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Firing

Make it there, make it anywhere: Don’t let NYC’s tough bias rules beat you

11/07/2008

If you have employees or operations in New York City, your sexual harassment and discrimination policies must reflect the strict rules employers are required to follow under the New York City Human Rights Law. It all adds up to a challenging HR environment. Your best bet in New York City—adopt a zero-tolerance policy for any sort of sexual, racial or other harassment.

Missed lunch invitations, cramped office aren’t enough to warrant lawsuit

11/07/2008

Sometimes, you find out pretty quickly that someone you hired isn’t going to work out. While the final decision to terminate may take some time, many supervisors naturally start giving the cold shoulder to bad hires. Such a blow-off may be crass, but it’s not the kind of behavior that commonly puts an employer on the losing end of a lawsuit.

Firing justified if applicant failed to reveal checkered past

11/07/2008

Sometimes, candidates filling out job applications think it’s a good idea to omit information about minor criminal convictions and past problems such as terminations. If your application specifically asks for that information and someone you hired didn’t supply it, you can terminate for lying on the application.

Can I fire an employee who is likely to develop a serious disease?

11/07/2008

Q. I own my own business, and controlling my insurance costs is my biggest challenge. Recently, I learned one of my employees has been tested and has the genetic makeup likely to develop into a very serious illness. While I feel sorry for the employee, this disease is likely to cost our company hundreds of thousands of dollars. Can I fire the employee?

Multiple reasons for firing? You may want to list them all

11/06/2008

If you decide to terminate an employee who simply won’t follow instructions and is the source of constant trouble, go ahead and provide a laundry list of reasons. As long as the reasons are legitimate, the list will help set him apart from others who may not have been fired for breaking the rules.

Hostile e-mail was grounds for firing, federal court finds

11/06/2008

Pamela Stoney worked as a sales manager for Atlanta-based Cingular Wireless (subsequently AT&T) in Colorado. After the company fired her for insubordination, Stoney filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, claiming age and gender discrimination and retaliation …

Must we offer severance pay?

11/06/2008

Q. We just let go of a new hire after only three months on the job because her performance was not up to our standards. Do we have to provide two weeks’ notice or severance pay?

What should we do once an employee exhausts FMLA leave?

11/06/2008

Q. We are a large company and are dealing with a situation with a sick store manager. He has used up all his FMLA leave and is still not able to return to work. Can we safely terminate his employment now?

Feel free to alter jobs to suit business needs

11/05/2008

Employers have the right to meet business needs by changing the jobs their employees do, and they can set the minimum qualifications for any new positions they create. It’s the company’s prerogative to then decide whether to replace existing employees with others who meet the requirements.

Can you legally search a worker’s locked desk?

11/04/2008

Employees may think of “their” desks as their own private domains—safe places to keep their own things literally under lock and key. However, employers do have the right to open that locked drawer. When the desk is in an open area shared with other employees, the employee with the key doesn’t have a reasonable expectation of privacy.