“Since you asked the question, I’ll answer it,” Rachel said. “If you want to keep your job here, act more like Tim.” “Tim?” Rich repeated. “But he just got hired a couple months ago. I have to show him how to do everything. You want me acting like that?” “Tim may still be on the […]
Religious beliefs cause friction between co-workers: What’s supervisor to do?
Glenn stopped suddenly when he saw the sign tacked to Sam’s cubicle wall: Gays are followers of Satan and should be shunned by all. He studied the sign for a moment and then said, “Sam, come into my office for a few minutes, please.”After they were both seated, Glenn began: “Didn’t I give you a copy […]
ADA Case: ‘Thanks for the Help, but I Expect an Accommodation’
Employee calls out physical and mental well-being in ADA case “It’s good to see you getting around a lot better,” said manager Roe Robinson. “I hope you’re feeling just as well.” “Not really. My leg is healing OK after the accident here,” said Zack Brown. “But inside, I’m still a mess. The anxiety. The PTSD. […]
Employer victory shows what it takes to win age-bias claims
He called co-worker a ‘f**king jerk’ — then sues when fired. “Have a seat,” Lynne said as Jeff entered her office. “We have to discuss a complaint I got from a customer about your behavior.” “I know where this is headed,” he protested. “And the problem isn’t my behavior. It’s the behavior and performance of […]
When co-workers’ clash gets ugly: 3 steps to keep it out of court
Name-calling incidents lead to a lawsuit. Victor stormed into Ben’s office and immediately began speaking: “You said I wouldn’t have to work with Ed again. And I come in this morning and there he is, working right next to me.” “I had planned to tell you about that first thing, but I got sidetracked by […]
Do’s and don’ts when a disabled employee wants to return to work
Disabled worker insists, “You must create a job opening for me.” Patti picked up his phone and punched in Gerry’s number. Gerry answered, “Hi, Patti. I was hoping to hear from you about a job opening. What’s happening?” “I’ll cut to the chase, “ Patti replied. “It doesn’t look like we’ll have an opening for […]
Where this supervisor went wrong when dealing with a pregnant employee
Did the boss’s offhand comments do him in? Jeff slid a sheet of paper across the desk to Candace as he spoke: “As you know, we’re under a hiring freeze, so I’ve made a list of additional duties I want you to handle. Any questions?” She scanned the list, shook her head and said, “Jeff, […]
He says she just didn’t cut it; she claims gender bias: Court says?
“Kathy, I just got your test results back and I’m sorry to say, you did a bit worse than I had hoped you would,” Supervisor Brett McDonald said. “Exactly how worse is a bit worse?” Kathy asked, anxiously. “You came in below the 80% cutoff,” Brett said. “And as you are well aware, when the […]
Boss claims he wasn’t retaliating, just trying to pick the best person: What did the court say?
Paula burst into Tim’s office and said, “So, I see I didn’t get promoted again.” Tim put down the report he was reading and replied, “No, I thought Linda was the better person for the job.” “Even though I’ve been doing the job for three months?” she asked. “And even though you told me I […]
Age bias: Avoiding a lawsuit when someone can’t keep up anymore
A supervisor gets in bind for questioning an older worker’s performance. Betsy got right to the point when she and Tim sat down: “Because we lost a couple of big accounts, we need to let someone go in our department. I’ve decided it’s you.” “I can’t say I’m surprised,” he grumbled. “You mean because of […]