Rich Meneghello's article "Sticks and Stones May Break Bones, But Words Can Get You Fired" was featured in DJC Oregon on August 7, 2015.
There's good news for those Oregon and Washington employers that take threats of workplace violence seriously. A very recent federal appeals court case upheld the termination of an employee who admittedly made threatening statements at work, despite the employee's excuse that his disability made him do it. Employers should rest assured that this decision allows them to continue to enforce zero tolerance policies when it comes to threatened violence in the workplace.
In the article, Rich examines Timothy Mayo's case and discusses the key takeaways for employers.
Rich advises employers to make sure to publish strict anti-violence policies and train your managers to follow them. If you receive a credible workplace threat, investigate and react accordingly. If the violating employee has a reported mental illness, you may need to excuse or work through minor irritants; but you should feel confident that you can consistently punish an employee's threats of workplace violence, whether or not their disability made them do it.
To read the full article, please visit DJC Oregon. [subscription required]
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.