10/01/2006
Everything is done by e-mail these days, but the American worker still isn't ready yet to be fired that way ...
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09/01/2006
A reader of our weekly e-mail newsletter, The HR Specialist Weekly, recently posed this question: "How do you let other employees know when you've fired someone?" Following are some of the responses from other readers ...
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09/01/2006
You know the workplace should be free of racially or sexually charged comments and that supervisors most certainly shouldn't engage in such banter. But you can't wipe prejudice out of every employee's mind ...
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09/01/2006
If economic conditions force you to downsize, be prepared for lawsuits. That's especially true if no employees stand out as obvious poor performers who should be canned. In such cases, articulate that you have no choice but to fire "the worst of the best" ...
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09/01/2006
Workplace humor is fine until it drifts into the realm of gags about employees' gender, race or religion. Even age-based jokes can trigger lawsuits. Although few employees will win age-discrimination lawsuits based on a joke or two, such juvenile behavior can take an otherwise marginal case and give it legal legs ...
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08/01/2006
Q. We're a small business (just eight employees) and haven't laid anyone off. But business is slow and we need to restructure. We have an employee who has worked here part time (12 hours per week) for 25 years. She is 65 years old. We have one other part-timer (10 hours per week) who has worked here just one year. We'd like to lay off both part-time employees and keep the full-time employees. Can we do that? —P.U., Georgia
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07/01/2006
When it comes time to downsize or reorganize, one of the most common risks you’ll face is age-discrimination claims. That’s why it’s best to have departing employees sign severance agreements in which they waive their rights to pursue age-related claims ...
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03/01/2006
If you plan to lay off employees, structure early-retirement offers carefully to avoid age-discrimination lawsuits. In particular, avoid making "take-it or leave-it" offers that force employees to choose between resigning with a severance package or being terminated ...
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01/01/2006
Q. Can you tell me if there’s a law that says a 45-day waiting period must exist from the time employees are told they’ll be laid off until they receive the severance payment? Supposedly, this is called a cooling-off period. Is this a federal law? —T.M., Pennsylvania
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09/01/2005
In severance agreements, employers typically require employees to sign promises not to file employment-related lawsuits. But don't try to include FMLA rights in that
waiver.
Why? A new ruling ...
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07/01/2005
Don't just throw those fish back in the water, keep them on a line with smart moves. Examples: A financial firm created a tuition fund for laid-off workers, hoping they would ...
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04/01/2005
Issue: You know how to help employees who are fired or laid off. But HR people often forget those principals when facing that
problem themselves.
Benefit: With proper planning ...
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05/01/2004
If your organization is weighing a plant closing or employee layoff, determine early whether you're required to give employees notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. Courts won't ...
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03/01/2004
Expect federal regulators to look closer for organizations failing to comply with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The law requires certain employers to give 60 days' notice of ...
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02/01/2004
When making the tough call about who receives a layoff notice (and defending that decision in court), rely on more than one evaluation tool.
Why? Overly rosy performance evaluations are ...
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