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Firing

Severance pacts can’t ask employees to waive their rights to EEOC claim

10/01/2004
Make sure your severance agreements don’t require employees to waive their rights to file a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Why? As opposed to a …

Review insurance policies for legally dangerous exclusions

10/01/2004
Issue: A poorly worded insurance policy can spark age discrimination lawsuits. Risk: If your policy excludes members of a protected class (age, race, gender, etc.)…

Require employees to show FMLA proof before their leave

10/01/2004
Issue: When must employees provide proof of their need for FMLA leave? Benefit: You can require employees to provide proof when they request the leave. Action: Don’t be …

Disabled staff? No need to revamp their jobs

10/01/2004
Issue: How far must you go to offer disabled employees a “reasonable accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? Benefit: ADA doesn’t …

Study insurance policies for legally hazardous exclusions

09/01/2004
Probe the fine print on terms and conditions of employee benefits plans and other insurance policies covering employees. And if you’re shopping around for new coverage, pay attention to provisions or …

Don’t fire employee because of family’s high health costs

09/01/2004
With health insurance costs soaring, employers may be tempted to make hiring/firing decisions based on whether a person is a drain on the organization’s health costs. Our advice: Don’t even think …

Remind employees to closely read the forms and policies they sign

09/01/2004
Make sure to clearly inform employees who take medical or disability leave at the outset about the length and terms of their leave and the consequences of failing to return to …

You can enforce anti-violence policy off-premises.

09/01/2004
Three off-duty AOL employees met in a company parking lot. Each had a gun in his car and planned to go target shooting at a local gun range. A company security …

Top brass not listening? Scare ’em straight with true stories

09/01/2004
Issue: Many CEOs take a head-in-the-sand approach to employment-law threats. Risk: The top brass may tune you out if you simply tell them …

Don’t rubber-stamp firings; verify supervisors’ reasons

09/01/2004
Issue: Should HR question a supervisor’s plans to fire an employee? Risk: If you take a termination report at face value, you may overlook bias by a manager. Action: …