Tag: discipline

Essential Elements of a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

An unfortunate issue employers continue to face is the rise of workplace violence. The most recent statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show 392 workplace homicides and 37,060 nonfatal workplace injuries resulting from an intentional injury by another person in 2020, when many workers were forced to stay home due to the global pandemic.  By all accounts, workplace […]

No Favorable Treatment of ‘Similarly Situated’ Individuals Dooms Gender Discrimination Claim

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids discrimination based on certain protected categories (e.g., gender) in any aspect of employment. Discrimination can present itself in the form of “hostile work environment,” “disparate treatment,” or the “disparate impact” of a particular employment practice. Disparate treatment cases involve claims in which an employee alleges […]

Court Upholds Arbitrator’s Reinstatement of Employee Fired for Positive Drug Test

A federal district court in Massachusetts recently issued a decision that serves as a good reminder to employers to review their policies related to employee drug or alcohol use both on and off duty and ensure they are consistently applied. While the case involved a unionized employer, even nonunion employers should review the decision because […]

When Workers Take Part in Violent Protests: What Are an Employer’s Options?

The siege of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and the strong possibility of more riots, violence, and protests across the nation bring up a legal and ethical dilemma for employers: Can a company terminate or discipline a worker because he or she participated in a riot or even the protest preceding a riot? Employers […]

How to Approach an Employee Who Might Be Dealing with Addiction

With the rise of opioid and other drug addiction in the US today, employers have to wonder – is it possible one of my employees is dealing with addiction? In the first article of a three-part series, Littler shareholders Dale L. Deitchler and Jeffery E. Dilger, discuss how an employer should approach an employee who […]

What to Do with Disruptive Employees

Nearly every workplace will have to deal with disruptive, difficult, and frustrating employees. Unfortunately, these types of employees can cause a lot of harm—even if they’re not actively causing injuries (though this is also possible).

What Is Positive Discipline?

Facing the prospect of disciplining an employee, many managers would rather … not. Having difficult conversations like this is one of the more frustrating and cumbersome (and, let’s face it, sometimes awkward) tasks a manager faces. And for HR managers, who may be tasked with employee discipline (directly or by assisting) or with training managers […]

4 Tips for Giving Bad Employees Feedback

Discipline, writes Marcel Schwantes on Inc.com, is a cornerstone of highly productive companies Yet most managers dread dealing with problem employees. But if conducted with a constructive and forward-looking focus, Schwantes contends, discipline provides consistency, guidance, and valuable feedback both to and from the employee.