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Terminations

Will Isiah Thomas verdict open sex harassment floodgates?

11/01/2007

You probably heard about last month’s big $11.6 million sexual harassment verdict against former basketball star and New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas. The bad news: Your employees heard about it, too … and it planted a seed in their minds. Will they see your organization’s pockets as the path to a similar windfall? …

You can automatically apply FMLA/CFRA leave with notice

11/01/2007

Employees who need to take time off for serious health conditions can use both federal FMLA leave and California Family Rights Act (CFRA) leave, plus other paid leave for the absences. But employers can require employees to use their available FMLA and CFRA leaves for any eligible condition, even if the employees are off on other paid leave. That way, employees aren’t eligible for more time off after they have exhausted other leave entitlements …

If nothing else, you can demand employee honesty

11/01/2007

Do you detect a certain reluctance by employees to cooperate when investigators are trying to do their jobs and get to the bottom of employment problems? Then it may be time to remind employees that you expect honest and forthright cooperation, and nothing less. Then, go ahead and discipline employees who don’t cooperate …

Timing on final paychecks

11/01/2007

Q. When is an employer required to give a worker his final paycheck? …

Watch timing of adverse action against whistle-Blower

11/01/2007

Want to guarantee a day in court with an  employee who blows the whistle on alleged company wrongdoing? Just take adverse action against him—firing, demotion or suspension, for example—within hours of hearing about the complaint. If you already had planned to take action, make sure you can substantiate it. Be sure you can also show there are no “smoking guns” that could point to a different motivation …

You can hold supervisors to higher standards than others

11/01/2007

You don’t have to treat supervisors the same as other employees if they break the rules. As the following case shows, supervisors who get into physical fights with subordinates can and should be fired—even if you simply discipline co-workers who get into similar confrontations at work …

Cut lawsuit risk by filling vacant position with similar person

11/01/2007

Employees who lose their jobs often look for sinister underlying reasons—such as discrimination. That’s why you should think about a strategy to minimize the chance a disgruntled employee will win a discrimination lawsuit. Here’s one way: Fill the vacant position with someone from the same protected class as the terminated employee …

Think twice before doing anything to discourage employee lawsuit

11/01/2007

When an employee is threatening to file a lawsuit against your organization, it’s natural to feel angry, betrayed or even hurt. But don’t react. Instead, tell him that the decision is his, and you’ll treat him just the same as you always have—lawsuit or no lawsuit …

Keep track of termination notice date

11/01/2007

North Carolina employees have 180 days to file discrimination complaints with the EEOC. Those who don’t meet the deadline lose their rights to sue. But the date that really counts is not the actual termination date if the employer informed the employee earlier that she would lose her job …

Fired DMV watchdog files whistle-Blower suit

11/01/2007

A former examiner for the state Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has sued under the state’s whistle-blower act, claiming he was fired for trying to prevent illegal immigrants from getting licenses …