Employee 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 … Continue Reading
Jim 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 with … Continue Reading
While 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 in … Continue Reading
Kevin 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 the … Continue Reading
Bloomberg Businessweek recently featured in its “How to Issue” insight from the manager of the Baltimore Orioles, Buck Showalter, about how to terminate an employee. Mr. Showalter has been a Major League Baseball manager for 14 seasons. Among his recommendations for letting an employee go: You’re trying to define reality as you and the organization see … Continue Reading
I was recently discussing the role exit interviews should have for employers with a group of HR professionals. Their focus had generally been on what the employer can learn from the departing employee and how this insight could improve the overall operation-side of the business. In theory, I don’t disagree with having a genuine … Continue Reading
Vacations 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, … Continue Reading
An unlikely employer recently found out that discharging or otherwise disciplining an employee for complying with jury duty is not only bad publicity but also violates Michigan law. Specifically, the Detroit Free Press (by Christina Hall) reported that a law firm employee called for jury duty in a murder case pending in Macomb County … Continue Reading
A 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 program. … Continue Reading
A 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 alleges that Mr. … Continue Reading
