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Retaliation

Supreme Court to decide burden of proof in Title VII retaliation cases

02/07/2013
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could answer a crucial question when an employee who is a member of a protected class alleges retaliation: Must he prove his protected status was the sole motive for retaliation, or can it be just one of many possible reasons?

Employers get to choose cost-cutting moves

02/01/2013

In tight times, employers must explore every cost-saving option. After looking at several ways to balance the budget, you may decide you need to trim the workforce. Don’t be surprised if a laid-off em­­ployee sues.

Insubordinate employee? Track each incident

02/01/2013

Sometimes, it’s clear that un­­less an employee shapes up, she’ll have to be fired. Argu­­men­­ta­­tive, insubordinate employees who balk at even minor requests fall into that category. Carefully document in­­fractions so when termination time comes, you have specific examples.

Considering after-the-fact paper trail to justify firing?

02/01/2013

Move cautiously when dealing with an employee who complains about harassment and discrimination—especially if the complaint involves a supervisor who now wants to terminate him. Unless you have a pre-existing paper trail showing poor performance before the complaint, going back to create one is dangerous.

Filing for workers’ comp doesn’t qualify as ADA protected activity

01/25/2013
Here’s a bit of good news. Just because an employee claims she was hurt at work and files for workers’ compensation doesn’t mean she automatically has a federal ADA retaliation case if she’s fired.

Criticism after FMLA? Beware retaliation

01/25/2013
When a good employee with no disciplinary record suddenly turns into a bad employee following FMLA leave, watch out. You may have on your hands a bitter supervisor who wants to punish the employee for disrupting workflow, creating scheduling hassles and otherwise making life more difficult. Before approving discipline or a poor evaluation, look deeper.

Boring job? That’s no basis for a bias lawsuit

01/25/2013
Most people want to do meaningful, satisfying work. But many jobs are just routine and not particularly inspiring. While it’s wise from an employee relations standpoint to keep employees engaged, employers have no legal obligation to provide a workplace in which everyone is satisfied and fulfilled.

Employee has routine gripe about timekeeping? That’s not necessarily protected activity

01/11/2013
Employees who question your timekeeping process may be setting you up for an FLSA lawsuit. How you respond may make the difference between winning and losing. If you promptly fix what turns out to have been an innocent mistake, the court probably won’t consider the original complaint protected activity.

After discipline, how should we respond to employee’s retaliation claim?

01/09/2013
Q. We recently disciplined one of our employees for a handbook violation. She has since alleged that she was the victim of harassment. We are now facing a retaliation claim from this employee. How should we respond to such retaliation complaints?

ADA: Don’t let procedural hurdles stop accommodations process

01/09/2013
Employees with disabilities have the right to request reasonable ADA accommodations. Punishing them for making such a request can be grounds for a retaliation lawsuit—even if no accommodations were possible or due.