DISCIPLINE / INVESTIGATIONS

Company's 'head in the sand' response racks up punitive damages

09/01/2000
Faced with a bad situation, Wax Works record stores managed to make it even worse, and paid a big price. One of Wax Works' store managers, Kerry Ogden, had compiled ...

Playin' it cool: How to handle an EEOC bias charge

08/01/2000
When a charge of discrimination lands in your lap from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or its equivalent state agency, the way you respond ...

INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS
BY EXITING EMPLOYEES

08/01/2000
Q During a recent exit interview, an employee told us that she had been sexually harassed on the job. But she claimed that she was leaving the company for a better job, not because of the alleged harassment. What should we do with her complaint? Do we have an obligation to investigate this claim even though she is leaving? L.C., Louisiana

Put reasonable limits on who can take complaints

07/01/2000
Two female supermarket employees complained to a district manager that their store manager had sexually harassed them. The district manager promptly ...

Stop 'equal opportunity harasser' even if law doesn't cover you

07/01/2000
Steven and Karen Holman are not only married and work together in the same maintenance department, but they also filed suit together claiming sexual harassment ...

Fix classification errors promptly or 'window of correction' will close

06/01/2000
A group of managers and registered nurses who worked for Santa Clara County, Calif., were classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), making ...

Watch for warning signs of workers' comp fraud

06/01/2000

Q. We've had a number of suspicious injuries at work this year. We don't want to jump to conclusions, but how can we determine if these injuries are part of a workers' comp insurance fraud scheme? —K.H., Mississippi

Have clear conduct rules or risk ADA nightmare

05/01/2000
A fight with a co-worker drove Manuella Dionisio Reed to tears. She was so upset that she had to leave work and ended up in the hospital for days. Reed, ...

You must pay for all work, even if it's not authorized

04/01/2000

Q. In the October 1999 issue, you explained that nonexempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a week are entitled to overtime for all hours over 40, regardless of whether the overtime was authorized. Do we owe overtime if a nonexempt employee works more than his or her scheduled hours even if the total number of hours worked does not exceed 40? —J.P., Illinois

New risk: Workers can claim retaliation even if there's no adverse job action

03/01/2000
Judy Morris' supervisor at the county road department first evaluated Morris' job performance as "excellent." Later, he rated her as "very good." The supervisor said ...

Women-hating comments, even if not sexual, can equal sexual harassment

03/01/2000
Elizabeth Smith got hit with a double whammy: a harassing boss and a company that didn't take it seriously. In the end, the company's lax response cost it big-time ...

Don't fear distress caused by proper investigations

03/01/2000
You don't have to worry that the target of your harassment investigation will turn around and sue you for emotional distress. The 2nd Circuit said he ...

Harassment: How to stop it before, and after, it starts

03/01/2000
Protect your organization from employee lawsuits for harassment by focusing your attention on both preventive and corrective measures. Provide every employee ...

Don't hand out authority without giving training to match

02/01/2000
Promoting lower-level employees to supervisory roles, even if it's on a temporary or "acting" basis, can backfire if you fail to educate them on their new legal responsibilities. That's what happened ...