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Employee Relations

Good news: Liberal definition of retaliation applies only in certain retaliation cases

02/01/2007

In a landmark ruling last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court made it easier for employees to sue their employers for retaliation. But employers in Georgia and others in the 11th Circuit can breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to this ruling …

Savannah police chief sued; ‘paramour favoritism’ at issue

02/01/2007

In a deposition recently released to the public, Savannah Chief of Police Michael Berkow admitted having an affair with a subordinate during his tenure as Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) …

How to comply with N.J.’s sweeping Whistle-Blower protection law

02/01/2007

The New Jersey Supreme Court has described the state’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) as “the most far reaching ‘whistle-blower statute’ in the nation” …

Reversing disciplinary decisions can spark bias lawsuit

02/01/2007

If you punished two employees for the same misdeed but only one asked you to reverse the decision, consider the legal ramifications first. If you grant “amnesty” to one employee but not the other, you could trigger a discrimination lawsuit …

It’s up to employees to press harassment complaints

02/01/2007

While it’s vital to react promptly when employees formally file sexual harassment complaints, what do you do if they approach you informally and don’t want to make a formal complaint? …

How to handle discipline for pregnant employees

02/01/2007

Q. We have an employee who was on probation when she became pregnant. What can we do if she continues to have performance problems? —J.J.

‘He said, she said’: Train staff in workplace conflict resolution

02/01/2007

What’s a manager to do when faced with conflicting accounts of an argument between employees? An important part of that answer is to resolve the conflict quickly, before it spreads like a cancer through your organization …

Free food! Boost morale, productivity by feeding the staff

02/01/2007

Your organization may spring for pizza when everyone works late or buy a cake for employees’ birthdays. But employer-provided food can do more than fill the bellies of hungry staff …

Setting layoff criteria? You can ignore past performance

02/01/2007

When planning a layoff or restructuring, you can set criteria for who gets the ax by focusing on employees’ potential future contributions and ignoring their past performance …

Smoking-Cessation benefits expand productivity

02/01/2007

How much does having a smoker on staff add to your costs? On average, smoking breaks and higher health costs related to smoking cost employers the equivalent of nine weeks’ lost productivity per year …