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Discipline / Investigations

Use Deflategate’s lessons to get a grip on investigations

08/13/2015
The issues raised by this NFL controversy provide great lessons for those tasked with conducting an investigation in the workplace.

Progressive discipline can help win bias suits

08/13/2015

Discharged employees often sue, counting on their protected status—based on race, sex, national origin and so on—to create the impression that they were fired for discriminatory reasons. That’s why it’s important to use a progressive discipline system. It lets you counter discrimination allegations with solid, documented performance or behavior problems that warranted discharge.

Suspended ‘pending investigation:’ What information do we owe the employee?

08/11/2015
Q. If an employer suspends an employee “pending investigation,” what information must be provided to the employee?

VA offices cited for cutting corners & falsifying records

08/05/2015
The Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General has issued a blistering report on departmental practices.

Whistle-blower slipping: Punish or let it slide?

08/03/2015
Jack has become a minor celebrity with co-workers ever since he filed an OSHA complaint about a supposedly hazardous condition at the plant. He spends so much time talking about safety that his job performance is declining. Jack needs to be disciplined. What would you do?

Rules aren’t made to be broken! Insubordination is grounds for demotion

07/23/2015
If you have employees like that, carefully document the behavior. Then apply appropriate discipline, especially if the employee is insubordinate. Just make sure that everyone else with a similar work record is also punished the same way.

Documenting discipline: The 3 cardinal rules for managers

07/16/2015
Managers should make documentation of employee performance, behavior and discipline a regular habit. HR can help limit the organization’s legal liability by counseling ­managers to keep three basic principles in mind when documenting discipline.

Going easy on tardiness doesn’t mean you can never discipline for late arrival

07/03/2015

There are times that an employee can get away with behavior that you otherwise wouldn’t tolerate. During a busy period, for example, you might be more forgiving of tardiness than when things are slower. After all, when things are busy, a late employee may be better than no employee. But if you ignore tardiness, are you forever condemned to tolerate it? Of course not, as a recent case makes clear. Still, consistency is always the best practice.

Speaking up at staff meeting generally not protected by the First Amendment

06/24/2015
Public employees have the right to free speech and can’t be punished for exercising it. But that doesn’t mean they can say anything, anywhere. The exercise of free speech must concern a matter of public importance and not be done as part of the employee’s job.

It’s legal to use different disciplinary standards for probationary employees

06/24/2015

No doubt you have been warned many times that the best way to avoid discrimination lawsuits involving discipline is to treat everyone alike. The assumption is that by always being fair and punishing the same behavior, rule violation or poor performance the same, no one can argue that they were demoted, suspended or fired because of their protected status. But there is a situation in which you can—and probably should—treat some employees more strictly as a class.