As a Las Vegas employer, one of your concerns might be whether someone on your staff will sue you. Nevada is an at-will employment state, meaning you can fire anyone for any reason, as long as it does not violate discrimination, harassment or retaliation laws. However, it is important to realize that you will want to have a good reason for terminating an employee, as well as evidence whenever possible. Otherwise, you may find yourself facing a wrongful termination lawsuit, whether or not you did any wrong in firing the person.
When you do find it necessary to terminate an employee, advises Forbes, the right information in the employee’s human resources file provides documentation as to why he or she was let go. Negative employee reviews, disciplinary paperwork and notes describing incidents worthy of report, such as not getting along with co-workers or consistently showing up to work late, are all things that you want to keep a record of. It is wise to have a dated time-stamp on each document, as well. Having another person who can back you up may also be helpful if the issue goes to court.
You will also want to be sure that your managers and supervisors follow your company’s rules and do not consider themselves to be “above” the policies that staff are expected to abide by. Additionally, if an employee files an Equal Employment Opportunity Charge against you or a supervisor, it is best to respond immediately and courteously to the situation, instead of ignoring it or treating the employee poorly. These precautions may help to de-escalate a conflict, as well as possible litigation, before it becomes a possibility.
