Employee Relations

If discipline must differ, be sure to note extenuating circumstances that required it

05/17/2018

Generally, employers should be careful to discipline workers in a consistent manner. Employees who break the same rule should earn the same punishment. However, employers can sometimes justify differences in discipline if they can offer detailed explanations why.

Disciplining disabled worker for absenteeism? Make sure she knows your rules

05/17/2018

It is essential to grant FMLA leave when eligible employees need it. At the same time, it is perfectly legal to require employees to follow specific procedures for using leave. Just make sure employees understand those rules.

Willingness to go above & beyond hits all-time low

05/01/2018

Employee performance and effort are now at the lowest levels seen since 2010, according to surveys conducted by the Gartner business research firm.

Bookkeeper accused of embezzling to place online bets

04/25/2018

The bookkeeper for Farm Mercantile in Fairfax, Minn., faces five charges of filing false tax returns because she failed to report $266,333 in embezzled income. In all, she allegedly pocketed $535,000 from the hardware and farm supply store from 1998 to 2016.

Don’t let employee’s whistleblower status dissuade you from legitimate discipline

04/25/2018

To win a retaliation case, the worker would have to prove that the discipline was motivated by a desire to punish him or her for making the report. That’s unlikely to succeed if 1) the discipline began before the safety problem was reported or 2) it is clear that any other worker would have been disciplined for the same rule violation.

Snapshot: Give yourself a break!

04/24/2018

Taking a break from work every 90 minutes produces measurable gains.

Bring together sparring co-workers

04/18/2018

If you have two great employees who don’t like each other, follow these tips.

2 strategies to deal with today’s worker shortage

04/17/2018

As labor markets continue to tighten, employers are pursuing additional strategies for recruiting untapped talent and retaining workers, says a new report by The Conference Board.

Document all details about employee discipline

04/16/2018

It’s impossible to predict which employee will sue and why. That’s why you must carefully document every disciplinary action, including enough specific information to later justify those decisions.

Jail for law firm embezzler who couldn’t ‘Let It Go’

04/09/2018

An accountant for the Valley Forge office of the Chartwell Law Firm saw an opportunity to take money and just couldn’t hold back anymore.