Everyone loves going to court, right? But for the odd ones among us who don’t like throwing their time, money and energy into litigation, there are some concrete steps to take in employment matters that can minimize the risk of heading to court, according to Robin Shea of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete.
Here are some of her suggestions on easy and inexpensive tactics to avoid employment litigation.
- Communicate: “You may think your employees don’t care about what’s happening with your company and your industry, and some probably don’t, but tell them anyway,” advises Shea. This will help avoid gossip and paranoia, which are key ingredients that can lead to lawsuits.
- Take Complaints Seriously: Be sure to always record a complaint, investigate the allegation, document that investigation and then tell the employee about the findings. Always treat all complaints with the utmost seriousness.
- Don’t Fire in Anger: Wait a few days to cool off before terminating an employee, even if you know you have an airtight case. “Many times you’ll be in the right, but additional investigation and more documentation will put you in an even stronger defensive position,” Shea advises.
