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Discipline / Investigations

Job investigation won’t cause ‘mental distress.’

12/01/2002
A New York bank investigated a worker over forged signatures on her expense reports. It eventually fired her and escorted her from the premises. She sued the bank, saying the …

Fix absentee problem; cost of no-shows is rising

12/01/2002
Stop throwing the same solutions at your employee absentee problem. Reason: Per-employee absence costs have reached an all-time high of $789 this year, up from $610 just two years ago, according …

Retaliation threat doesn’t erase time limit for filing lawsuit

11/01/2002
Wal-Mart employee Stephanie Beckel complained to a general manager that her supervisor was sexually harassing her. When the general manager told her not to discuss the matter with anyone but himself …

Investigating workplace harassment: 10 steps to success

10/01/2002
When complaints of workplace harassment arise, as they inevitably do, managers and HR directors are called upon to respond. Doing this right is a high-stakes venture. Here are 10 steps to …

NLRB shake-up may cause reversals on key cases

09/01/2002
You can expect some good news from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Reason: If the Senate confirms a new slate of Bush appointees to the NLRB, it will be the …

High court: Weingarten rights stand; state family leave case on docket

08/01/2002
It’s official: Employees have the right, even in nonunion workplaces, to bring a co-worker as a witness to an investigative meeting that could result in discipline. Nonunion employees won …

Mean-spirited office pranks carry heavy price

06/01/2002
When a manager at an auto body shop went to the restroom, two fellow employees picked the lock, entered and took a photograph of him while urinating. They distributed the picture …

Working miracles isn’t part of accommodation process

06/01/2002
Louis Cosme applied for a promotion at the Postal Service even though he knew it would require him to work on some Saturdays, the day that he observed the Sabbath through …

Need incentive to brush up anti-discrimination policy? Here it is

06/01/2002
In April, six female employees of a grocery chain won a record $30.6 million from a California jury in a sexual harassment lawsuit, far larger than any previous verdict in an …

Avoid Liability for ‘Porn Spam’

06/01/2002

Q. Some of our employees have been getting a lot of spam e-mail that advertises porn sites. I’m concerned that an employee will consider this junk as creating a hostile work environment. What can we do to protect ourselves? —M.C., Minnesota