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Ohio

Consider 360º evaluations to catch supervisor-Bias problems

02/01/2008

Sometimes, it’s hard to see what’s actually going on down at the frontline supervisor level. A rogue manager may be spouting all sorts of garbage and getting away with it—until he fires someone who ultimately sues. Then, it may be too late to save the company from a costly jury verdict. One way to spot potential problems is with a simple HR evaluation technique—the so-called 360-degree evaluation …

Litigious worker criticizes company? You may be able to fire

02/01/2008

Employers can’t discipline employees for filing discrimination claims with state or federal agencies. That’s retaliation. But what if an employee is spouting off to co-workers and customers about how he’s suing to “get” the company? …

Do you have a ‘No lying’ policy? It could be a legal lifesaver

02/01/2008

If you don’t have one, consider adding a general honesty or misrepresentation clause to your employee handbook. Such a clause can come in handy when you are looking for a solid reason to discharge someone who just isn’t being upfront and honest with the company, but technically may not have violated a specific work rule …

Having dispute in ‘Grievance’ does not stop lawsuit deadline

02/01/2008

All employers with a unionized work force, take note: Just because someone has an age discrimination claim awaiting resolution under your collective bargaining agreement’s grievance procedures doesn’t mean the employee can’t prepare to file a lawsuit. In fact, the employee may have no choice but to go forward …

Turnabout is fair play: Employers may be able to sue for frivolous lawsuits

02/01/2008

In an interesting Supreme Court of Ohio case, the high court has ruled that a lawsuit by an employer against an employee who filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against it is not automatically retaliation. The court’s decision overturned a long-held view of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission …

When is retirement not retirement? When the retiree is on workers’ comp

02/01/2008

No doubt about it, the workers’ compensation system is a headache for employers. It’s full of frustrations and surprises. Consider, for example, the fairly common scenario of a retired employee receiving workers’ comp payments. Seems like retiring would end workers’ compensation payments, right? Not necessarily, as the following case illustrates …

Maternity leave war leads to CRC head’s resignation

02/01/2008

Barbara Sykes said it was “political back and forth” that led her to resign her post as appointed head of Ohio’s Civil Rights Commission (CRC) just before her confirmation hearing. Sykes locked horns with Gov. Ted Strickland over the commission’s proposal to expand Ohio’s maternity leave requirements …

Female police officer says drunken male cops treated better

02/01/2008

Christina Johnson, a police officer for Olmsted Township who was fired for crawling into a stranger’s car while highly intoxicated and then passing out, will have the chance to convince a jury that she suffered discrimination. Johnson was off duty during the episode, but was wearing her uniform sweater …

Armored car employee charged in $7.4 million heist

02/01/2008

Roger Lee Dillon, an employee of armored car company AT Systems International, allegedly coordinated a complicated heist from a company garage in Liberty late last year. Retail receipts from Thanksgiving weekend sales were the targets …

Court upholds cities’ rights to set residency requirements

02/01/2008

Can an Ohio city force its employees to live within the city limits? Right now, that depends on the city. The 3rd District Court of Appeals recently ruled that towns in its jurisdiction can require employees to live where they work, overturning a 2006 state law that barred towns from imposing residency requirements …