• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Resignations

Little incidents can become harassment over time

03/12/2013
Respond ASAP with swift discipline the first time someone levels sexual or anti-female taunts at an employee. Otherwise, the problem will grow. You may not realize something is wrong until the victim quits and sues.

Employee complains and then quits? Investigate anyway, to prove what happened

03/07/2013
When you get a discrimination or harassment complaint, it’s essential to launch an immediate investigation. If the employee quits, continue the investigation. That way, in case of a lawsuit, you can show the court you took the complaint seriously.

Conditions intolerable? Employee may quit and sue

02/07/2013
An employee who works in outrageous conditions can sometimes quit, claiming she had no choice, and then sue for her “discharge.” However, most of those suits don’t get very far.

Nonprofit unemployment plan doesn’t change eligibility

01/11/2013

Some nonprofit Minnesota em­­ployers can opt into an alternative unemployment compensation plan that allows skipping quarterly unemployment taxes in exchange for reimbursing the state for any benefits paid. Good news for those employers: The alternative plan doesn’t affect unemployment eligibility.

Give employee time to weigh severance offer

01/09/2013
If you want to offer a severance package to an em­­ployee in exchange for giving up the right to contest a discharge, give him plenty of time to consider the offer. If you don’t, the signed deal may not be final.

Handbooks: 5 simple steps for preserving at-will status

12/07/2012
The easiest way to make sure employees understand that they are employed on an at-will basis is to place disclaimers throughout your employee handbook. Five key elements will help those disclaimers stand up in court if an employee ever mounts a legal challenge to at-will employment.

Watch out! Employee who quits can still sue

11/16/2012
Think you can avoid a discrimination lawsuit by making life so miserable that an employee quits, making it unnecessary to fire her? Don’t bet on it.

No unemployment benefits if employee quit before you had a chance to fix problems

10/12/2012
In Minnesota, employees can sometimes qualify for unemployment compensation if they quit because they had to endure tough working conditions. But that’s only true if they let their employer know about workplace problems and the employer doesn’t respond. Simply walking off the job in anger doesn’t cut it.

One way to avoid unemployment liability: Offer time off for medical problems

09/17/2012
In Minnesota, an employee who has a medical condition that prevents him from working can still collect unemployment benefits if he quits. But before he quits, he has to tell his employer about the medical problem so the employer has a chance to offer time off and continued employment when he returns.

Unemployment may depend on seeking accommodations

07/13/2012
Minnesota employees can still collect unemployment benefits if they quit their jobs because of medical problems. However, before resigning and applying for benefits, they must ask for accommodations.