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Employment Law

Beware of employee’s ‘Let’s Make a Deal’

12/01/2000
HR director Cheryl Swenson didn’t wait for the standard severance package when the senior VP for human resources said her job would be eliminated. Swenson contacted the president and CEO …

Craft rif to avoid appearance of bias

12/01/2000
Related telecommunications companies decided to slash middle management. How they did it landed them in court fighting several claims, including age discrimination. Indiana Bell and Ameritech created complex ranking systems …

Jilted lover’s badgering could become your problem

12/01/2000
Joseph Succar’s affair with Clemencia Lorenz soured after about a year. At the school where they worked, she verbally and physically harassed Succar and tried to embarrass him in front of …

Rating system for job reassignments has to be scored fairly

12/01/2000
When a medical supply company reorganized its sales force, it rated existing employees on a “matrix” of skills. Although Deborah Goosby had won several sales awards, she was put in …

Stray remarks add to suspicions of bias

12/01/2000
With nearly 30 years of experience and several awards for selling animal health products, Marvin Fisher was assigned to a top sales unit after a company merger. About a year later, the company…

Deductions endanger exempt status

12/01/2000
A group of New York City employees was designated as salaried and exempt from overtime, but several regulations subjected city workers to pay deductions and suspension for absences. None of these …

Don’t count on seniority system to block reassignment of disabled

12/01/2000
After injuring his back while working in a cargo job for USAir, Robert Barnett used his seniority to transfer to the company’s mailroom. When he learned two workers with more seniority …

How to draft a bullet-proof employee handbook

12/01/2000
An employee handbook can be the foundation of employee performance and a shield against lawsuits, or it can be a ticking time bomb that confuses employees and strips away your legal …

Tally up payroll to find out if Title VII covers you

12/01/2000

Q. We have about 15 employees, many of whom work part time. A former employee filed a charge of discrimination against the company under Title VII. We don’t think our company is covered by Title VII because we don’t have 15 workers scheduled to work in most weeks. Do you think the case could be dismissed with that argument? —R.B., Texas

Cut legal risk during layoff

12/01/2000

Q. In recent months, a sharp decline in revenue has forced us to consider downsizing. What are the legal risks associated with a layoff and how can we minimize them? —L.C., Hawaii