HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

Griggs vs Duke Power Supreme Court Ruling - Employment Testing and Discrimination

March 05, 2023 John Thalheimer, MS and Chuck Simikian, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Episode 28
HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!
Griggs vs Duke Power Supreme Court Ruling - Employment Testing and Discrimination
HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!
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Show Notes

In our ongoing series - Supreme Court Cases that Changed HR, we explore the Griggs v. Duke Power case, a lawsuit that involved intelligence testing that discriminated against a group of African-American employees. Willie Griggs was a Janitor that wanted an opportunity for promotion, yet the policies at his workplace prevented him from moving forward, despite the recent Civil Rights Act of 1964. So he and 13 other employees took matters to the courts. Eventually the Supreme Court made a unanimous landmark ruling that changed HR and employment law forever.

Education requirements are commonly seen at the bottom of a job description. Undoubtedly, there are circumstances where it is a very relevant requirement to have. Yet there are times when this can lead to discrimination if not handled correctly.  This Supreme Court ruling from 1971 gave us the concept of "Disparate Impact"....and it still a filter that influences how we approach and manage HR policies, procedures, and other HR endeavors (recruiting, training, promotions, etc.)

Chuck and John also talk about employee appreciation, some upcoming workshops and discussions around employee retention, and Kroger's pay system legal woes.

Additional Resources:
The Museum and Archives of Rockingham County (MARC)
EEOC Employment Testing Fact Sheet

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The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.