managing the risks of wrongful discharge claims raymond l. hogge, jr. hogge law attorneys and...

Managing the Risksof Wrongful Discharge Claims

Raymond L. Hogge, Jr.HOGGE LAW

Attorneys and Counselors at Law500 E. Plume Street, Suite 800

Norfolk, Virginia 23510(757) 961-5400

www.VirginiaLaborLaw.com

This presentation is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. It may be distributed freely for educational uses.

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Am Employer Can Substantially Reduce The Risks of Wrongful Discharge Claims By Careful Attention To:– Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Job Descriptions– Performance Evaluations– Grievance Procedures and Open Door Policies

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Employment At Will Policy• One of Most Important Protections Against Wrongful

Discharge Claims• Do Not Promise Employment for Specific Period of

Time• Do Not Promise Termination Only for Cause• Include in Employee Handbook Acknowledgment

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Contract Disclaimer• Need to prevent employee handbook being treated as

a contract which can be breached by employer• Include in front of employee handbook• Include in employee handbook acknowledgment

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy• Discrimination• Harassment• Retaliation• Reporting• Investigations• Remedies• Consequences of Violation

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Sexual Harassment Policy• Prohibition Against Sexual Harassment• What Sexual Harassment Is• How to Report Sexual Harassment– Supervisor Bypass

• Investigation• Non-Retaliation• Consequences of Violation• Other Forms of Harassment

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Disability Accommodation Policy• Americans with Disability Act• Rehabilitation Act• Federal Contractors

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Workplace Investigation Policy• Commitment to Investigate• Procedures• Confidentiality• Commitment to Remedy

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Non-Retaliation Policy• Prohibition Against Retaliation• What is Retaliation–Understand Burlington Northern v. White

• Reporting Procedures• Consequences of Violation

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Wage / Hour Policies• Overtime Compensation• Exempt / Nonexempt• Salary / Hourly• Recording Work Hours• Compensable Hours• Reporting Errors• Retaliation Prohibited

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Payroll Policies• Withholding• Deductions (Va. Payment of Wage Law)• Payment on Termination of Employment

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Standards of Conduct Policy• General Standards of Conduct• Examples of Prohibited Conduct • Specific Standards of Conduct• Conduct On / Off Job• Consequences of Violation

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Disciplinary / Corrective Actions Policy• Progressive Discipline v. Employer Discretion• Disciplinary Actions

– Counseling – Oral Warning– Written Warning– Written Reprimand– Suspension– Demotion– Discharge

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Job Performance Policy• Satisfactory Performance Required• Job Descriptions– Consider Size of Employer–Must Be Accurate– Have Employee Sign

• Coordination with Disciplinary / Corrective Action Policy

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Drug and Alcohol Policy• Prohibitions• Testing Required for Some Jobs; Optional for Most• ADA - No Testing Before Conditional Offer of

Employment • Testing Methods and Procedures

– Initial Screen; Post-Accident; Random; Reasonable Suspicion

• Recordkeeping• Consequences of Violation

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Workplace Safety Policy• Requirements and Prohibitions• Specific Prohibition Against Workplace Violence• Consult Applicable OSHA Standards• Consequences of Violation

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– E-Mail Policy• Standards of Conduct Policy Apply to E-mail• E-mails Shall Not Be Used for Harassment or Other

Prohibited Conduct• All E-mails My Be Monitored and Examined by

Employer• Employer E-mail is For Business Use Only?

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Personnel Policies and Employee Handbooks– Employee Handbook Acknowledgment• Acknowledgment of Receipt Signed by Employee• Contract Disclaimer• Employer Reserves Right to Change Policies• Employment At Will• Employee Will Ask if Has Questions

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Job Descriptions– Purposes of Job Descriptions• Inform Employees of Employer Expectations• Consistency in Performance Evaluations• Establish Standards for Use in Defense of Employee

Claims Against Employer

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Job Descriptions– Contents• Job Title

– Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code (if applicable)

• Job Overview• Job Duties• General Prerequisites for Job• Physical and Mental Requirements Demands• Identification of Supervisors• Compensation and Benefits• Hourly / Salary; FLSA Exempt / Nonexempt

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Job Descriptions– Important Considerations• Must Accurately Reflect Employer Expectations• Must Be Used as Baseline for Performance Evaluations• Employee Should be Given a Copy and Should Sign

Acknowledgment

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Job Descriptions– Pitfalls• Contains Unlawful Job Prerequisites

– Example: Title VII – No Facial Hair– Example: ADA – Drug Test Before Job Offer

• Misclassification of Job as FLSA Exempt

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Performance Evaluations– Purpose• Improve Employee Job Performance• Identify Nonperforming Employees• Establish Record of Job Performance as Defense to

Title VII, ADEA, etc. Discrimination Claims (Disparate Treatment)• Establish Record of Job Performance as Defense to

ADA Claims (Performance of Essential Job Functions)• Establish Defense to Retaliation Claims

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Performance Evaluations– Performance Evaluation Policy• Evaluation Procedures• Evaluation Schedule• Evaluation Criteria• Coordination with Job Descriptions• Challenging Evaluations• Coordination with Grievance Procedure / Open Door

Policy• Forms• Documentation

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Performance Evaluations– Pitfalls• Poorly Defined Standards• Inconsistent Application of Standards• Evaluations Delayed or Not Conducted• Poor Recordkeeping

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Grievance Procedures– Private Employers v. Public Employers• State Grievance Procedure• Local Government Grievance Procedures• Federal Government Grievance Procedures• Private Employers

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Grievance Procedures– Union v. Non-Union Employers• Union: Collective Bargaining Agreement• Non-Union: Employer Discretion• Non-Union But Union Target: Consider What

Employees Could Get From Union

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Grievance Procedures– Detailed Procedures v. General Procedures • Consider Size and Needs of Employer

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Grievance Procedures– Important Components• Grievable v. Nongrievable Issues• Supervisor Bypass• Deadline for Presenting Grievance• Steps in Grievance Process• Schedule for Grievance Process• Coordination with Open Door Policy• Documentation

Managing the Risks of Wrongful Discharge ClaimsRaymond L. Hogge, Jr.

• Open Door Policy– Purpose of Open Door Policy– Compared to Grievance Procedure– Coordination with Grievance Procedure– Who’s Door is Open– Using Open Door Policy– What Employer Will Do– No Retaliation– Documentation