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Employee Relations

Same offense, same discipline? Not necessarily

10/01/2012

You’re probably aware that, generally, you should issue the same discipline to everyone who breaks the same rule. But that isn’t always the case. As long as you can explain why one employee deserved harsher punishment, a judge probably won’t second-guess you.

Keep careful HR records to demonstrate solid processes–and catch employee’s lie

10/01/2012
If an eventual lawsuit alleges that an employee submitted a form or sent a letter containing specific information, good records will make it easier to counter that claim. You’ll be able to tell the court about your process and then ask for an expert analysis of the document.

Denver firm makes it easy for desk workers to get out

10/01/2012
Execs at Denver-based ReadyTalk, a provider of web conferencing and webinar services, are encouraging their workers to get outside more. Employees, including many desk-bound software developers, have access to office bikes for running downtown errands.

Ohio firm makes contest out of energy savings

09/27/2012
In their quest to leave a smaller environmental “footprint,” employees of Greif, a Delaware, Ohio-based industrial packaging products company, are trying to outdo each other when it comes to energy-efficient work habits.

Telecom employees contribute 7.7 million pounds of food

09/26/2012
When employees at CenturyLink raised enough money to buy 106,275 pounds of food and donated $271,900 for a children’s charity, their company’s foundation chipped in another $1 million to support their efforts. The combined contributions bought 7.7 million pounds of groceries.

It’s all hilarious … until someone sues

09/21/2012
You know the gags: Post-it notes labeling everything in Greg’s cubicle. Duct-taping Stacey’s office door. Photoshopping Dave’s picture on a photo of a Sumo wrestler. But what should you do when the jokes go too far?

Colorado wildfire victims get aid from employer

09/21/2012
Lockheed Martin employees who lost homes and other property to Colorado wildfires over the summer got a little help from their employer—in the form of cash. Its Employee Disaster Relief Fund is maintained by employee and company donations and offers emergency, short-term assistance for food, temporary lodging and clothing.

Checks fly, banker goes to jail … and the bank fails

09/18/2012
The former president of Pinehurst Bank in St. Paul will serve 42 months in federal prison following convictions on five counts of misapplying bank funds in a 2010 check-kiting scheme. The resulting losses forced the bank to close in May 2010.

Portsmouth couple sentenced for embezzling union funds

09/17/2012
A union official will have 366 days to contemplate her actions after being convicted of embezzling from Portsmouth’s Carpenters Union Local 437.

Thorough investigation makes discipline stick

09/17/2012

If you really agonize over termination decisions, here’s a reason to relax a little. Firing someone for wrong-doing doesn’t require you to be absolutely right about what happened. As long as you conduct a reasonable investigation and make the decision based on the facts as you understand them, a court won’t second-guess you.