Yes. Last month a tribal court stated that an employee of the tribe could sue when a pamphlet was circulated at tribal meetings stating that the employee was terminated by the tribe because she lost millions of dollars in third party billings and after she was fired she violated the nepotism policy by getting her family to intervene and return her to her job. Unfortunately for defendants, none of these allegations were true. Please [...]
Answer: No. As a general rule directors, managers and supervisors should not discuss employees’ at-will status with employees they supervise. I do not object to a conversation about at-will, but oftentimes, I object to the purpose for having the conversation. On the one hand, if an employee seeks a better understanding of at-will, supervisors should discuss the policy and its application. No objection. On the other hand, in my experience, conversations about at-will are [...]
Lots of people like the convenience, selection and efficiency of buying things from Amazon. You know Amazon, the Seattle based company not the rainforest near the equator filled with snakes and bugs. Tribal Human Resources is in the business of customer service and upon examination, the principles of leadership, if applied, embraced and practiced will assist Human Resources in delivering the best customer service. Here are those principles with color commentary. Customer Obsession Leaders start with [...]
How can the Tribe actively minimize liability to employee claims and what role can the human resources team serve? Is the tribal employer playing litigation lottery or taking the steps necessary to minimize employment related claims? Please consider trading in the “I hope we do not get sued” philosophy for a proactive strategy in minimizing employee workplace claims. Some of the suggestions in this list may assist in reducing liability. In addition to the [...]