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Employee Relations

The WARN Act: When must you notify employees of layoffs?

07/01/2007

The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires certain employers to give their employees at least 60 days notice before a plant closing or mass layoff …

Continually asking as good as ordering, appeals court finds

07/01/2007

The 7th U.S. District Court of Appeals upheld damages for a towboat captain fired after he refused to push a load he considered unsafe …

Prevent hostile-environment lawsuits: No teasing allowed

07/01/2007

Many employees today are sensitive about their ethnic backgrounds, but may hesitate to report teasing or name-calling for fear of being seen as troublemakers. That means a lawsuit could be brewing …

The best managers are the best listeners: 4 steps

07/01/2007
Managers spend a good part of their workday listening to other people. But bear in mind, there’s a big difference between “passive” and “active” listening. In many cases, managers are too busy thinking about their response rather than listening to the employee’s full statement. In a business setting, this lack of attention can result in […]

You are required to notify employees who have been exposed to air contaminants

07/01/2007

Q. What are the requirements for eliminating welding fumes? According to recent air contaminant testing, our employees are exposed to fumes that exceed the permissible limit. Michigan OSHA (MIOSHA) has not inspected us. Are we required to notify MIOSHA or the federal OSHA of the test results? Are we required to notify anyone else? …

Court: Constitution protects religious bulletin board messages

07/01/2007

A federal government agency’s policy barring “items of religious preference” from agency bulletin boards is unconstitutional, the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio ruled …

Doing nothing after complaint leads to nothing but liability

07/01/2007

The most direct route to a hostile-work-environment lawsuit is to ignore complaints. Do nothing and your liability builds with each new complaint …  

Track discipline companywide to show no double standard

07/01/2007

One of the most common employment law claims is the uneven enforcement of workplace rules. The only foolproof way to counter such lawsuits …

Glowing evaluation doesn’t trump insubordination

07/01/2007

Have you worried about discharging an employee who just got an outstanding evaluation? It’s a legitimate concern, but don’t let it paralyze you …

Think worker is lying about health? Ask before disciplining

07/01/2007

Employees say the darndest things. Take, for example, those who call in sick or are out on disability for conditions you strongly suspect are not quite as serious as they say …