HR Tidbits

I am taking a Legal Environment in HR class and my professor shared some stuff with us that I would like to pass on with you. Especially during these trying times. She owns her own law firm and she stated that her office is busy with cases because of the firings that are going on. So here is some stuff she told us that others just might not know. REMEMBER THESE ARE JUST TIDBITS NOT ACTUAL LEGAL ADVICES; I do not need anyone trying to sue me for my bag of Skittles.

1. Look at what you are signing. If a company asks, you to sign something during your exit interview make sure you read it. That should be a given, but I know plenty of people who don’t read the fine print, uh, look at the housing situation which I still don’t understand, but moving on. Meaning if they come to you and say hey, we have to lay you off and we will give you one weeks’ severance and a bag of chips if you sign this document. READ IT and remember you do not have to sign it. Why because to get unemployment insurance you need to be laid off or fired with “good cause”, not misconduct and if your signing stuff it could be considered a voluntary termination (depending on what’s on that paper).

2. Computer/telephone usage (can even be a copier or any office equipment). We are in trying times people. They are looking for reasons to fire people and they can fire you for misuse. A family member of hers was fired in Jersey for this last week.

3. Employers are firing people for no reason, meaning instead of laying you off firing you so you cannot get Unemployment Benefits. You could be an employee in good standing and miss a day of work with a note and they can say they never received a note – No call/no show – meaning misconduct. See it benefits the employer if you are fired NOT YOU, when you are fired, they can dispute your claim.

Again, her firms biggest cases right now are employers turning down employees for unemployment insurance.

All in all we are in rough times so be careful out there. Especially minorities, there is a rise in layoff/firings and we are normally the first on the chopping block. Minorities = WOMEN, blacks, and other nationalities.