Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Perception of Retaliation

BY Gillian Watson Egan
June 19, 2013

I've got a hypothetical for you: Let's say that one of your employees tapes an anonymous letter onto the wall between the restrooms where customers can see it. The letter makes allegations of discrimination that have never been reported to you through the normal reporting policy. Rumor has it that the anonymous writer is the same woman whom you put on a “Last Chance Agreement” last month for failing to meet productivity goals. A couple of days later, you terminate her for violating her agreement, following a loud argument full of curse words with a member of management. However, you later discover that the person who posted the anonymous letter was someone else.

Or what about this one: You've got another employee who has been a major problem. He's had a number of write-ups and is on his last warning. Any subsequent offense will lead to a termination of his employment. In a totally unrelated incident, someone files a complaint with OSHA, and you are the recipient of a surprise on-site inspection. The next day, when the problem employee is five minutes late, you terminate him.

Or: Two employees of a retail establishment are best friends and roommates who spend a lot of time together. One has been disciplined a number of times, and you are getting ready to fire her for a failure to follow company rules. Then, the other files a charge of race and sex discrimination with the EEOC. You go ahead and fire the first employee anyway.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Yachts, Jets, Horses & Hooch: Specialized Commercial Leasing Models Image

Defining commercial real estate asset class is essentially a property explaining how it identifies — not necessarily what its original intention was or what others think it ought to be. This article discusses, from a general issue-spot and contextual analysis perspective, how lawyers ought to think about specialized leasing formats and the regulatory backdrops that may inform what the documentation needs to contain for compliance purposes.

Hyperlinked Documents: The Latest e-Discovery Challenge Image

As courts and discovery experts debate whether hyperlinked content should be treated the same as traditional attachments, legal practitioners are grappling with the technical and legal complexities of collecting, analyzing and reviewing these documents in real-world cases.

Identifying Your Practice's Differentiator Image

How to Convey Your Merits In a Way That Earns Trust, Clients and Distinctions Just as no two individuals have the exact same face, no two lawyers practice in their respective fields or serve clients in the exact same way. Think of this as a "Unique Value Proposition." Internal consideration about what you uniquely bring to your clients, colleagues, firm and industry can provide untold benefits for your law practice.

Risks and Ad Fraud Protection In Digital Advertising Image

The ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, coupled with the industry-wide adoption of programmatic advertising, poses a significant threat to the effectiveness and integrity of digital advertising campaigns. This article explores various risks to digital advertising from pixel stuffing and ad stacking to domain spoofing and bots. It will also explore what should be done to ensure ad fraud protection and improve effectiveness.

Turning Business Development Plans Into Reality Image

This article offers practical insights and best practices to navigate the path from roadmap to rainmaking, ensuring your business development efforts are not just sporadic bursts of activity, but an integrated part of your daily success.