Resignations

Degrees of separation: 6 terminations, 6 ways to avoid lawsuits

12/31/2011

Terminations are the spark to many employment lawsuits. And for each of the six kinds of firings, there are some common steps employers can take to defend themselves if a termination is challenged in court. Master these and you will cut down on HR headaches — and legal bills.

What HR pros must know about protecting trade secrets

12/30/2011

When any valued employee leaves, the company experiences a loss. The loss is greater, however, when the former employee departs to work for a competitor and begins using the company’s confidential information or trade secrets. HR has a key role to play in protecting a company’s proprietary information. Here’s how to do it.

Equal opportunity for women trumps even outrageous reaction to resignation

12/19/2011

A boss’s secret prejudice won’t support an employee’s sex-bias lawsuit if the employer provides equal opportunities to both men and women. That’s true even if the sexist boss reacts outrageously when the subordinate quits.

No unemployment for employee who quits to retire

11/29/2011

Employees who fear they’re facing disciplinary action may quit. Then they argue that they would have been fired and quit preemptively, so they’re eligible for unemployment compensation. But if the employer can show there really was no good reason for the employee to think her job was in danger, then the employee can’t receive unemployment.

Innuendo alone doesn’t amount to harassment

10/31/2011

Generally, anti-discrimination laws are designed to punish egregious offenses rather than rude or inconsiderate behavior. That’s good news for employers dealing with isolated, sexually suggestive comments or behavior.

Cut unemployment liability by working to keep employee

10/26/2011

Employees who quit their jobs aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation benefits unless they legitimately believe they had no choice but to resign. But if an employer makes a genuine effort to help the employee stay and he turns down that offer, he may lose eligibility for unemployment.

When executive wants to ease into retirement, can we insist on a ‘retirement contract’?

09/16/2011

Q. An executive wants to retire in one year and gradually reduce her schedule until then. Our business needs don’t allow us to have this executive role be part-time on a long-term basis. Can we approve this request on the condition that the executive sign an agreement binding her to retire within one year?

How to recoup training costs when new employee quits

09/13/2011

It’s expensive to train employees, especially if the job is highly specialized. Smart employers protect their investments by having new employees sign an agreement to repay training costs if they leave soon after receiving the valuable benefit. Here’s how to recoup those costs.

Note to thin-skinned employees: Constructive criticism doesn’t qualify you for unemployment

09/02/2011

Employees who work under genuinely intolerable conditions can quit their jobs and still collect unemployment compensation. But those situations are rare—and don’t provide cover for overly sensitive workers. Supervisors routinely criticize employees and offer suggestions for improvement. That’s normal and doesn’t constitute harassment.

Placed on PIP? That’s no reason to quit

08/26/2011

Employees placed on performance improvement plans (PIP) sometimes suspect that they are about to be fired. But that doesn’t mean they can jump the gun, quit and apply for unemployment compensation.