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Terminations

Firing? Back with complete discipline records

06/18/2010

Employers that keep careful track of which employees are disciplined—and for what reasons—have a leg up if they’re ever sued for discrimination. Before you terminate any employee, take the time to pull up all similar past disciplinary files. If those records show you fired other employees for identical or less-serious offenses, chances are no court will second-guess your decision in the latest case.

Retaliation alert: Most public employees protected when reporting alleged wrongdoing

06/18/2010
Public employees have First Amendment free speech rights, including protection from reprisal for reporting alleged wrongdoing to superiors. They lose that protection only if reporting wrongdoing is part of their jobs.

How to write a tough, but legal, at-will statement

06/17/2010
Q. We want our employees to know that they don’t have guaranteed employment. Can you provide an example of a tough at-will statement that we can give them?

Independent review protects against hidden supervisor bias

06/16/2010

Despite your best efforts, a rogue supervisor occasionally slips through. He may harbor discriminatory attitudes that can color his termination and disciplinary decisions. But you can cut that chain by doing a little independent digging into what really happened. Then document your efforts to get both sides of the story.

Rescind firing ASAP to end discrimination suit

06/14/2010
Let’s say a supervisor acts too hastily in firing an employee who has turnaround potential. Or perhaps you learn the employee has a plausible discrimination claim, and you’d rather address the issue right away than risk litigation. If you offer to reinstate the employee right away and she refuses to return, chances are a court won’t conclude you unfairly terminated her in the first place.

New tool when employees defect to competition: bonus forfeiture

06/14/2010
Employers looking to discourage their employees from going to work for a competitor, take note! As a general matter, courts aren’t in favor of noncompete agreements. Nevertheless, Illinois employers may now have a new weapon to keep employees from taking your secrets when they leave.

EEOC wins access to Quantum’s hiring documents

06/14/2010

Bolingbrook-based Quantum Foods faces a national-origin discrimination lawsuit from the EEOC, based on a Hispanic worker’s claim that he was terminated because of his national origin. The EEOC sought hiring records for the facility for the past four years.

Can we fire worker suspected of raiding the till?

06/09/2010
Q. We strongly suspect that one of our employees has been taking money out of the cash register. Whenever he is responsible for the register, there are a lot more shortages than when others work the register. Even though we can’t prove he is taking money, can we terminate his employment?

No STD documentation? OK to discipline–or fire

06/09/2010

If you offer short-term disability (STD) benefits for employees who can’t work because of illness, you probably insist on medical documentation. If the employee doesn’t provide that information within the reasonable timeline your STD plan requires, you can count the absence against the employee and terminate her.

MHRA: Court clarifies what’s marital bias

06/09/2010
The Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) makes it an unfair employment practice to terminate an employee based on marital status. The Court of Appeals of Minnesota has now clarified that the law covers more than the state of being married; it also bans discrimination based on who one’s spouse is.