Discipline / Investigations

Even if criminal charges don’t hold up, it’s OK to discipline government worker

02/16/2015

When a government employee is arrested and charged with a crime related to her job, most public employers take some form of action—typically suspending the employee pending trial. If they are found guilty, they usually are terminated. Then the employee is entitled to “some sort of a hearing,” according to Supreme Court precedent. But what if criminal charges wind up being dropped?

Don’t let internal complaint derail discipline

02/03/2015

When faced with negative reviews and worried about losing their jobs, some employees file internal discrimination complaints in an effort to avoid discipline. Don’t play that game!

Reprimanding employees: 6 tips for doing it right

01/28/2015

Sometimes managers need to pull a worker aside and have “the talk.” Coach bosses to follow these tips.

Start progressive discipline if there’s been no cooperation

01/22/2015

Some employees resent it when their employer requests work that falls outside their usual job duties. They may resist training and generally become uncooperative to the point of insubordination. That’s when it’s time to implement your progressive discipline system.

Defend discipline with detailed records

01/13/2015

You discipline an employee for a serious rule violation, perhaps by firing the employee. Because you had good reasons for discharging the employee, you may think that you can’t be sued for discrimination. That’s not necessarily true.

Even unwritten rules must be enforced fairly and consistently

01/12/2015

It’s not enough to impartially and equitably uphold your formal rules. As this new case shows, even unwritten rules require fair and evenhanded enforcement.

Sexual Harassment: Overview

01/03/2015

HR Law 101: Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Courts are increasingly taking a dim view of employers that don’t take decisive action to prevent sexual harassment …

Sex Discrimination

01/01/2015

HR Law 101: Sex discrimination and sexual harassment are illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The law requires that employers treat male and female workers equally in all terms and conditions of employment …

Manage attendance starting with first incident

12/31/2014

If an employee has chronic attendance problems, you can’t rely on company policy to make things easier. Even if the worker’s supervisor follows the rules and metes out punishment fairly, it’s still a distraction from more important matters.

4 principles for creating a progressive discipline system

12/11/2014

No state or federal law requires a company to establish a progressive discipline policy. But if you put one in place, make sure you follow it.