If your workplace isn’t exactly the picture of diversity, the need to fire your only minority employee may worry you. Isn’t that just courting a lawsuit? Maybe—but that’s no reason to retain a poor performer.
Firing
There’s danger in every aspect of firing, from WARN Act layoffs and exit interviews to constructive discharge and more.
Learn how to fire an employee and sidestep wrongful termination lawsuits, with battle-tested firing procedures, and employment termination letters. At last, you can fire at will!
Some employees refuse to follow rules prohibiting off-the-clock work. Some—insisting they can’t complete their work any other way—may clock out and then return to work. That puts employers at risk for wage-and-hour lawsuits. You don’t have to put up with it.
While several ballot initiatives nationwide show there has been a change in how the general public perceives same-sex relationships, sexual orientation is still not a protected class under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Employees who violate rules against doing personal business at work are engaging in misconduct. That can make them ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits.
Solid, substantiated and legitimate reasons for firing someone almost always trump bias claims based on a few isolated slurs—even when the trash-talking comes from a supervisor.
It’s never a good idea to “throw the book” at an employee just because a supervisor wants to get rid of her. Before approving discipline, check to make sure this isn’t an illegal effort to terminate. Ask why the supervisor wants to fire the employee.
Don’t let the fear of litigation keep you from making necessary decisions. Sometimes, you have to discipline employees for the good of the organization.
In tight times, employers must explore every cost-saving option. After looking at several ways to balance the budget, you may decide you need to trim the workforce. Don’t be surprised if a laid-off employee sues.
Bosses may not like it, but employees have the right to complain about their working conditions. Characterizing those complaints as unfounded gossip doesn’t change that—and should never be a reason for termination ...
Sometimes, it’s clear that unless an employee shapes up, she’ll have to be fired. Argumentative, insubordinate employees who balk at even minor requests fall into that category. Carefully document infractions so when termination time comes, you have specific examples.
