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Terminations

AAM strike rocks GM operations across North America

05/01/2008
A strike by workers at five American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings (AAM) plants in Michigan and New York led to temporary closures at more than a dozen General Motors plants in February and March. GM’s Moraine Assembly facility, south of Dayton, ran out of parts mid-shift within a week. GM laid off more than 1,800 workers at the plant …

You picked a fine time to leave me: Penalties for quitting without notice

05/01/2008
Q. Can an employer in Colorado fine an employee who quits without giving two weeks’ notice? …

OSU-Mansfield librarian sues over religious persecution

05/01/2008
Scott Savage, a former Ohio State University-Mansfield reference librarian, is suing the university over discrimination he says he suffered because of his Christian beliefs …

You smoke, you’re fired! Lessons from the Whirlpool Case

04/29/2008
The dangers of smoking are well documented: heart disease and cancer, shorter life expectancy, higher health care expenses. Now add another risk: As workers in Indiana just found out, smoking could get you fired. Was their employer justified in taking action, or did it step into a legal quagmire?

Downsized Work Force, Supersized Liability: The Legal Risks of Layoffs

04/29/2008
Whether we’re in slowdown or a full-blown recession, many employers may be contemplating job cuts to cope with tough economic times. But employers that downsize the wrong way may end up spending more on litigation than they save on labor costs. To avoid a costly court fight, know your WARN Act compliance responsibilities.

Farash Corp. faces harassment suit over execs’ comments

04/28/2008
A former executive assistant for Farash Corp. is suing the Rochester-based real estate company for sexual harassment. Susan Poulter claims she was fired without warning in June 2006, four months after she complained about inappropriate comments allegedly made by male executives …

Appeals court dumps Wyeth whistle-Blower’s claim

04/28/2008
A three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a whistle-blower claim by Mark Livingston, a former training director at the Sanford, N.C., facility of the drug maker Wyeth …

The value of job descriptions—Even following termination

04/25/2008
Q. How serious is it if an employer doesn’t have written job descriptions in place? Is it safe to draft them even after a termination that could result in a lawsuit? …

Don’t let FMLA status keep you from firing lousy employee

04/25/2008
There’s a common misconception out there that says that employers can’t fire employees who have recently taken or need to take FMLA leave. Nothing is further from the truth—if you go through the trouble of carefully documenting workplace deficiencies …

Do you discipline for age-Related remarks? You should

04/25/2008
A supervisor who makes rude or obnoxious comments about his subordinates’ ages might wind up causing an age discrimination lawsuit. That’s one reason you should take seriously all complaints about inappropriate comments—and discipline supervisors who think age is something to joke about …