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Terminations

‘Self-defense’ is no excuse for ignoring anti-violence rules

11/01/2003
Issue: Employees may try to use “self-defense” as a reason for breaking your no-fighting rule.
Risk: That would limit your ability to punish violent workers …

Accommodate workers’ eating needs when it’s medically necessary

11/01/2003
You must accommodate employees with disabilities. But what’s technically considered a “disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? The law says it’s any physical or mental impairment that limits one …

Do the math before taking action
against employee on FMLA leave

11/01/2003
When calculating an employee’s 12 weeks of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, always double-check your math, then run it by an HR boss or employment lawyer.
While you …

Tell Supervisors to Make FMLA a ‘Work-Free Zone’

11/01/2003

Asking employees to perform even a minimal amount of work while they’re out on an FMLA absence could spark a lawsuit. And firing someone for refusing to pirtch in while out on leave almost surely will …

An unsigned contract can still be legally binding

11/01/2003
Issue: Some courts consider agreements, signed or unsigned, to be valid, binding contracts.
Risk: A manager’s verbal promise could lock your company into legal agreements it must follow …

Firing for ‘moral issue’ is legal but unwise

11/01/2003

Q. Our church day care center hired a woman who, we later found out, was living with a married man. Our director had “moral issues” with this situation and terminated her. I think the termination was illegal. Was it? —L.T., Florida

Firing an H-1B worker? Notify feds first

11/01/2003
Organizations that employ foreign workers on H-1B visas must now take an extra step when terminating them: notifying the federal government. Example: A software company hired a programmer on a …

Scrutinize true reasons for layoff; then banish all inconsistencies

11/01/2003
No one likes to choose among employees for company-mandated layoffs. But if you’re given this task, research and recommend choices with defensible reasons that you can back up. Don’t manufacture termination …

Cut turnover with business-card handout

11/01/2003
A California chiropractor successfully improved morale (and, he believes, cut turnover) by simply giving every employee a set of customized business cards sporting their job titles. …

Cut absenteeism costs with a paid-time-off plan

10/01/2003
Issue: Paid-time-off (PTO) plans combine sick leave, vacation time and personal days into a single leave-time bank.
Benefits: A PTO plan can reduce sick leave abuse and trim your absentee …