The United States Supreme Court heard arguments last Monday in a case that presents the Court with a choice between two definitions of the term “supervisor.” The broader definition, used by the EEOC and adopted by the 2nd, 4th, and 9th Circuit Appellate Courts, includes any employee that oversees a co-worker’s daily work, while the narrower definition, which has been adopted by the 1st, 7th, and 8th Circuit Appellate Courts, includes only employees that have authority to hire, fire, demote, promote, or discipline. The Supreme Court’s decision will not only resolve a rift amongst the Federal Circuit Courts, but it is also expected to have a significant impact on discrimination claims as previous Supreme Court decisions have held that an employer is automatically liable in most cases where a supervisor harasses a subordinate, but the employer is only liable for harassment that occurs between two equal co-workers if it was negligent in allowing the abuse or following up on employee complaints of abuse. A report on the Court’s decision will be provided when it is issued.