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Firing

Protect your company with a sound termination policy

01/18/2023
Terminating employees, particularly involuntarily, is a part of the job that most business owners and HR managers dread. Firing or laying off staff members is a tough decision, but it sometimes needs to be done due to misconduct or business changes. And when it does, it’s vital to have a legally sound termination policy in place.

Autistic employee fired after 37 years: McDonald’s will pay $100,000 to settle

12/22/2022
Two months after a new franchisee took over a McDonald’s restaurant, management fired Anthony, an employee with autism, who had worked at McDonald’s for 37 years, earning excellent performance reviews and accolades.

Twitter HR invents new category of fired worker

12/06/2022
Twitter’s HR department now has a new category of worker: “accidentally terminated.”

Would you fire this employee?

11/17/2022
People can express their opinions, of course. But if the person is posting with the name of their employer and a title that indicates that they hold a senior office, their disparaging post could damage the entire company’s reputation.

Dismissal valid if based on “unprofessional” behavior

11/17/2022
East Carolina University dismissed a student with bipolar disorder from its master’s degree program. The student sued, alleging a violation of the ADA.

Conduct a self-audit before finalizing terminations

11/17/2022
There’s a compelling reason to conduct a routine HR office review of all employment decisions before they’re finalized. That way, your HR professionals can do their jobs and confirm that the decision is based on objective information and business necessity.

Employee sleepwalks into co-worker’s hotel room: Do you terminate or accommodate?

08/18/2022
Here’s one they probably didn’t teach you in HR school…

Beware legal hazards of terminating remote employees

07/19/2022
For the first time, a significant number of remote employees may be included in layoffs. Layoffs of remote employees present unique legal hazards for employers.

Should you use written termination letters?

06/24/2022
While no federal law requires it, a few states do require employees to provide some notice of separation. But silence is not golden in terminations—it will only breed suspicion that the firing was unfair and possibly illegal. Even if it’s not required, termination letters can help prevent liability and create a clear paper trail in case you’re sued.

Can you fire employee for her Facebook post?

06/24/2022
American employees often think they have unfettered free-speech rights to say whatever they want (online or in-person) and it won’t have any impact on their employment. Not true. If employees say (or post) inappropriate, racist or obscene things—even in their free time—it can cost them their jobs.