun evidence” including 1,800 pages of personnel files, salary records, and performance evaluations – of other employees. The case of Quinlan v. Curtiss-Wright Corp. decided in 2010 has reverberated through the HR profession and has raised complex ethical issues. Under what circumstances does the HR manager’s duty of loyalty conflict with the right to be free from discrimination or retaliation? What happens when a professional’s ethical standards conflict with company policy? When does a disagreement over the employer’s policy on ethical grounds become whistleblowing?
Many HR managers face ethical dilemmas during his or her career. Such managers are custodians of confidential information and often engage in sensitive discussions about policies, practices and other employees. At the same time, as an employee, HR managers are protected by the same legal standards as any other employee, including those laws that protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Moreover, as professionals progress in their careers and gain additional decision-making responsibilities, it becomes more likely that they will encounter ethical conflicts.
In this presentation, John Sarno, Esq., will examine Quinlan v. Curtiss-Wright Corp. and Stengart v. Loving Care Agency, also decided in 2010, which dealt with a manager emailing her lawyer on a company computer, during company time, about a litigation strategy against her employer. Mr. Sarno argued both cases on behalf of EANJ. As such, participants will have a unique experience to have questions answered, in addition to understanding the important implications of these cases.
Location Information:
EANJ Training Room
2pm-4pm
Click here for directions - Google Map Directions
Registration Fees:
$95 EANJ Members
$135 Non Members
Substitutions are permitted, however in order to meet program commitments, cancellations made less than two (2) full working days before the program date or "no-shows", must be charged the full registration fee.
Pre-approved for 2 HRCI credits.