Discipline & Termination

OK to penalize fighting, even if provoked

March 31, 2022
Will Smith’s Oscar night slap upside Chris Rock’s head may have only bruised celebrity egos, but it shined a spotlight on the importance of preventing physical conflict in professional settings. For employers, that usually means enforcing a strict policy that prohibits all physical violence.

5 questions to ask yourself just seconds before you fire someone … and 5 to ask yourself just seconds before you hire someone

March 24, 2022
Are you really sure you want to press that button just yet? Run a few things through your mind before picking up the phone … or making the long hard walk down the hallway.

What to put into a termination letter

March 11, 2022
Use these samples to stay respectful and legal.

What exactly is insubordination?

March 9, 2022
When people hear the term “insubordination,” they often envision someone in the military refusing to carry out the orders of a commanding officer. The concept is similar when applied to a work environment

How to take the sting—and legal risk—out of terminations

October 21, 2021
Is there a “best” way to fire an employee? There is no conversation more traumatic for both the employer delivering the message and the employee receiving it. That said, there are some best practices that can help for all involved.

Fired HR pro faces prison for sabotaging resume database

September 7, 2021
A fired HR director from Florida has been convicted of illegally accessing and damaging her former employer’s computer files after she deleted tens of thousands of HR records.

When you should (and shouldn’t) change the way an employee works

August 27, 2021
Asking an employee to reform more than one or two behaviors at a time can quickly overwhelm and demotivate them, no matter how calm and accepting they may seem. Here, then, is a checklist to use when deciding if employee behavior needs change.

A guide to fireable offenses

July 23, 2021
Some acts are grounds for termination regardless of industry, company or position.

Can you fire worker for being a public jerk?

June 17, 2021
When an employee’s bad behavior outside of the workplace draws negative attention on your organization online, is it legal to terminate that person?

Is our progressive discipline procedure confusing for the staff?

May 17, 2021
Q: “My company is in 36 states including California, Colorado and New York. The company has three stages of progressive discipline – Verbal/Written/Final. Managers tend to issue Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) and count it as part of the progressive discipline without designating if it is part of the (Verbal/ Written/Final Warning). My concern is that employees could [feel] angst by this practice because it is not documented in the policy as being an independent stage of progressive discipline — meaning if only a PIP document is issued to an employee, how do they know if they are facing disciplinary action, or what stage of disciplinary action? What do you suggest?” – Anonymous, Texas