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Terminations

When disagreement turns to cursing and threats, feel free to terminate for insubordination

10/18/2012

Plenty of employees have chips on their shoulders. Some are hypersensitive to perceived slights and constructive criticism. Others get angry over minor problems. Acting out has long been regarded as insubordination and grounds for discipline, including termination.

Aggressive employee terrifies co-workers? Now that’s failing to meet expectations!

10/18/2012
You don’t have to put up with employees who can’t get along with others, raise their voices, slam doors and generally act as if they could explode into a rage at any moment. Those are legitimate firing offenses.

No unemployment benefits if employee quit before you had a chance to fix problems

10/12/2012
In Minnesota, employees can sometimes qualify for unemployment compensation if they quit because they had to endure tough working conditions. But that’s only true if they let their employer know about workplace problems and the employer doesn’t respond. Simply walking off the job in anger doesn’t cut it.

Feel free to fire! There’s no reason you have to tolerate threatening behavior

10/12/2012
Have you had it with an em­­ployee who can’t seem to get along with others and who constantly tries to intimidate co-workers? If warnings don’t help, fire him.

Common beef, even vulgarity, won’t rule out unemployment

10/09/2012
Employees who get into arguments may be violating workplace rules. But that doesn’t mean that firing them cuts off possible unemployment compensation benefits.

Haven’t been enforcing call-in policy? Start now

10/09/2012
If you haven’t been enforcing your rule requiring absent employees to call in every day, start now. Just make sure employees know you plan to enforce it going forward.

Slow business forces RIF? Most staffing decisions won’t trigger bias liability

10/09/2012
If you need to conduct a reduction in force because of slow business, it’s perfectly legal to move employees around to better meet your new needs even as you lay off others. Few judges will second-guess those moves, even if the main im­pact is on one employee who happens to be a member of a protected class.

Document business realities, performance ­criteria that led to job-cutting decisions

10/09/2012
During tough economic times, businesses often have to cut labor budgets and eliminate positions. Smart employers make sure they document that process with facts and figures—just in case an affected employee decides to sue and tries to parlay a few stray, insensitive comments into the “real” reason she lost her job.

OSHA pops Champagne Demolition for retaliation

10/09/2012
Champagne Demolition in Albany faces an OSHA lawsuit claiming that it illegally fired an employee for reporting improper asbestos removal practices at a company worksite.

Tell bosses: Careless comments cause lawsuits

10/09/2012
The only appropriate response to a pregnancy announcement is “Congratulations.” No smart aleck comments, no questions about family size, no wondering aloud how long the employee expects to be out. If the pregnant employee asks about leave, her boss should refer her to HR.