November 2019 SM Online

EVENT SECURITY

More than one in five Americans say they have cancelled plans or considered cancelling plans to attend a large-scale public event over security concerns, the 2019 Unisys Security Index found.

OPIOID RESPONSE TOOLKIT

The U.S. National Safety Council released a new toolkit this year for employers responding to the opioid epidemic or other impairing drugs in the workplace.

EMPLOYEE ACTIVISM

Most U.S. employees believe they have the right to speak up about their employers—either for or against them—through open letters, social media posts, or walkouts, according to a new report.

HYBRID WARFARE

Russia is pursuing a grand geopolitical strategy, with three ambitious goals and “gray zone tactics” that go beyond mere election hacking, according to recent reports.

OPIOID USE WORLDWIDE

According to the United Nations 2019 World Drug Report, 53 million people—about 1.1 percent of the global population—used opioids in 2017.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

An Iranian government agency published guidelines to counter sexual harassment and abuse of power.

PATCHING

Hackers were able to access vast amounts of data on Equifax’s systems because the company did not implement basic security measures, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

ELECTIONS

The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence found that while the security of elections improved after 2016, systems remain vulnerable to interference.  

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Dartmouth College settled a sexual harassment suit with former and current students for $14 million.

DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT

New York amended its Human Rights Law to make it easier to prove discriminatory harassment for members of all protected classes. 

 GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

A human rights group encouraged three factories in Lesotho to agree to ending sexual harassment against female employees.

ARBITRATION

A Washington court ruled that state legislation banning arbitration is superseded by the Federal Arbitration Act.

BID RIGGING

Oracle is appealing a previous decision, continuing the challenge to the U.S. Department of Defense's JEDI contract decision.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

Texas successfully sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). A judge ruled that the EEOC does not have legal authority to create or enforce substantive rules, in particular regarding background checks.

GUN CONTROL

The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 would require a background check for every firearm sale.

WORKPLACE TRANSPARENCY ACT

Illinois’ Workplace Transparency Act is intended to combat workplace harassment and provide greater protections for employees.

HAIR DISCRIMINATION

A New Jersey bill would prohibit discrimination based on hair.