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Retaliation

It’s good faith that matters: Minnesota whistle-blowers don’t have to be right

01/12/2012

Under Minnesota’s Whistle­­blower Act, employees who report alleged employer wrongdoing to their employer or the government are protected from retaliation. Those employees don’t have to be right about their allegations—they just have to act in good faith. If their allegations have an “objective basis in fact,” they are protected by the law.

Reassignment to new position might be retaliation

01/12/2012
Some employees might welcome a transfer from a physically challenging job to a more sedentary one. But for someone who liked the old job and doesn’t feel qualified for the new one, the move could feel like retaliation.

Threatening suspension could be retaliation

01/06/2012
Warn bosses: Threatening someone with discipline may be retaliation.

Worker makes threats? That’s a firing offense

01/06/2012

Some employees are simply difficult to manage. They start argu­­ments and may see harassment or discrimination everywhere. But sometimes they cross a line, implying they could get violent. How you handle their complaints can spell the difference between winning and losing a lawsuit.

Franco slacks, NYU prof sues after getting sacked

01/05/2012

What’s weirder: Actor James Franco earning a D in a drama class, or a NYU professor alleging he got the ax for ­giving Franco the lousy grade? José Angel Santana, who taught Franco in a 2010 directing class, says the university was so eager to please its star student that it retaliated when Santana issued the low grade.

Dive into 2012: Get your policies in shape for the new year

01/05/2012
As we enter 2012, it’s a good time to review employment policies and practices in light of the government’s aggressive efforts to enforce employment laws. The National Labor Relations Board, the EEOC, the DOL and its Office of Federal Contract Compli­ance Programs are all cracking down on employers.

Pittsburgh Panera manager: I was fired for refusing racism

01/05/2012
A former manager at a Pittsburgh-area Panera Bread shop is suing the chain, claiming he was fired in retaliation for refusing to implement his boss’s racist directive.

Ensure FMLA leave doesn’t affect evaluations

01/02/2012

When employees lose their jobs, they often look for a reason to sue. One common tactic is to argue that a layoff was used as an excuse to get rid of “unproductive” employees, especially those who take advantage of their right to FMLA leave. That’s why HR must develop a performance-appraisal system that documents that having taken FMLA leave wasn’t a factor when you evaluated employees’ work.

The new year means new laws covering veterans hiring, whistle-blowing

12/30/2011
Employers will ring in some new laws in 2012 that will bring new opportunities and challenges, including the VOW to Hire Heroes Act and the Dodd-Frank amendments to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

How to: Conduct your annual HR policy review

12/23/2011
We’re already a month into 2012. It’s time to review your employment policies and practices in light of the government’s aggressive efforts to enforce employment laws. The EEOC, the DOL and a host of other agencies are all cracking down on employers. Good, up-to-date policies are your best defense against the fed’s stepped up scrutiny.