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Terminations

Exception covers some, not all, church staff

11/20/2008

Churches, church schools and other religious institutions don’t always have to follow federal employment laws. That’s because religious entities are entitled to operate free of interference with their religious practices—if the employees in question are part of that religious practice.

NLRB: Grand Rapids Starbucks worker fired for union organizing

11/20/2008

The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against Starbucks, claiming it fired a Grand Rapids, Mich., barista because of his union sympathies.

What are the risks of firing a problem employee?

11/20/2008
Q. We have an employee who has a history of clashing with others at work. Her supervisors have addressed this with her many times. Recently, she sent an e-mail that was unprofessional and insulting to co-workers. If we fire her, could she successfully sue us for sex discrimination or harassment?

That’s the way the cookie crumbles? Archway faces WARN suit

11/20/2008

A group of employees has filed a lawsuit against Battle Creek-based Archway Cookies, alleging the company violated the federal WARN Act when it terminated hundreds of workers in California, Michigan and Ohio in October.

AFSCME files charges against Benton Harbor

11/20/2008

AFSCME Local 1433, the union representing employees of the city of Benton Harbor, has filed five unfair labor-practice charges with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission.

The 7 most important steps for minimizing layoff risks

11/18/2008

Many employers looking for ways to deal with the financial hardships of today’s tough economy are considering reductions in force (RIFs), layoffs and other forms of organizational restructuring. But how you conduct a RIF may spell the difference between a fresh start for the company and a nightmare of litigation …

HR cost-cutting moves: Your benchmarks for surviving the meltdown

11/18/2008

As the impact of the global economic crisis takes hold, a quarter of U.S. employers expect to make layoffs in the next 12 months. Find out how employers nationwide are hunkering down—and the HR lessons you can apply to your organization. Your goal: Do what needs to be done … without killing productivity.

Is it legal to ask departing workers to waive FMLA claims?

11/12/2008

Q. In our severance agreements, we typically require a terminated employee to waive all claims, including FMLA claims that could have arisen while the employee worked for us. I’ve now heard that it is improper for employers to get waivers of FMLA rights from existing employees. What should we do?

Expect suit to follow last-minute MDHR filing

11/12/2008

Employees who file a discrimination claim with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights within the one-year deadline set by the Minnesota Human Rights Act get an extension of time to file a lawsuit directly in court. That’s the conclusion recently reached by the Court of Appeals of Minnesota.

Do you have specific rules for calling in sick? They may be contractual

11/12/2008

Employers sometimes come up with some very specific rules for when and how employees must call in to let their bosses know they will miss work. Sometimes those rules become contracts …