HR professionals take heed: Derogatory name-calling at work, even from customers, can embroil employers in lawsuits.
An article from
Dive Brief
HR professionals take heed: Derogatory name-calling at work, even from customers, can embroil employers in lawsuits.
Published Aug. 19, 2026
General view of the main sign and entrance to a Lowe's department store in Spokane, Wash. A former Lowe’s assistant store manager alleged she was subjected to sexual and racial harassment, and discriminatory and retaliatory treatment based on her race and sex.
The case details illustrate the difficulties HR professionals may face in investigating misconduct by company leaders.
The lawsuit alleges the employer allowed slurs, segregation and other racism to persist at its embattled Fremont, California,…
Among other claims, the plaintiff alleged she was excluded from a company-organized diversity, equity and inclusion webinar…
Not even the use of a complaint form for situations deemed “too risky to use HR” addressed the plaintiff’s harassment concerns,…
More than another lawsuit in the “reverse discrimination” wave, the complaint emphasized age-based mockery, from songs in…
A long-serving retail leader reported serious workplace issues, including safety concerns and retaliation, to HR. The employee…
