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Retaliation

A gray area: What to do when older workers start to coast

05/05/2009

When employees approach retirement, they sometimes go on autopilot, frustrating everyone involved, including co-workers and supervisors. But you can demand productivity from such employees and discipline them accordingly. Just be prepared to take special steps to stay away from age bias claims.

Warn bosses: No negative comments on injuries

05/04/2009

There’s a fine line between legitimate concerns that an employee is abusing the workers’ compensation system and punishing the employee who has a legitimate claim. Here’s the best way to handle the problem.

EEOC issues employer best practices on work/family balance

04/28/2009

A new EEOC document spells out the best practices employers should follow to avoid discriminating against workers who care for ill family members, an issue that’s especially critical in a down economy. Follow our links to download your copy of this important EEOC guidance.

Understanding federal laws on employee discrimination

04/28/2009
Last year, U.S. employees filed a record number of legal complaints claiming they suffered discrimination at work. You know that U.S. anti-discrimination laws require managers to treat all applicants and employees equally. But what, specifically, do the laws require of supervisors and managers? Here’s a rundown: AGE. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act says you […]

Warn bosses against even subtle retaliation

04/27/2009

We can’t say it often enough: Employees can lose discrimination claims and still end up winning big because their employers retaliated against them for complaining in the first place. Don’t let that happen at your organization. Develop a plan to stop retaliation dead in its tracks …

Route all requests for FMLA leave through HR

04/27/2009

Employees who are having work troubles sometimes think they can prevent being fired by asking for FMLA leave. Their ace in the hole if they are fired: They can always sue for retaliation under the FMLA. That only works if those responsible for the termination decision actually know that the employee has asked for FMLA leave …

Don’t be afraid to terminate if manager can’t manage personal relationships

04/27/2009

Some people have more trouble than others managing personal relationships. When such a person has a supervisory role, the result can be disastrous. Don’t fear discharging a lousy manager based on what you observe or find out following an investigation.

Offer alternatives to reporting discrimination straight up the ‘chain of command’

04/27/2009

If an employee suspects his manager of bias, you can’t expect him to go to that particular boss to make a complaint. And you can’t expect to escape a lawsuit if you discipline the employee for going around the boss to report his concerns.

Merely speaking about need for diversity isn’t protected

04/27/2009

Fired employees with vengeance on their minds often go looking for a reason to sue. They often latch on to the charge that they complained about discrimination and then were punished. As the following case shows, it takes more than a casual mention of diversity to constitute a protected action.

Government employees have only limited free-speech protection under First Amendment

04/22/2009

Government employees have the right to speak out on matters of public importance without being punished by their employers, but that right has limitations. One of those involves speaking out on issues that are directly related to the job the employee holds.