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Employee Relations

Patience and good records beat frivolous lawsuits

05/22/2018
Some poor performers don’t view their prob­­lems the same way supervisors do. They often fight back with frivolous lawsuits. Be prepared for those legal salvos by constantly maintaining documentation of employee performance.

Past good reviews may sink ADA/FMLA defense

05/22/2018
When an employee who has received excellent reviews asks for a disability accommodation, firing her for poor performance is bound to backfire.

Helping women rise: Supporting women through sponsorship, allies and mentors

05/18/2018
If you’re afraid your female employees aren’t ready for the challenges ahead of them, here are some things that you can do right now to close that gap.

5 signs employees are ready to bolt

05/17/2018
People rarely leave their jobs unannounced. They may not use words, but in one way or another, they typically signal their intention to leave. Watch for these key indicators—and then be ready to sit down with the employee to discuss future work plans.

6-year sentence for woman who embezzled $4.3 million

05/17/2018
A New Freedom, Pa. woman says gambling addiction is why she embezzled $4.3 million while working at the Susquehanna Valley Surgical Center in Harrisburg.

If discipline must differ, be sure to note extenuating circumstances that required it

05/17/2018
Generally, employers should be careful to discipline workers in a consistent manner. Employees who break the same rule should earn the same punishment. However, employers can sometimes justify differences in discipline if they can offer detailed explanations why.

Disciplining disabled worker for absenteeism? Make sure she knows your rules

05/17/2018
It is essential to grant FMLA leave when eligible employees need it. At the same time, it is perfectly legal to require employees to follow specific procedures for using leave. Just make sure employees understand those rules.

Willingness to go above & beyond hits all-time low

05/01/2018
Employee performance and effort are now at the lowest levels seen since 2010, according to surveys conducted by the Gartner business research firm.

Bookkeeper accused of embezzling to place online bets

04/25/2018
The bookkeeper for Farm Mercantile in Fairfax, Minn., faces five charges of filing false tax returns because she failed to report $266,333 in embezzled income. In all, she allegedly pocketed $535,000 from the hardware and farm supply store from 1998 to 2016.

Don’t let employee’s whistleblower status dissuade you from legitimate discipline

04/25/2018
To win a retaliation case, the worker would have to prove that the discipline was motivated by a desire to punish him or her for making the report. That’s unlikely to succeed if 1) the discipline began before the safety problem was reported or 2) it is clear that any other worker would have been disciplined for the same rule violation.