Discipline & Termination

Is it legal to fire someone by email?

May 12, 2017
Q. One of my employees works from home. Can I fire her by email, or do I need to call her in to the office?

Worker damaged equipment?

February 23, 2017
Sooner or later you’re going to have to deal with an employee who broke something. Here are some guidelines for your initial response.

Employment Law Q&A: March ’17

February 8, 2017
Q. An employee comes to work wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap. She works out of public view so I can’t use the reason that she might be alienating customers. Can I ban it anyway? – Ren, New York

Is this serious misconduct?

December 22, 2016
This hypothetical could be construed in court as harassment.

Avoid 5 mistakes when terminating

December 18, 2016
Many legal claims are born solely out of employees’ anger, not a solid legal case. One wrong move, especially during the firing process, can leave employees feeling hurt or humiliated—and running for the courthouse. Here are five common blunders to avoid when terminating an employee.

Gird for hard conversations

December 3, 2016
If you begin a difficult conversation in a fretful frame of mind, you’re already in trouble. Your anxiety may lead you to say or do things that make matters worse.

3 types of employees bosses should address

November 7, 2016
There’s no shortage of negative employee behaviors that can have an ill effect on the entire workplace. The problem is when the behavior is not so bad where discipline or termination is in order, but managers must do something.

Deep breath–then discipline right

November 2, 2016
This is a chance for a healthy reset—one that can reflect well on the people in charge.

When an employee needs an ‘adjustment’

October 23, 2016
If you’ve been lucky enough to avoid those truly awkward conversations with employees, let’s hope it’s not because you’re practicing avoidance.

Firing is never pleasant: 4 steps to ease the pain

August 30, 2016
There’s no perfect way to tell an employee that his services are no longer needed. But there are some general guidelines to keep in mind that can make things easier.