Preparing for a Post-Pandemic Workplace: Discipline and Discharge Issues

Now that vaccination programs are in full swing, employers have started to imagine a return to workplace normalcy later this year. As state and local stay-at-home orders are rolled back, more and more employers are facing the prospect of bringing some employees back to work while allowing those to perform in a dramatically different world than the one that they left a year ago. The potential for retaliation lawsuits, disability discrimination claims, and governmental investigations in this period of uncertainty highlights the need for employers to carefully think through discipline and discharge decisions. Matt LaMourie will review best practices in the area of employee discipline and discharge and highlight solutions for managing legal risk in this context.