Posted on June 16, 2018 in Main

Sexual harassment continues to be a problem despite growing advocacy against it. Whether it is a boss implying that a new job candidate may get the position if the candidate goes on a date with him or a co-worker who makes repeated sexual comments about another employee, sexual harassment is unacceptable. In a new report written by researchers from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, antidotes to the prevalence of sexual harassment in academia are explored.

Sexual Harassment Is a Serious Issue at Many Colleges and Universities

Researchers have used available data and surveys to illustrate just how troubling the frequency of sexual harassment in schools is. Nearly 60 percent of female faculty in colleges and universities report that they have experienced sexual harassment because of their job. Students are not immune to this disturbing trend either. In a study from the University of Texas, female students in the science, medicine, and engineering departments were the most likely to have experienced sexual harassment. Approximately 20 percent of female science students reported experiencing sexual harassment while in school, and over 40 percent of women studying engineering stated that they had been sexually harassed.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 15, 2018 in Main

Last month, a judge in DuPage County vacated a support order based on a 40-year-old Illinois law. The law allows judges to order divorced parents—but not parents who are still married—to contribute to their children's college (or other post-secondary education) expenses even after the age of 18. While the judge's recent ruling is not precedential, it has set the stage for serious change in the state.

The Case in Question

The circumstances that led to the ruling could describe those in any number of Illinois families. The student in question was a young woman who spent many years interested in marine biology. Her divorced parents supported her interest, and her father financed several dive excursions for her in exotic locations. Her father was so supportive that he even offered to pay for her full college education if she chose one of two specific schools offering a course of study in marine biology—one in Hawaii and the other in California.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 29, 2018 in Main

For those who travel by air regularly, a team of attentive flight attendants may make each trip a more enjoyable experience. The flight attendants themselves enjoy some pretty nice perks, such as the ability to travel the world. Unfortunately, however, flight attendants are also subject to instances of sexual harassment—behaviors that have been described as “rampant” throughout the airline industry.

A Troubling Study

The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) recently conducted a survey of more than 3,570 flight attendants from 29 U.S. based airlines. The study's participants were 80 percent women and 20 percent men, which is consistent with the gender distribution for flight attendants nationwide. The survey found that 68 percent—more than two-thirds—of the respondents have experienced some type of sexual harassment during their careers as cabin crew members.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 24, 2018 in Kane

Following a divorce or breakup between two people who have children together, it is common for one parent to be granted a majority of the parenting time. Equal parenting time, in many cases, is impossible or impractical due to scheduling or geographic complications. In other cases, it may be in the child's best interest to spend significantly more time with one parent than the other.

If you are a divorced, separated, or unmarried parent who has been given less parenting time than your child's other parent, it can be difficult to maintain the relationship you desire with your child. Fortunately, Illinois law provides a way for you to possibly get additional parenting time by including the right of first refusal in your parenting agreement.

What Is the Right of First Refusal?

The right of first refusal can be complicated to explain, but it is fairly straightforward in practice. When you have the right of first refusal, it means that you are automatically first in line when your child's other parent needs childcare during his or her parenting time. In short, the other parent must offer you the chance to spend extra time with your child before finding a babysitter. Because the right is one of “first refusal,” you are under no obligation to accept the extra parenting time, but the other parent must make the offer.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 21, 2018 in Main

In just a short time, school-aged children throughout Northern Illinois will be exchanging their textbooks for sunscreen, as summer vacation will soon be upon us. For their part, many parents are also looking forward to a summer filled with family gatherings, day trips, and outdoor adventures. Parents who share parenting time with a former spouse or partner, however, may have to do a little extra planning before they can truly enjoy the warmer months ahead.

What Does Your Parenting Time Plan Say?

If you are subject to a child custody order—also called a parenting plan—the order may spell out summer specifics in regard to parenting time. For example, your plan may explicitly state that your children will be with the other parent for the duration of the summer break, especially if you have primary residential responsibilities during the school year. Other plans may split parenting time during the summer the same way it is divided during the non-summer months. In more casual situations, you may even have the freedom to make parenting time arrangements on a week-by-week basis with the other parent.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 14, 2018 in Main

For many people, professional sports cheerleaders present an ethical dilemma. On one hand, the women who are a part of professional cheerleading teams are generally independent and empowered, and they voluntarily sign up for a high-profile role within the specific organization. On the other hand, arguably professional sports cheerleaders use their physical appearance, charisma, and sex appeal to promote the team under which they are employed.

As with any profession that involves sex appeal, there are likely to be instances where cheerleaders may be placed in uncomfortable situations, some of which may even rise to the level of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct. A recent report suggests that this may have been the case for members of the Washington Redskins cheerleading team during a trip to Costa Rica in 2013.

Unexpected Spectators and More

Several members of the Washington Redskins cheerleading team told The New York Times that a 2013 trip to Costa Rica for a photo shoot ended up being more than they bargained for—and for several reasons. First, the women say that when they arrived in Costa Rica, officials from the team collected their passports, effectively denying them official identification and preventing them from leaving.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 08, 2018 in Kane

Divorce is considered to be the second-most stress-inducing life event a person can endure. Only losing a spouse through death is more stressful according to the American Institute of Stress. In addition to the emotional difficulty of ending a marriage, divorce can also bring up challenges when it comes to shared property. If you and your soon-to-be-ex-spouse own your home, you will need to decide how that asset will be divided.

Benefits of Keeping the Home

Many divorcing couples struggle with what to do with the family home when they realize their marriage is ending. A large number of couples with children decide to keep the home. They may not want to introduce too many changes to the family at once or do not want school-aged children to have to change schools. When deciding which spouse will stay in the home and which will move out, there are a few factors to consider. Which spouse will have the majority of parental responsibilities (custody)? Does the person keeping the house have the ability to maintain the property adequately? Can one spouse afford the mortgage payment on his or her own? A financial adviser or divorce attorney can help struggling couples understand their options regarding their house.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 01, 2018 in Main

Since 2016, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA) has included a specific formula for divorce courts to use when calculating how much one spouse must pay to the other in the form of maintenance, also known as spousal support or alimony. The formula is based on each spouse's annual income and is intended to provide additional support for spouses who earn substantially less than their partners earn. When the formula was created in 2016, it was meant to be applied in situations where the spouses earned less than $250,000 per year combined. Thanks to an update to the law that was passed last year, the formula must now be used in many more situations.

Determining the Need for Maintenance

Maintenance is not automatic in an Illinois divorce. The judge presiding over a particular case must determine if a bona fide need for spousal support exists. In making that determination, the court will consider a number of factors, including each spouse's age, health, income, and employability, as well as the arrangements that have been made for the couple's children, if any. The court must also take into account the length of the marriage, the standard of living established, and sacrifices or contributions made by either spouse to the other's career.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on April 26, 2018 in Main

There is little question that sex sells. Sex appeal has long been used in public relations and marketing, and a few restaurant chains have made a fortune incorporating attractive, provocatively-dressed servers into their themes. One of these chains, however, is now facing allegations of bait-and-switch tactics that former employees say amounted to sexual harassment and sex discrimination in the workplace.

Orland Park Servers File EEOC Claims

Two former employees at the Orland Park, IL, location of Twin Peaks have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The two women allege that while they understood that sexuality would be a part of working at the hunting-lodge style sports bar and grille, the expectations placed on them changed dramatically about six months after the Orland Park location opened in April of 2016.

The typical Twin Peaks server uniform—which the women were “comfortable wearing”—consists of short khaki shorts, mountain boots, and a flannel-like t-shirt that shows cleavage and exposes the server's midriff. The women say, however, that they were required to spend their own money to buy lingerie, bikinis, and other non-dress code compliant outfits to be worn on certain days at work. When shopping, they allege, they were expected to send dressing room photos to supervisors to determine if the outfits were revealing enough. The complaints indicate that at least one women was told, “If you don't like it, you can leave.”

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on April 23, 2018 in Kane

When a married couple divorces and cannot decide how their property should be divided, the courts must step in to determine the fairest division arrangement. Courts use each spouse's self-reported financial information like income and debts to make decisions about, child support, spousal maintenance, property division, and more.

Sometimes a divorcing spouse will lie about his or her finances during a divorce. Deceit can make the divorce process much more complicated and drawn out than it would otherwise be. Someone trying to misrepresent their financial circumstances may artificially devalue their income, hide real estate, or transfer funds to unknown accounts. These actions can result in monetary penalties called sanctions among other consequences.

How Do Spouses Misrepresent Their Financial Status?

A spouse who is being dishonest about his or her financial information may use many different tactics. For example, he or she may:

Continue Reading ››