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Discipline / Investigations

Skipping disciplinary meeting is insubordination

10/29/2015
An employee who refuses to attend a disciplinary meeting and is terminated as a result probably isn’t eligible for unemployment benefits. It amounts to insubordination and willful misconduct.

Document carefully when disciplining for injury

10/27/2015
Sometimes, employees who carelessly injure themselves deserve discipline. That’s fine, as long as you carefully document the carelessness.

Suit: State didn’t accommodate disability–alcoholism

10/22/2015
A former Assistant Director of the State Lottery has filed suit against the Minnesota State Lottery, the Department of Management and Budget and her former boss, Ed Van Petten. She was fired after being charged with drunken driving in 2012 after injuring an elderly man in a traffic accident. She is yet to stand trial on those charges.

Fired county official denies harassment charges

10/22/2015
The former head of the Dakota County Community Development Agency denied the charges that led to his firing in a meeting with the County Board.

Workplace detective: 10 investigation mistakes to avoid

10/15/2015
How you look into misconduct can have huge legal implications for your company. Get the process right the first time.

Can we discipline for bad behavior at party?

10/15/2015
Q. At our company holiday party, which was not at the workplace or during work hours, an employee told some inappropriate jokes and put an arm around a co-worker who did not appreciate it and complained. The company is aware that the employee took a leave of absence for treatment of chemical dependency and is concerned that the employee might have been drinking at the party. Can the company discipline the employee? The company would like the employee to get additional help for chemical dependency.

No money changed hands? Legal settlement still stands

10/13/2015
Have you ever considered settling an employment dispute by having an employee promise to quit or retire, without any monetary payment? Don’t worry that such an agreement will later fall apart.

NLRB: You can’t gag talk about investigations

10/05/2015
For years, attorneys have urged employers conducting workplace investigations to make the employees they interview swear to keep the conversation confidential. But that conventional wisdom is in danger.

Is it time to require arbitration of employee claims?

10/02/2015
Increasingly, mandatory arbitration clauses are surfacing in employment contracts and employee handbooks. What are the pros and cons?

What managers need to know about sexual harassment

10/01/2015
Here’s a primer on what sexual harassment is and how to react when you see it.