Terminating the Employment Relationship

Post It - Waiting.jpgEmployee terminations are an unfortunate reality of every business. But that doesn’t mean employers and their managers are good at carrying out terminations. 

Take for example a response Sir James Dyson (yes, the vacuum guy was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006) gave when he responded to Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Ask a Billionaire” feature that

Jim_Leyland_pregame_at_Dodger_Stadium (1).jpgJim Leyland, the now former manager for the Detroit Tigers, officially announced his resignation today. Under his tenure, which lasted eight seasons, Mr. Leyland took the Tigers to two World Series and had an overall record of 700-597.

An example in “what not to do” in managing a company’s human resources.

Mr. Leyland’s tenure

No in Red.jpgWhile maybe not quite as exciting as last night’s fantastic win by the Detroit Tigers, Michigan employers got a great win this week from the Michigan Court of Appeals involving a claim for wrongful termination in violation of a public policy.

Specifically, in Irwin v Ciena Health Care Management, Inc. (PDF), a nurse was employed

Football PenaltyKevin Clark of the Wall Street Journal recently wrote an article, Management Secrets of the NFL, which offered a number of points relative to running a business. 

One point that stood out related to hiring and firing decisions. Specifically, the article noted that 12 of the 32 NFL teams have hired a new coach since

Couple Snorkeling.jpgVacations and the weekends – it’s what we often work for. But what happens when a termination ends the work and there is unused vacation time? 

A number of employers have been updating their employee handbooks and policies. In doing so, these employers often raise questions about both vacation pay and severance packages. More specifically

Signing Contract.jpgA recent Michigan Court of Appeals opinion highlights the importance of clearly and precisely drafting separation agreements.

Meaning of “Disparagement” 

In Sohal v. Mich. State Univ. Bd. of Trs. & Davoren Chick M.D., (May 17, 2011) the parties executed a Resignation Agreement and Release relating to Plaintiff’s agreement to voluntarily resign from MSU’s medical residency

Virus Code.jpgA disgruntled former Gucci employee is reported to have caused in excess of $200,000 in damages to his former employer (as reported by Computer World) and now faces criminal charges.

Specifically, the New York District Attorney’s indictment alleges that Sam Chihlung Yin fraudulently obtained IT access after he was fired. From there, the indictment