Employer to Pay for Terminating 60-Year-Old

November 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A federal judge has entered a consent decree resolving an age discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to the EEOC’s suit, Computer Systems LLC, of Shawano, Wisconsin, chose Sharon Passon (age 60) as the billing specialist whose job would be eliminated in an April 2010 reduction-in-force, and retained a younger (age 34) and less qualified billing specialist. Passon had worked at Computer Systems for 38 years before being fired.  

The consent decree settling the suit provides that Computer Systems will pay Passon $32,500 and prohibits future discrimin­ation. Also, if the company, which was sold in November 2010, resumes operations, it will be required to train its managers and supervisors regarding an employer’s obligations and the rights of employees under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

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“In recent years, the economic slowdown has led some companies to base employment decisions on an individual’s age,” said John C. Hendrickson, regional attorney of the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, which is responsible for EEOC litigation in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. “Sometimes we need to reinforce, through litigation, the message that older individuals are productive workers and should be rewarded for their loyalty and hard work.”

The case, EEOC v. Computer Systems LLC, No. 2:11-cv-1178, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Northern Trust Adds ESG Options

November 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Northern Trust added solutions for institutional investors seeking socially responsible investing options.
 

Through an agreement with MSCI ESG Indices and MSCI ESG Research, and using MSCI’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research, ratings and screening tools, Northern Trust will be able to provide customizable ESG solutions to its clients.

Northern Trust clients looking to integrate ESG factors in their investment portfolios can now access 79 indices ranging from global ESG best in class to regional responsible investing themes, such as clean technology, and further customize these to their requirements. Northern Trust is also working with MSCI to create custom ESG indices for passive institutional funds.

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According to a study conducted by Northern Trust in 2011, “Customized Beta–Changing Perspectives on Passive Investing,” 44% of investors surveyed indicated that their responsible investing allocations had increased in the past two years.

“Investors are showing increased interest in analyzing their financial portfolios to assess climate-change impact and risk, among other ESG factors,” said Connie Lindsey, head of Corporate Responsibility at Northern Trust. “This gives us an opportunity to provide clients with more advanced capabilities related to ESG analysis. These new investment offerings are an important part of Northern Trust’s commitment to ESG principles, in line with the continued execution of our global corporate citizenship practices.”

Northern Trust manages approximately $17 billion in socially screened, active and passive managed portfolios for clients across the globe. This agreement adds to its existing portfolio of responsible investing solutions, including the Northern Trust Global Sustainability Index.

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