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Terminations

Be prepared to explain your reasonable rationale for firing protected-class worker

07/26/2011

Hesitant to fire an employee because of his race, religion or other pro­­tected characteristic? Don’t be. Employers with legitimate reasons to discharge someone generally win cases. That’s true even if the firing might appear discriminatory—such as when the sole fired employee happens to belong to a protected class.

Did Pantego firm act too fast by firing worker taking meds?

07/25/2011

The EEOC is suing Pantego-based Tideland Electric Membership Corp., claiming it failed to accommodate a disabled employee. Jeffrey Erdman suffers from a chronic pain condition, but with the help of prescription painkillers, he was able to perform his job as an apprentice lineman. However, when Tideland learned of Erdman’s condition and the narcotic prescribed for his pain, it fired him.

Proceed with layoff if employee you planned to cut suddenly complains about discrimination

07/25/2011

When employees hear rumors that business is down, they often worry that jobs will be cut. One trick they sometimes use is to rattle a few chains and start complaining about discrimination. Don’t let that interfere with plans already in place for a layoff or other workplace changes that you know aren’t related to discrimination. Just make sure you have adequate documentation to explain when the layoff decision was made and why.

‘Feeling’ bias in NASCAR? Court says ‘no go’

07/25/2011
When employees carry a chip on their shoulders, they may see dis­crimination in acts that are simply nor­mal workplace behavior. For­tu­nately, courts won’t allow dis­crimi­nation cases to go to trial if they’re based on nothing more than vague “feelings.”

Back up consistent discipline system with documentation, review of high-stakes cases

07/22/2011
You can take steps to ensure that most employee lawsuits will fail, especially when it comes to discipline. The key is to make sure similar misconduct yields similar punishment, regardless of the employee’s race, sex, age or other protected characteristic. It’s also critical for HR to track discipline carefully.

It’s an emergency! Can we fire worker whose volunteer firefighting duties cause absences?

07/19/2011
Q. I have an employee who is a volunteer firefighter. Although I believe that volunteering is important, his absences to respond to emergencies have disrupted workplace productivity. Can I replace him on this basis?

It’s time for a talk if you’ve heard a boss has been disparaging disabled employees

07/19/2011

Are you hearing that a supervisor is making less than flattering statements about a disabled employee or disabled individuals in general? Then it’s time to call in the supervisor and explain to her it has to stop. That’s especially true if the super­visor happens to have a disabled ­employee under her direction and recommends that the employee should be terminated.

Quitting pending discharge means no unemployment comp

07/13/2011
Employees who quit after being told they may be terminated aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation. That’s especially true if quitting provides another benefit, such as the ability to use the employer as a reference.

Firing those with obsolete skills isn’t age bias

07/13/2011
In today’s tough economy, it’s sometimes necessary to terminate em­­ployees. That may be especially true when new technology makes it easier to perform some tasks, reducing the need for employees.

If employee can’t return from FMLA leave, it’s not interference to terminate

07/13/2011

Employees who take FMLA leave to deal with their own serious health condition are entitled to reinstatement to their jobs or substantially identical ones when they return. But what if the employee isn’t ready to come back after 12 weeks? In that case, employers don’t have to reinstate the employee—at least not under the FMLA.