04/12/2012
Sometimes, employees get angry and say things they later regret. Recently, an employer accepted an angry resignation and avoided unemployment compensation liability.
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03/14/2012
Warn decision-makers who decide to act on their own, ignoring HR’s guidance: Juries can hold them personally liable for legal missteps—and make them pay punitive damages.
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03/05/2012
It’s perfectly legitimate to try to prevent sexual harassment and allegations of favoritism by instituting a policy that bans romantic relationships between co-workers. You can even require one spouse to resign when co-workers marry.
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02/03/2012
Here’s another reason to act fast when an employee complains about offensive graffiti in the workplace: He can quit and collect unemployment compensation benefits.
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02/01/2012
When an employer doesn’t have a set policy on whether an employee can change his mind about retiring, refusing to rescind a retirement request isn’t enough to support a discrimination or retaliation lawsuit.
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01/12/2012
Employees who quit usually aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation. Only those who quit for “a good reason caused by their employer” are eligible for benefits.
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12/31/2011
Terminations are the spark to many employment lawsuits. And for each of the six kinds of firings, there are some common steps employers can take to defend themselves if a termination is challenged in court. Master these and you will cut down on HR headaches — and legal bills.
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12/30/2011
When any valued employee leaves, the company experiences a loss. The loss is greater, however, when the former employee departs to work for a competitor and begins using the company’s confidential information or trade secrets. HR has a key role to play in protecting a company’s proprietary information. Here’s how to do it.
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12/19/2011
A boss’s secret prejudice won’t support an employee’s sex-bias lawsuit if the employer provides equal opportunities to both men and women. That’s true even if the sexist boss reacts outrageously when the subordinate quits.
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11/29/2011
Employees who fear they’re facing disciplinary action may quit. Then they argue that they would have been fired and quit preemptively, so they’re eligible for unemployment compensation. But if the employer can show there really was no good reason for the employee to think her job was in danger, then the employee can’t receive unemployment.
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10/31/2011
Generally, anti-discrimination laws are designed to punish egregious offenses rather than rude or inconsiderate behavior. That’s good news for employers dealing with isolated, sexually suggestive comments or behavior.
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10/26/2011
Employees who quit their jobs aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation benefits unless they legitimately believe they had no choice but to resign. But if an employer makes a genuine effort to help the employee stay and he turns down that offer, he may lose eligibility for unemployment.
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09/16/2011
Q. An executive wants to retire in one year and gradually reduce her schedule until then. Our business needs don’t allow us to have this executive role be part-time on a long-term basis. Can we approve this request on the condition that the executive sign an agreement binding her to retire within one year?
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09/13/2011
It’s expensive to train employees, especially if the job is highly specialized. Smart employers protect their investments by having new employees sign an agreement to repay training costs if they leave soon after receiving the valuable benefit. Here’s how to recoup those costs.
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09/02/2011
Employees who work under genuinely intolerable conditions can quit their jobs and still collect unemployment compensation. But those situations are rare—and don’t provide cover for overly sensitive workers. Supervisors routinely criticize employees and offer suggestions for improvement. That’s normal and doesn’t constitute harassment.
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