Human Resources

A Safelite AutoGlass franchise in Enfield, N.C., has agreed to settle an EEOC sexual harassment and retaliation suit filed by a former HR assistant who claimed the HR manager made unwanted sexual comments and touched her inappropriately.

No one wants to have to explain why an employee just lost her job. But passing the buck and coming up with inconsistent excuses are the worst possible approaches. Instead, make sure the information comes from one source—preferably HR—and stick with a defensible reason.

Firing someone because you be­­lieve he has a disability violates the ADA under some circumstances, but not all. If the disabling condition is transitory and minor, you can terminate without violating the ADA.

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.

The usual wage-and-hour rules don’t apply to independent con­­tractors because they aren’t em­­ployees. But that doesn’t mean you can forget about the FLSA by deciding to just call some­­one an independent contractor. What really counts is how much control you assert over the individual in how and when she does the work.

When Fortune magazine tallied the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” it uncovered these cheap perks.

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.

It can be complicated to handle a pregnant employee when she can’t perform some part of her job. That’s because three federal laws—the ADA, the FMLA and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act—intersect to provide protection for some pregnant workers who have medical restrictions.

You have probably read that once a disabled employee has exhausted his FMLA and other sick leave, you should still consider offering a brief leave extension as a reasonable accommodation. That’s true to a point. However, once you have allowed additional leave and the employee still isn’t cleared to return to work, it may be time to terminate him despite his disability.

Patience is a virtue. Practice it, especially when you have an employee who seems to gripe about everything. Sure, serial complainers are a pain. Don’t make matters worse by striking back.