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Discipline / Investigations

Don’t take a manager’s word that he’s not retaliating

01/01/2004
Issue: Courts will frown on “rubber-stamped” discipline against an employee who has complained of harassment. Risk: You can be implicated as part of an internal “conspiracy” to retaliate. Action: …

React quickly to employee threats

01/01/2004
Issue: Firing someone who threatens a co-worker may be worth the risk of being sued for wrongful discharge. Risk: Wrongful-discharge claims versus serious injury or even death: Which would be …

Don’t expect employees on FMLA leave to stay in bed

01/01/2004
Issue: Make sure you’re in the right before punishing people for ‘misusing’ FMLA leave. Risk: Tons in legal fees defending an arbitrary decision. Action: Make it clear to employees …

No need for OK before misconduct investigations

01/01/2004

Good news: You no longer have to notify employees suspected of workplace misconduct that they are targets of third-party investigations. Congress recently altered the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) …

Don’t expect those on FMLA leave to ‘stay home and shut the blinds’

12/01/2003
You can discipline employees if you discover that they lied about their need for FMLA leave or they seriously misused their leave time. For example, a court recently upheld the firing …

Workplace gossip doesn’t count as protected speech

12/01/2003
Americans can speak their minds as they wish in many places, but your workplace isn’t one of them. First Amendment free-speech rights do not extend to the private workplace. So don’t …

When can you ask employees about their prescriptions?

12/01/2003
Issue: The Staten Island Ferry crash in October raised the issue of when you can investigate employees’ prescription use. Risk: You could spark an ADA suit by asking too many …

It’s OK to discipline employees for public displays of affection

11/01/2003
If employees’ on-site amorous actions are making you or their co-workers uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to tell the lovebirds to withhold their romance for more private, off-premise moments. Courts will likely …

You may need to offer flex schedule as ADA accommodation

11/01/2003
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says you must make accommodations to let disabled employees perform the essential functions of their jobs. But regular, on-time attendance is an essential job function, …

Tell Supervisors to Make FMLA a ‘Work-Free Zone’

11/01/2003

Asking employees to perform even a minimal amount of work while they’re out on an FMLA absence could spark a lawsuit. And firing someone for refusing to pirtch in while out on leave almost surely will …