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Illinois

Be patient and keep thorough records to make sure your firing decisions stick

09/10/2008
When it comes to discharging an employee, the best policy may be to bide your time and carefully document her deficiencies. Unless there is a compelling reason to act immediately, be patient and build your case with solid, verifiable criticism …

Skies may be friendly, but it’s harsh on the ground

09/10/2008
As United Airlines cuts routes, flights on the friendly-skies carrier have been getting scarcer. Workplace hostility, however, has never been more abundant. United filed a lawsuit in July against its pilots and the Air Line Pilots Association, claiming they organized a sick-out to protest the company’s plan to cut 1,450 jobs this fall …

Muslim corrections officer keeps beard, gets fired, sues

09/10/2008
Abal Zaidi, a former corrections officer in Geneva, has sued the Kane County Sheriff’s Department, claiming he was fired for refusing to shave his beard …

Legislators file suit to keep state jobs in the capital

09/10/2008
Springfield city officials and several state legislators have filed a lawsuit to try to stop Gov. Rod Blagojevich from moving the Illinois Transportation Department’s Division of Traffic Safety to Harrisburg …

Ambulance service president pleads guilty to fraud

09/10/2008
Clayton Hobbs, former president of Mercy Regional Health Systems, which provided ambulance services in Franklin County, has pleaded guilty to 16 counts of failure to pay federal income taxes, to the tune of a whopping $1.7 million …

Hearings before the IDES: ‘The People’s Court’ or the Supreme Court?

09/10/2008
Should you contest a fired employee’s Illinois unemployment compensation claim if you really believe the employee isn’t eligible for the benefits due to misconduct? Is it worth the hassle and expense? Generally, the process is informal and sometimes resembles the television show “The People’s Court.” At other times, it may seem like you’ve landed in the Supreme Court …

Can VESSA and FMLA leave run consecutively?

09/10/2008
Q. May an employee in Illinois take 12 weeks of unpaid time under the Victim Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) and then take 12 weeks unpaid FMLA leave? …

How does VESSA work?

09/10/2008
Q. What are the key elements of Illinois’ Victim Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA)? …

Must we turn over personnel records that might compromise an investigation?

09/10/2008

Q. A former supervisor is the subject of an ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation investigation. He is asking to view his personnel records. The records contain the details of the retaliation complaint. Does he have the right to review his own personnel file? …

What are the rules concerning third-Party access to employee personnel files?

09/10/2008
Q. I have heard that under Illinois law, our company must notify an employee if we receive a request from a third-party to review that employee’s personnel records. Is that true? …