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Terminations

DNR chief hits the trail

10/14/2008

Col. Mike Hamm, head of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Enforcement Division, retired in September amid speculation that he was about to be fired …

Court: Lewis gave up police job when he ran for Tampa mayor

10/14/2008

Former Tampa Police Department (TPD) Capt. Marion Serious Lewis forfeited his law enforcement job when he ran to unseat Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio in 2007, a Florida appeals court has ruled. The city sought to enforce Tampa’s “resign to run” statute …

Disabled workers can collect unemployment if denied accommodations they ask for

10/14/2008

Employees who become disabled, request accommodations that never materialize and then resign may end up getting unemployment compensation. But if disabled employees fail to request accommodations, they’re out of luck …

Michigan joins other states needing unemployment bailouts

10/10/2008

Michigan’s unemployment fund is once again running dry. The fund has had to borrow from the federal government during the past two years to stay solvent, amassing a debt of $255 million. But as bad off as it is, Michigan’s unemployment fund isn’t alone …

Obesity discrimination is common — and against the law

10/10/2008

A recent study by Michigan State University and Hope College found that employers perceive overweight workers as lazier, more emotionally unstable and harder to get along with than their “normal weight” counterparts.

Back to work at Detroit City Hall . . . or not

10/10/2008

Detroit Auditor General Loren Monroe has recommended better oversight of the city’s operations in the wake of the resignation of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. In a memo to new Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr., Monroe called for implementing a detailed budget …

Mall management interfering with union drive, workers say

10/08/2008

A group of contract janitors at Park Meadows Mall in Littleton, Colo., walked off the job in September to protest unfair labor practices by the Millard Group, which provides cleaning services to malls owned by General Growth Properties (GGP) of Chicago …

State agencies grapple with personnel moves to meet budget

10/08/2008

State department heads have taken different approaches to achieve the $2 billion in budget cuts mandated by Gov. Rod Blagojevich for this fiscal year. The Department of Children and Family Services cut 179 positions and planned to transfer 127 workers to vacant spots in more-urgent areas …

If you violate FMLA, prepare to pay employee’s attorneys’ fees, too

10/08/2008

Here’s another reason to train everyone on the intricacies of the FMLA: Employees who win even a small amount of damages in FMLA interference cases automatically get their attorneys’ fees paid by their employer. And that can add up to
big bucks …

Retaliation can happen even in flimsy harassment case

10/08/2008

Employees don’t have to win their sexual harassment claims to prove retaliation. They merely have to show they were concerned that they might have experienced harassment …