how to fire an employee without risking your life
TRANSCRIPT
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How to Fire an Employee… Without Risking Your Life
February 19, 2015
Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chtd.
www.lerchearly.com
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Rick Vernon Lerch, Early & Brewer
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In the News
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Speakers
Rick Vernon is an employment and litigation attorney at Lerch, Early & Brewer who defends employers against all workplace claims made by individuals (applicants, employees and former employees), governmental agencies or other organizations. These encompass discrimination allegations, wage and hour disputes, EEOC complaints and sexual harassment claims, among others.
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(301) 907-2818 rgvernon@ lerchearly.com
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Julie Reddig Lerch, Early & Brewer
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How to Prepare for a Termination Legally and Safely
February 19, 2015
Julie A. Reddig Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chtd.
www.lerchearly.com
Presented to sponsoring organization
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Define workplace violence Discuss the legal risks of workplace
violence Identify practical steps to reduce the
risk or impact of workplace violence arising out of a termination
Why are we meeting today?
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What is Workplace Violence?
Verbal or written threats of physical injury Threatening body language Physical assaults Aggravated assaults, including rape and homicide
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What is Workplace Violence?
The four types of perpetrators: A stranger A customer or client of the employer or
parties related to a customer or client A current or former employee Someone who has a personal
relationship with an employee
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Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
OSHA Guidelines and Recommendations: www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/index.html
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The OSH Act: Duty to provide a safe workplace
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OSHA must prove: The employer failed to keep the workplace
free from a hazard employees were exposed to
The hazard is recognized The hazard was likely to cause death or
serious physical harm There was a feasible and economically viable
way to correct the hazard
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Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Require management commitment and employee involvement
Implement a worksite analysis of security Create hazard prevention and control Provide safety and health training for
employees and management Evaluate the violence prevention program
OSHA’s workplace violence prevention recommendations:
Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Allocate sufficient resources to prevent violence Develop a system of accountability for
implementing a violence prevention program Establish a zero-tolerance policy for workplace
violence
OSHA’s workplace violence prevention recommendations cont’d.:
Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Common law duty to provide a safe workplace for employees
Premises liability to employees and third parties for failure to use reasonable care to make property safe
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Tort Liability:
Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Negligent hiring Negligent supervision or retention Misrepresentation for providing an inaccurate
reference
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Examples of Tort Claims:
Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Potential ADA liability for refusing to hire an applicant or terminating an employee due to a history of violence associated with mental disability
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Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Liability for providing inaccurate reference
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Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
Hostile work environment claims
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Steps to avoid OSHA and Tort Claims:
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Draft a workplace violence policy Train employees on reporting threats Train managers to reduce risks of violence Promptly investigate workplace violence
complaints and discipline/terminate if the claim is substantiated
Draft and maintain a workplace safety plan and implement any precautions
Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Steps to avoid OSHA and Tort Claims cont’d:
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Perform effective and legal background checks
Evaluate the need for screening vendors Invite local police or security personnel to
your facility Limit access of former employees and
visitors
Legal Risks of Workplace Violence
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Termination Tactics
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Pre-termination considerations: The Fundamental 5&5 Whether you need the employee to
transition work Protecting company property Have security present Determine in advance what you
are going to say
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Termination Tactics
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Offer resignation? Prepare a script: Give a general reason for the termination Make clear this is the employee’s last day Explain severance, payment of vacation and
continuation of benefits Outline next steps
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What are you going to say?
Termination Tactics
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Terminate in a dignified manner Tell the employee in private Have two representatives in the room Stick to the script Use a slow pace and compassionate tone Request return of company property Walk the employee out
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Termination Tactics
During the termination meeting:
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Have HR check in with the terminated employee
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Termination Tactics
The day after the termination:
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Speaker
Julie Reddig is an employment attorney at Lerch, Early & Brewer who counsels and defends management in a broad range of matters and disputes involving employment and the workplace, including wage and hour investigations by state and federal officials, discrimination, harassment, and overtime claims made by current and former employees.
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(301) 961-6099 jareddig@ lerchearly.com
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Dr. Jeffrey Jay Psychologist
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Speaker
Jeffrey Jay, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist in the District of Columbia. He received a B.A. from Amherst College in 1972, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Duke University in 1977. In his private practice, Dr. Jay specializes in the treatment of depression and anxiety with adults and students. In addition, he works with adults who seek to establish and maintain secure and intimate relationships.
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John Sexton Sexton Executive Security
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Workplace Violence For the
Personal Protection Specialist
John Sexton
Objectives
• To Define workplace violence • To define the need proactively for personal protection in
the event of violence in the workplace • Illustrate the role of executive protection to mitigate
workplace violence
What is Workplace Violence
• According to the Center for Disease Control
– Violent acts, including physical assault and threats of assault directed to persons at work or on duty
Workplace Violence Expanded
– Acts of aggression or violence including assaults, threats, disruptive, aggressive, hostile, verbal or emotionally abusive behaviors that generate fear that occur in, or are related to the workplace and entail a real or perceived risk of physical, emotional and/or psychological harm to individuals, or damages to an organization’s resources or capabilities .
What is the impact of WPV?
• According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics
– 500,000 victims of violent crime per year
– 1.8 million workdays lost per year
– $55 million impact as a result of lost productivity and increased
health care
What is the impact of WPV?
• 6 – 18 weeks after an incident
– 50% decrease in productivity
– 20% to 40% increase in turnover
What is the impact of WPV?
• The average out of court settlement for negligence litigation is approximately $500,000
• The average jury award is $3 million
• Researches for National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimate average cost of workplace homicide is ?
What is the impact on WPV?
• $100,000
• $250,000
• $500,000
• $750,000
•$800,000!!!
Behavioral Indicators
13 Behavioral Indicators
1. Threats 2. Unreasonable; Person constantly makes slighting references to others. 3. Intimidation and Control Oriented; Person feels a need to constantly force their opinion on others 4. Paranoid; Person thinks other employees are out to get them. 5. Irresponsible; Person doesn’t take responsibility for any of their behaviors or faults or mistakes, it's always someone else's fault. 6. Angry, Argumentative & Confrontive; hate and anger issues on the job or
with coworkers, 7. Violence Fascination and Acceptance; applauds certain violent acts in
media, previous trouble with the law, fascinated with killing power and destructive effect of weapons.
13 Behavioral Indicators
8. Vindictive; Person makes statements like "he will get his" or "what comes around goes around" or "one of these days I'll have my say". 9. Bizarre Behavior: Person is quirky, strange; considered weird 10.Desperation: Person expresses extreme desperation over recent family, financial or personal problems. 11.Obsessions: Person has obsessive involvement with the job, particularly when no apparent outside interests exist. He has a romantic obsession with co-worker who has no interest in him. 12.Substance Abuse 13.Depression: Person displays chronic signs of depression, loss of interest and confident in life or work
Interesting Fact
• A study conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management show that more than half of the companies in the US have experienced some type of workplace violence, with verbal threats being cited in 41% of cases.
Profiles of Violent Employees
Characteristics of a violent worker • White male, 25 to 50 years old • Demonstrates low self esteem • Is considered a loner • Fascination of weapons
Profiles of Violent Employees
• Worker who may commit nonlethal violence
– Under age of 30
– History of some violence
– Abuses drugs or alcohol
Profiles of Violent Employees
A worker who may commit LETHAL violence Over the age of 30 Indicates no history of violence or substance abuse Shows indications of paranoia or delusions and is
unable to appropriately release frustration
Why EP for Workplace Violence?
• 1998 US Supreme Court (Faragher v. City of Boca Raton) determined that companies must prevent, not react to hostile work environments.
• EP would then have to be implemented early in the process to effectively mitigate risk in workplace violence.
EP for Workplace Violence
• To mitigate the risk you must
– Assess your risk
– Assess your vulnerability – Assess the impact
Assess Risk
• Violence by Stranger – Robbery is generally the motive
• Violence by current or former employee
• Violence by a relative, spouse or ex-spouse, or individual with relationship with an employee
• Violence by customer, client or contractor
Assess Vulnerability
• Devastating – Facility is damaged or contaminated beyond habitable use.
Most items/physical assets are lost, destroyed, or damaged beyond repair/restoration. Multiple deaths have occurred. The number of visitors to other facilities in the organization may be reduced by up to 75% for a limited period of time.
Assess Vulnerability
Assess Vulnerability
• Severe – The facility is partially damaged/contaminated. Examples include
partial structure breach as a result of weather/water, smoke, fire, or impact damage to some areas. Some items/ physical assets in the facility are damaged beyond repair, but the facility remains mostly intact. The entire facility may be closed for a period of up to two weeks and a portion of the facility may be closed for an extended period of time (more than one month). One or more deaths occur or a serious number of non-fatal injuries (these are injuries that would meet the OSHA reportable event standard). The number of visitors to the facility and others in the organization may be reduced by up to 50% for a limited period of time.
Assess Vulnerability
Assess Vulnerability
• Noticeable: – The facility is temporarily closed or unable to operate, but can
continue without an interruption of more than one day. Note that the decision to close the facility is based on employee relations, community, public relations and/or political factors as oppose the unavailability of the facility. A limited number of assets may be damaged, but the majority of the facility is not affected. Some number of injuries may occur, but not a significant number of them are serious enough to warrant reporting to OSHA. The number of visitors to the facility and others in the organization may be reduced by up to 25% for a limited period of time.
Assess Vulnerability
• Minor – The facility experiences no significant impact on
operations (downtime is less than four hours) and there is no loss of major assets. There are no reportable injuries.
Impact to Business
• Lost productivity from employees
• Possible legal fees – jury awards – Settlements
• Loss of personnel or other assets
• Negative publicity
How to Mitigate Risk for WPV
• Surveillance on suspect • Securing corporate assets
– Access control – Identification badges – Laptop computers
• Acting as a witness in meetings with suspect • Escorting suspect off of property • Escorting corporate executives on job/at home • Conducting security surveys • Liaise with local law enforcement
Risk Management vs.
Threat Management
• Questions?
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Speaker
John Sexton is president of Sexton Executive Security, Inc., a private security consulting firm that provides personal protection, private investigations and security consulting services to the business community and individual clients. The company also provides executive protection services to corporations experiencing or about to experience workplace violence due to terminations.
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president@ sextonsecurity.com
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For more information
Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chtd. 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 460
Bethesda, MD 20814 (301) 986-1300
www.lerchearly.com
Thank you for your participation
This content is for your information only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. Please consult your attorney before acting
on any information contained here.
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