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Terminations

The dark side of the moon: Employee loses $2M

11/09/2012
An investment banker in Chicago, unhappy when he discovered a co-worker had been fired, mooned his boss. He was fired and, as a result, lost out on a $2 million payout that would have vested in a couple of months.

A slur is a slur, no matter the language–and deserves harsh discipline

11/01/2012
You don’t tolerate slurs spoken in English, do you? Then don’t put up with vile, intolerant and demeaning speech in other languages. It’s the content that matters, not the language spoken.

Suspect employee has relapsed into drug use? Never say so without proof

11/01/2012

Under the ADA, it’s illegal for employers to discriminate against employees who have a history of drug addiction but who aren’t current users. Before you or anyone else in management comments on suspicions that an employee has backslid, make sure you have evidence to back the claim.

Is car trouble a firing offense?

10/27/2012

Q. An employee frequently comes in late or is absent because of car troubles. Is this a justifiable reason for termination? To avoid this issue in the future, can we ask applicants if they have a reliable means of transportation to get to work?

White House WARNing on fiscal cliff: Don’t jump

10/27/2012
The Obama administration has informed federal contractors—whose funding could be slashed if a lame duck Congress fails to act before the end of the year—that they don’t have to worry about one of them yet: issuing layoff notices required by the WARN Act.

Handicapped man fired for limping, typing too slowly

10/27/2012
A former employee in Bank of America’s mortgage office in Pittsburgh is suing the bank, claiming he was fired because of his disability.

Sleeping on the job? No unemployment benefits

10/27/2012
Employers that fire a worker for being caught sleeping on the job may not be liable for unemployment compensation benefits. On-the-job snoozing can be considered willful misconduct if it’s clear it violates company policy.

OK to take your time probing misconduct–that won’t affect unemployment claim

10/27/2012
Good news for employers that hold off on firing an employee for an act that would otherwise be willful misconduct, making the employee ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits. As long as you can explain why you delayed actually terminating the employee, she won’t receive unemployment benefits.

Worker fired for gross misconduct? No COBRA

10/24/2012
You can’t terminate em­­ployees just because they (or their sick dependents) increase the company’s health insurance costs. That violates ERISA. But remember, if you fire an employee for an unrelated incident of gross misconduct, the employee has no right to an ERISA claim, nor any right to buy COBRA continuing health insurance after he or she departs.

Focus on ability to perform duties if you worry worker may have mental or emotional problems

10/22/2012

What should you do if one of your employees seems to be having difficulty coping well at work? Start by not jumping to conclusions about his mental health. Instead, focus on behavior and document any apparent problems. Then, based on that observation, consider asking for a fitness-for-duty examination.