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Productivity / Performance

When can a Florida state agency terminate an employee for ‘disloyalty’?

06/08/2009

Q. Our state agency’s board is considering terminating a legal secretary who seems to have been a supporter of one of our attorneys who was discharged for both performance problems and being disloyal to our board. We understand that, under the patronage dismissal doctrine, we can terminate employees who supported the political opponent of our agency’s elective head. Can the board likewise discharge the legal secretary for her seeming disloyalty?

With eye on economy, 8 comp & benefits changes to watch

06/05/2009

The weak economy is forcing organizations and their employees to make some tough benefits choices. Here are eight trends to watch:

OK to deny reinstatement if returning worker can’t perform essential job functions

06/05/2009

Employees who have been injured may try to return to positions for which they are no longer qualified because they still suffer limitations on the work they can do. Employers are free to deny reinstatement if the employees’ new limitations mean they can’t perform the essential functions of their jobs, even with accommodations.

Beware incentive plans that deduct pay from exempt employees

06/05/2009

The FLSA sets strict rules for who can be classified as an exempt employee not entitled to overtime pay. One of those is the so-called salary-basis test. Exempt employees must be paid the same salary regardless of the quality or quantity of their work in any given pay period. In other words, employers can’t make deductions from pay for poor work.

HR interns: Where to find ’em, how to use ’em

06/01/2009

Large organizations have long realized that HR interns contribute to the bottom line. They’re inexpensive, productive and eager to impress. Now, with budgets cut to the bone, HR departments can use all the talented, low-cost staffing they can get. That’s especially true for small and midsize HR departments. Here are the best ways to find HR interns:

So you need to trim your training budget … but where?

06/01/2009

Training programs are among the first areas to take a hit when the economy falters. If you haven’t scaled back training expenses yet, your boss may soon ask. To examine training programs and avoid eliminating those that do work, ask the following questions:

Firing after FMLA leave: How soon is ‘too soon’?

05/27/2009

An employer fired a worker just six weeks after she returned from FMLA leave. Six weeks is like a nanosecond on the retaliation stopwatch. But the court still dismissed the case. Why?

So an employee tells you she’s seriously ill … now what?

05/27/2009

It’s sad enough when an employee becomes seriously ill. What makes it tougher is that work doesn’t stop. Deadlines remain, customers need service and paperwork piles up. Mistakes can mean not only hurt feelings but also potential legal liability problems. Here are four ways supervisors and HR can handle such situations with tact and legal skill.

Can a lazy worker collect unemployment?

05/27/2009

Q. We have an employee who does not work very hard and her production is marginal. If we terminate the employee, will she be able to collect unemployment compensation?

How can we terminate a morale buster who is in ill health?

05/27/2009

Q. We have an employee who was out six months with a heart condition. He has had performance problems on and off since then. Now we face a morale issue because he constantly talks about his illness, and his co-workers feel he isn’t performing. If we terminate him, what is the best approach?