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Firing

Prepare to make clear-cut case before firing public employee working on contract

01/05/2009

Ohio public school employees who work under contracts for a set term have the right to keep working until the contract runs out, absent certain “extraordinary circumstances.” But school districts that show exactly why an employee should be fired … are on solid ground when it comes to a later lawsuit.

Don’t mess with the maestro

01/05/2009

Donald Rosenberg is suing The Plain Dealer, claiming he was fired from his beat as classical music critic because he frequently panned the Cleveland Orchestra’s conductor, Franz Welser-Möst.

UT HR official fights for job after newspaper op-ed furor

01/05/2009

Crystal Dixon, former associate vice president of HR at the University of Toledo (UT), has filed a federal lawsuit challenging her termination for writing a newspaper column that conflicted with the university’s values. In April 2008, Dixon wrote an opinion piece defending limits on domestic-partner benefits …

Hang tough when there’s absolutely no discrimination

01/05/2009

Sometimes, you have to trust that your lawyer and the courts will do the right thing and toss out a clearly frivolous case. As long as you are sure that you have solid reasons for firing an employee who wasn’t doing her job—and that you didn’t treat her any differently than any other employee with the same track record—fire her.

Can I fire an employee whose financial woes have me worried about our own finances?

01/05/2009

Q. I recently discovered that an employee who handles my company’s accounts receivable has filed for bankruptcy. Can I discharge this employee?

Seek civility, don’t sweat oversensitivity

12/31/2008

Whether a work environment is actually sexually hostile depends on whether that’s how an average person would perceive it. A supersensitive person won’t get to sue for sexual harassment if an ordinary person would brush off the alleged harassment.

Charlotte-Meck teachers disciplined for Facebook postings

12/31/2008

Offensive postings on the social networking web site Facebook led the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) to fire one employee and discipline seven others.

The firing meeting: 4 classic mistakes

12/30/2008

Terminating an employee is one of the most stressful tasks managers and HR pros will ever have to face. Don’t let a difficult job turn into a legal nightmare too. Avoid these common firing mistakes, and you’ll probably avoid an expensive trip to court as well.

Don’t panic when former employee files massive lawsuit—most claims go away

12/24/2008

These days, employees and their attorneys often go to great lengths to intimidate employers. One way to do that is to file a huge lawsuit—one that takes up pages and pages, and includes a laundry list of allegations … Before you panic, call your attorneys

EEOC reaches settlement in racial harassment case

12/24/2008

The EEOC has settled a lawsuit it filed against Texas-based Cadit Co., which was doing work for the San Francisco Municipal Railway. The agency said Cadit allowed a foreman to harass a Chinese-American welder.