Author: Keri Bennett

An abbreviated case for cause

by Keri Bennett We all know litigation is expensive. That’s particularly true when an employer seeks to justify a for-cause termination. But there may be an alternative to protracted litigation. In Cotter v. Point Grey Golf and Country Club, the British Columbia Supreme Court proceeded in an abbreviated way. It recently allowed a for-cause termination […]

A refresher on successfully defending EEOC and other agency charges

by Ryann E. Ricchio Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charges have clearly become a cost of doing business for many (if not most) employers today. Like anything else, employers can get into a routine—or maybe even a “rut”—in investigating and responding to charges. This article provides a refresher on how to successfully defend EEOC and […]

Keeping it real: litigation insights from ‘Making a Murderer’

It’s mid-January, and I’m sitting in my office writing this post while snow falls outside. (Yes, we get snow in South Carolina and, yes, it terrifies us.) The snow, however, reminds me of the frozen northern Wisconsin landscapes featured in my latest binge-watching favorite, Netflix’s Making a Murderer.  If you’ve not seen it yet, Making a Murderer […]

Workplace violence: Using threat assessment to reduce risk

Workplace violence—it’s a subject so difficult and so frightening that employers may feel paralyzed when considering how to prevent it. If someone is showing violent tendencies, an employer may want to fire the employee to remove the threat. But what if that’s the action that triggers more rage, worsening the risk instead of reducing it? […]

Martin Luther King, Jr., taught us invaluable lessons on leadership

by Dan Oswald Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. King was a man who accomplished so much, affected so many others, and left a lasting legacy that is still prevalent today. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in 1929 and lived just 39 years before he was tragically assassinated in Memphis, […]

sexual harassment

Getting past the threat of sexual harassment in the workplace

As employers strive to create diverse workforces, they need to think beyond just attracting employees from varied backgrounds. It’s just as important to think about how to retain a diverse group. Taking steps to prevent sexual harassment is one way to make sure talented and productive employees don’t flee work environments they find uncomfortable, even […]

morale

Team up with your employees for the new year

by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. What do you do when employee morale is at an all-time low? As we all know, it is hard to produce positive outcomes with a workforce that has a negative attitude. I am a firm believer that there is a direct correlation between the level of employee involvement in identifying […]

mistake

When a good employee makes a bad mistake

by Mark I. Schickman Brian Williams was NBC’s news superstar, appearing on programs ranging from 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show. He was a beloved regular on the talk show circuit. Since 2004, he was heir to a line of NBC news chiefs flowing from Chet Huntley and David Brinkley through John […]

Employer’s workplace violence memo violated employee rights

by Frank Rox The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) continues to amaze (but not surprise) us with its “anything goes” acquiescence to inappropriate workplace behavior. Recently, in Care One at Madison Ave., LLC (Dec. 2014), the Board ruled that an employer violated employees’ rights by posting its workplace violence policy and a memo a few […]

Employees who posed for photo as KKK members lose race bias case

by Emily Bensinger Edmunds It should go without saying that dressing up as a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) member in modified work clothing at work is unacceptable conduct in the eyes of any employer. As this case from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania shows, three employees who were fired after […]