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Firing

Jewish home fires Seventh Day Adventist for observing Sabbath

08/08/2011
File this one under “Hard to believe, but true.” A Boca Raton nursing home called Menorah House has fired a certified nursing assistant because she insisted on observing her religion’s Sabbath. She filed a complaint with the EEOC claiming she had been fired in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

EEOC’s bias decision doesn’t bind federal court

08/08/2011
It’s not the end of the world if you receive an EEOC decision that says your organization discriminated against an employee. The decision isn’t binding and courts often don’t grant much weight to such a determination.

Are your employees equal-opportunity offenders? Be sure your discipline is just as colorblind

08/08/2011
Employers must make sure they hand out similar punishment for similar misconduct, regardless of the race of the employee—or any publicity that might surround the case.

Court allows termination for failing drug test

08/08/2011
A school employee has lost her case against the school district after it fired her for testing positive for illegal drugs. She had argued she was forced to undergo drug testing on the threat of losing her job and that the testing violated her right to privacy and right to be free from unreasonable searches under the U.S. Constitution.

Knowingly hired older worker? Don’t fear age bias lawsuit

08/08/2011
Employers that willingly hire older employees and later discharge them are unlikely to lose if they later face an age discrimination suit.

It doesn’t matter who started it! Managers must always behave appropriately

08/08/2011

Some employers have strict rules that prohibit supervisors from getting involved in subordinates’ personal problems—or treating them badly. That’s fine. Employers are free to set their own supervisory standards, and a subor­dinate’s behavior doesn’t excuse a supervisor’s out-of-bounds reaction.

When can we fire for offensive body odor?

08/01/2011
Q. We have a staff member with body odor so bad that other staff members have complained and even threatened to leave the company. The employee has been disciplined several times and required to go home without pay until she agrees to comply with our grooming code. At what point can we legally terminate her?

Public employees’ contracts don’t provide ‘property interest’

07/29/2011
Texas public employees who work under a contract don’t have a property interest in that job once the contract expires. That means they can’t sue for deprivation of property.

You must grant FMLA leave for employee who must care for badly injured adult child

07/29/2011

Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave to care for a seriously ill son or daughter. That’s true for young children, of course, but also for those older than 18 who are “incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.” Don’t split hairs on this.

Worker lied about treatment? That’s grounds for termination

07/26/2011

Some employees are less than honest about their absences. From the “Monday morning flu” to claiming time off for nonexistent medical treatment, employees can get creative. But what can you do if you find out later that an employee has lied to get time off? Fire him for misrepresentation.