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Firing

Make sure documentation includes all the details

01/05/2012
Plenty of employers vigorously en­­force their work rules when employees break them. But not every employee deserves exactly the same punishment if there are differences in their conduct. That’s why it’s important to document every detail.

Chicago’s tough leave lessons: How not to handle FMLA leave

01/04/2012
Here’s a chance to learn from an employer’s FMLA mistakes. Don’t make the same ones yourself.

Degrees of separation: 6 terminations, 6 ways to avoid lawsuits

12/31/2011
Terminations are the spark to many employment lawsuits. And for each of the six kinds of firings, there are some common steps employers can take to defend themselves if a termination is challenged in court. Master these and you will cut down on HR headaches — and legal bills.

What HR pros must know about protecting trade secrets

12/30/2011
When any valued employee leaves, the company experiences a loss. The loss is greater, however, when the former employee departs to work for a competitor and begins using the company’s confidential information or trade secrets. HR has a key role to play in protecting a company’s proprietary information. Here’s how to do it.

Sticker shock: First ‘accident’ in two years at Georgia plastics plant is a lawsuit

12/29/2011
An employee has sued for religious discimination after he was fired from a plastics plant for refusing to wear a sticker saying 666, noting the number of days the plant has gone accident-free. The employee noted his “sincere religious belief that to wear the number 666 would be to accept the mark of the beast and be condemned to hell.”

Mandatory retirement policy costs manufacturer $60,000

12/21/2011

A Houston manufacturer will pay $60,000 and provide other relief to settle an EEOC age discrimination lawsuit. According to the EEOC, Metallic Products Corp. had an unlawful mandatory policy that required em­­ployees to retire when they reached age 70.

Special work arrangement? Ensure worker’s at-will status

12/21/2011
Occasionally, you may decide to create alternative work arrangements based on written agreements. How you do that is crucial to retaining at-will status.

Asthmatic fired after creating his own accommodation

12/20/2011
Whenever an employee reveals a disability, employers must explore reasonable accommodations. The EEOC clearly doesn’t consider it reasonable to send an employee home and then fire him, as the following case shows.

Medical device manufacturer faces religious bias suit

12/20/2011

The EEOC has filed suit against Medi­­cal Specialties Inc., alleging it discriminated against Evelyn Lock­­­­­­hart because of her religion. She is a member of a Christian denomination whose practitioners are forbidden to work on certain days.

OK to fire for insubordination, even if employee has filed discrimination complaint

12/20/2011
Employees who intentionally don’t follow directions are in­­sub­­ordinate. That means you can fire them—even if they recently filed discrimination charges. Just be sure you can justify your action.