Law360 Article by Chris Nickels and Tyler Roth Outlines Employer Considerations in Reacting to Employee Speech on Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Milwaukee – Quarles & Brady Labor & Employment attorneys Chris Nickels and Tyler Roth wrote an article for Law360 about the various challenges U.S. employers could face in dealing with employees who engage in potentially divisive speech about the Russian war in Ukraine.
Nickels, a partner, and Roth, an associate, are based in the firm’s Milwaukee office. In the article, they outline the various considerations at play on this issue and offer some suggested best practices, as seen in this excerpt:
Employers better protect themselves from national origin discrimination claims by clearly stating in their equal employment opportunity and anti-harassment policies that they prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of national origin.
Similarly, employees, and particularly supervisors, should receive routine training that addresses not only discrimination and harassment based on more well-known protected statuses such as race or sex, but also national origin.
Such training should educate employees on the type of behavior that is prohibited and reinforce the employer's policies for reporting potential violations.