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Firing

Verizon settles harassment suit filed by Pittsburgh woman

04/22/2009

Lissa Hannan, a Verizon employee in the Pittsburgh area, filed a complaint alleging a male contractor sexually harassed her. The company essentially put her on hold and then hung up. Ten days after she filed her complaint, Verizon fired Hannan. The company ended up agreeing to pay her $37,000 to settle the lawsuit.

Avoid ADA ‘regarded-as’ problems: Don’t mark ‘disabled’ on files

04/22/2009

Employers that “regard” people as disabled and then discriminate by firing them or refusing to hire them in the first place will face lawsuits—even if it turns out those applicants and employees aren’t actually disabled. That’s a key part of the ADA.

Discipline based on customer complaints? Get them in writing

04/22/2009

Sometimes, you may want to discipline or discharge an employee because of customer complaints. Get those complaints in writing—you may be able to use the letters as evidence that proves you sincerely fired the employee based on the complaints.

Watch out, managers! The top 6 firing mistakes to avoid

04/21/2009

Here are the top six mistakes managers make when they have to terminate an employee. Any one of them can cause a costly trip to court when the employee sues. Learn more about terminating employees without increasing your lawsuit risk. Our upcoming audio conference, "Trouble-Free Terminations: Legally Safe Layoffs and Firings," tells you how.

USERRA protects those who left military years ago, too

04/20/2009

Employers that use an employee’s long-ago military service against him may be liable under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. USERRA isn’t just for those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mich. employees have 3 years to sue for bias under state law

04/20/2009

If you haven’t heard anything lately from a former employee who griped about discrimination, don’t breathe easy yet. Michigan employees have up to three years to bring claims under Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and Michigan’s Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act.

Preparing for possible litigation

04/20/2009

Q. We recently had to discharge an employee for poor work performance. We are a relatively small company (70 employees) and don’t often fire people. Because of special circumstances that forced us to terminate the employee rather than try corrective action, we think it is very possible there will be some kind of litigation. Do you have any recommendations for what we should do or think about now, even before any lawsuit has been filed?

Remind bosses: No comments on EEOC complaint

04/17/2009

Many supervisors and managers have yet to learn they shouldn’t make any comments about an employee’s EEOC or other discrimination complaint. Remind supervisors that any comment about employees’ legal claims can be retaliation—and retaliation is much easier to prove than actual discrimination.

Unholy trinity: 3 employees for the price of 1

04/17/2009

Soon after Gary Lizalek was hired at a Wisconsin medical firm, he informed the company that he believed, as a matter of religious faith, that he was three separate beings. The company fired all three Lizaleks. He sued, saying the company failed to accommodate his religious beliefs.

How to respond to an EEOC complaint: 10 steps to success

04/17/2009

The EEOC and state and local agencies have been filing more administrative charges in recent years. As the recession deepens and more people lose their jobs, that trend is likely to continue. Because administrative charges can be precursors to discrimination lawsuits, it’s critical for you to handle them properly. These 10 tips will help you prepare to respond: