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Terminations

6th Circuit rules: Association discrimination now illegal in Ohio

06/06/2008
Employers, beware! Retaliation against a third party who is associated with an employee who engaged in protected activity now can be the basis of a lawsuit in Ohio …

When managers forecast the need for more staff, ask why

06/06/2008
When you plan your comp and benefits budget for next year—or for the year after that or the following year—how do you know how many employees your organization will need? If you’re like most organizations, you don’t know. But you should …

Payday lenders fight consumer legislation

06/06/2008
Two payday lenders threatened to shut down operations in Ohio after the state Senate approved a bill that would limit consumers to four short-term loans per year and cap interest rates at 28% …

Convince employees to ‘Pay’ for part of their development

06/06/2008
Here’s an all-too-familiar scenario: Your organization invests considerable time and money training an employee with a lot of potential—and then the trainee takes that education to another company that offers a higher salary. Here are three ways to ease the financial blow to your organization—and lower the likelihood that the employee will leave …

Lakota schools mired in race controversy

06/06/2008
Two employees of the Lakota School District north of Cincinnati resigned after an investigation confirmed they made racially insensitive remarks about black central office officials …

The AG debacle and the e-Mail connection

06/06/2008
Facing threats of impeachment for turning the Office of Attorney General into a “raunchy frat pad,” Marc Dann initially held onto his post. After firing two staffers for sexual harassment, and accepting the resignation of a third for failing to properly supervise them, Dann hoped to put the scandal behind him …

I was harassed and I quit! Now can I sue—Or get unemployment?

06/06/2008
Q. I found my working conditions to be intolerable because of the behavior of my male co-workers that I considered to be sexual harassing. I just did not have the energy to complain about the behavior and face the consequences, so I quit without telling my employer about the harassment. I am having trouble finding a new job, and now I am thinking I made a mistake. Will I be able to sue my employer for sexual harassment? Can I obtain unemployment insurance?

Same manager who hired should do the firing

06/04/2008
Discrimination cases are all about motives. That’s especially true when an employee loses his job and alleges that the real reason for his discharge was racism or some other form of bias. One simple way to deflect discrimination charges is to make sure that the same person who made the termination decision also had a direct hand in either the original hiring decision or subsequent promotions …

Make sure handbook spells out maternity leave terms

06/04/2008

Is your employee handbook clear on exactly what constitutes maternity leave and how long it lasts? If you plan to permit just the 12 weeks allowed for pregnancy and childbirth under the FMLA, spell that out. Don’t refer to maternity leave separately and then provide a different week or month count …

Good-Faith Process—But Not Absolutely Correct Conclusion—Is Enough to Fire Harasser

06/04/2008
When it comes to sexual harassment complaints, you won’t land in legal hot water if you conduct a thorough and fair investigation—even if you reach the wrong conclusion. What matters is that you take the charge seriously, investigate and come to a reasonable conclusion based on the findings …