Terminations

Public policy interest may prevent reinstatement of rogue police officers

05/16/2018

When Minnesota public employees are reinstated following arbitration of a disciplinary case, the employer may still move to prevent reinstatement under the concept of public policy interest. That’s especially true for law enforcement employees accused of using excessive force.

Foreign subsidiary? Litigation may have to be overseas

05/09/2018

An employer with operations in another nation may be able to push any employment-related litigation away from the United States even if some decisions were made in the United States at, for example, corporate headquarters.

He who does the hiring should also do the firing

03/13/2018

If possible, the same manager who made the hiring decision should also make the firing decision. That’s because presumably a manager wouldn’t hire someone knowing they belonged to an obvious protected classification and then turn around and fire that person because of that status.

Good records get lawsuits dismissed fast

02/14/2018

Employers that have well-documented business reasons for every discharge typically win lawsuits that allege discrimination. Good records force employees to prove that an allegedly legitimate reason for firing was a pretext for covering up discrimination.

OK to add more reasons for termination, as long as they’re consistent with first rationale

02/14/2018

Some former employees who sue over alleged discrimination try to discredit their employers’ explanations for discharge. Even so, employers have a great deal of flexibility about how they explain the reason an employee was fired.

Note firing for straw that broke camel’s back

02/07/2018

Former employees who sue over their discharge sometimes try to use their employers’ shifting explanations for the termination as evidence that they were fired for discriminatory reasons.

Your in-house ‘expert’ can’t be used to prove employee should have been fired

01/31/2018

A federal trial court hearing a Texas case has concluded that employers can’t use expert testimony to tell a jury that a discharge was justifiable based on a review of a worker’s employment records. That’s for a jury to decide.

Firing for absences under no-fault policy? Check for FMLA, accommodation requests

01/26/2018

Employees with disabilities who are also eligible for FMLA leave have limited protection from discharge if they miss work because of complications related to their disabilities. However, employers also have a legitimate right to expect workers to show up for work most of the time.

Woebegone, Keillor says he was fired without investigation

01/18/2018

Former “Prairie Home Companion” host Garrison Keillor alleges his firing from Minnesota Public Radio was completed without a proper investigation of sexual harassment allegations made against him.

Court: Reasonable fear of economic harm is enough to support constructive discharge claim