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Firing

UT HR official fights for job after newspaper op-ed furor

01/05/2009

Crystal Dixon, former associate vice president of HR at the University of Toledo (UT), has filed a federal lawsuit challenging her termination for writing a newspaper column that conflicted with the university’s values. In April 2008, Dixon wrote an opinion piece defending limits on domestic-partner benefits …

Hang tough when there’s absolutely no discrimination

01/05/2009

Sometimes, you have to trust that your lawyer and the courts will do the right thing and toss out a clearly frivolous case. As long as you are sure that you have solid reasons for firing an employee who wasn’t doing her job—and that you didn’t treat her any differently than any other employee with the same track record—fire her.

Can I fire an employee whose financial woes have me worried about our own finances?

01/05/2009

Q. I recently discovered that an employee who handles my company’s accounts receivable has filed for bankruptcy. Can I discharge this employee?

Seek civility, don’t sweat oversensitivity

12/31/2008

Whether a work environment is actually sexually hostile depends on whether that’s how an average person would perceive it. A supersensitive person won’t get to sue for sexual harassment if an ordinary person would brush off the alleged harassment.

Charlotte-Meck teachers disciplined for Facebook postings

12/31/2008

Offensive postings on the social networking web site Facebook led the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) to fire one employee and discipline seven others.

The firing meeting: 4 classic mistakes

12/30/2008

Terminating an employee is one of the most stressful tasks managers and HR pros will ever have to face. Don’t let a difficult job turn into a legal nightmare too. Avoid these common firing mistakes, and you’ll probably avoid an expensive trip to court as well.

Don’t panic when former employee files massive lawsuit—most claims go away

12/24/2008

These days, employees and their attorneys often go to great lengths to intimidate employers. One way to do that is to file a huge lawsuit—one that takes up pages and pages, and includes a laundry list of allegations … Before you panic, call your attorneys

EEOC reaches settlement in racial harassment case

12/24/2008

The EEOC has settled a lawsuit it filed against Texas-based Cadit Co., which was doing work for the San Francisco Municipal Railway. The agency said Cadit allowed a foreman to harass a Chinese-American welder.

Winning unemployment case doesn’t let you off the hook for wrongful discharge

12/24/2008

Many employers carefully prepare for unemployment compensation hearings, especially if the employee was fired for misconduct. Then, having proven that the employee was fired for some wrongful act, they naively conclude that the same employee can’t turn around and sue them for wrongful discharge.

No free attorneys for employees who sue

12/24/2008

If anything would add to the avalanche of employment suits already burying employers in litigation, it would be providing free legal counsel to employees who sue. Fortunately, at least one federal court hearing a New Jersey case has nixed the idea.