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Discipline / Investigations

Follow all leads when investigating allegations–even if they take query in new direction

06/11/2010

Investigations of workplace wrongdoing sometimes take unexpected turns. Don’t hesitate to keep digging, no matter where the evidence leads. You may discover that the employee who complained in the first place hasn’t been as innocent as he claims. If it turns out that an apparent victim has actually done something wrong, you can take disciplinary action.

Unsubstantiated rumors don’t add up to liability

06/01/2010
Public employers aren’t necessarily liable if they fail to respond to vague rumors about employee misconduct, as the following case shows.

Prison time for contractor who didn’t report shakedown

06/01/2010
Michael T. Murray, owner of Three R Construction Co. in Cincinnati, has pleaded guilty to bribery and failing to report that a U.S. Postal Service official was demanding payment in return for awarding construction contracts. Murray faces up to three years in prison plus $250,000 in fines.

Keep careful records so you can show why you punished similar behavior differently

06/01/2010

Employers sometimes think that if they have a broad workplace rule in place, they have to punish everyone who breaks that rule exactly the same way. That’s not necessarily true. The key is to make sure you can document why one employee deserved a more severe punishment than another. Two cases illustrate how to go about individualizing punishment:

The absent-minded employee: How to get absenteeism under control … legally

05/28/2010
The costs of employee absenteeism—reflected in lost production, overtime and temporary replacements for the absent worker—can add up quickly. The best way to combat the problem is with a clear policy, careful documentation, consistent application of the policy and progressive discipline.

Loose lips sink employers: How a manager’s convenience store visit cost $100,000

05/18/2010

Employment law risks don’t disappear the minute your managers leave the building at the day’s end. Those risks follow managers around constantly. That’s why you should make clear to supervisors that they should never discuss personnel matters outside the workplace—even at the corner Kwik-E-Mart.

Disciplinary mistake? Set it right–pronto!

05/17/2010

We all make mistakes, especially when acting in haste. Unfortunately, a mistake in the employment law world can mean an expensive lawsuit. But courts are inclined to forgive employers that genuinely try to make things right. That’s why employers should fix errors and make sure they remove any potential negative effects of disciplinary actions.

Policy alone isn’t enough: Take the next steps to stamp out harassment

05/10/2010

Sexual harassment cases aren’t going away. Employers that don’t take such harassment seriously put their companies in peril. It isn’t enough to come up with a policy. You must also train employees at every level about that policy and explain where harassment victims can go for help. Then you have to follow through and promptly investigate harassment claims. Finally, you must make sure your response is good enough to end the harassment.

No employee ‘right’ to affair with subordinate

05/05/2010
The U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to free association without government interference. Courts have used that right to strike down laws that prevent members of different ethnic backgrounds from marrying each other. But what about the right of public employees to free association? Can a public employer punish an employee for having a romantic relationship with a subordinate? That was the question recently answered by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Keep good disciplinary records, win lawsuits

05/01/2010

You know how important it is to consistently apply disciplinary rules and ensure no form of bias creeps into the disciplinary process. That’s one reason it’s crucial for HR to keep disciplinary records on file. If employees allege that you disciplined them in a discriminatory way, you’ll be able to show no one was treated more favorably than anyone else.