Are CPA firms vulnerable to EPL claims?
As a CPA firm, you are particularly vulnerable because you have highly educated staff, rigid apprentice periods, and labor-intensive products and services. The intense work and lengthy hours prevalent in professional firms can create an atmosphere that is ripe for hostile work environment claims. The potential for claims alleging employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, and sexual harassment is a significant issue for CPA firms like yours. How do EPL suits fare in the courts? Here are some case scenarios: Case Scenario #1 Settlement Amount: $30,000 Attorney Fees: $10,000 A former manager, demoted by his CPA firm employer, filed a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that he had been discriminated against because of his age, that he had been subjected to a hostile work environment, and that he was terminated in retaliation for reporting his complaints to the firm’s Human Resources Department. The Claimant was terminated shortly after lodging his co
