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Resignations

South Bend postal boss’s comments not harassment

04/22/2008
Jennifer Ohda was hired in 2004 as a part-time mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in South Bend. On her first day, Ohda was assigned to a male training officer named Dale. At the end of Ohda’s shift, a supervisor, Linda Batteast, said, “Dale, tell your little helper to go home tonight and eat something.” …

Make common sense the driving force of your business

04/10/2008
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Asking to get fired in order to receive unemployment comp benefits

04/01/2008
Q. An employee just told me he wants to resign, but he asked to be fired instead of resigning. He said it had to do with unemployment benefits. What is the significance? …

CHR crude, lewd—But not discriminatory

04/01/2008
Julie Gallagher joined the Cleveland office of logistics company C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHR) as a sales rep. She quit four months later in disgust over what she described as “a guys’ locker room” atmosphere. Gallagher sued, alleging the environment was hostile toward women, but the court ruled against her …

Ensure harassment victim knows you want her to stay

04/01/2008
Employees who believe they are enduring unbearable harassment may feel they have no choice but to resign. If that happens, they may be able to sue their employers for constructive discharge. But employers can mitigate that danger by making sure the employee understands that management wants her to stay on board while the company investigates …

Whistle-Blower protection requires employee’s intent to expose illegality

04/01/2008
Minnesota’s whistle-blower law protects health care workers from retaliation. It is illegal to take adverse employment action against employees who report situations in which the quality of health care services violates a clinical or ethical standard or places the public at risk. But whistle-blowers must intend to expose illegality; it can’t just be in the context of doing their jobs …

Late-Night police antics ‘Humiliating’ but not criminal

03/01/2008
The Elkhart Police Department has decided not to pursue criminal charges against employees involved in inappropriate behavior with a detained woman at the station in November …

Discrimination costs grocery chain $40,000

03/01/2008
Eugene Gates Jr. had worked as a meat slicer in a Charlotte grocery store for nearly 40 years when it was purchased by Compare Foods, of Freeport, N.Y. Shortly after the buyout, the company cut his hours in half and gave his shifts to a young Hispanic worker, telling Gates the company needed someone who could better relate to the store’s customers …

Recouping training costs when workers leave

03/01/2008
Q. It costs a lot to train new employees, so naturally we are upset when those employees leave. They benefit from the training, and we are out the cost. Can we recover training costs if an employee leaves? …

NY Education Law gives school employees just one year to sue for discrimination

02/01/2008

Good news for public school employers: Employees who allege they have been discriminated against under the New York Executive Law have just one year to start litigation—as specified in the New York Education Law. Most other employees have three years to mull over their lawsuit options …