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ON-DEMAND HR Compliance

Legally Terminating An Employee During Covid

Learn the legal steps after a termination decision, from employee type and policy review to documentation, informing the employee, final pay and severance.

FormatRecorded sessionWatch any time
Length75 minutes
Melvin K. Patterson Speaker Melvin K. Patterson Employment attorney · Cedrus Group · 20+ years as trial litigator
Talk to an expertAsk an expertQuestions about this topic

Overview

Once you decide to terminate an employee, a series of business issues with legal consequences follows. This 75-minute webinar on legally terminating an employee shows how to recognize those issues and handle them well, and how the approach can change depending on the employee's legal status.

The session focuses mainly on California rules, and also covers the basic federal and state employment laws on termination. It was originally created for terminations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

You'll review employee types, termination policies, risk analysis, layoffs vs discharge for cause vs furloughs, when firing is illegal, documenting performance issues, conducting a legal review, informing the employee, the final paycheck, and severance and unemployment claims.

Why attend: Terminating employees is unpleasant but sometimes necessary, and it should be done professionally and ethically. You need to understand the difference between a layoff, a furlough and a full termination, because the decision triggers duties the employer must handle responsibly to protect the business legally. The session suits business owners and operators, HR and personnel managers, department and unit managers, and anyone responsible for terminating employees.

What’s covered

  • Types of employees and the issues they present: at-will, government and contract
  • Employee termination policies
  • Risk analysis
  • Layoffs vs discharge for cause vs furloughs
  • When it is illegal to fire an employee
  • Documenting performance issues
  • Conducting the legal review
  • Informing the employee
  • The final paycheck
  • Severance pay, waivers of legal rights and unemployment claims

Who should attend

Business Owners/OperatorsHR/Personnel ManagersDepartment or Unit ManagersAny Manager or Employee with the responsibility of terminating other employees

What you get

CertificateEmailed to each attendee after the session.
HandoutsSlides and checklists to reuse with your team.

About the speaker

Melvin K. Patterson
Melvin K. Patterson
Employment attorney · Cedrus Group

Melvin K. Patterson, an attorney licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in California, is General Counsel to the Cedrus Group, a family of international financial services firms with offices around the globe. He is a member of the Labor & Employment Section of the California State Bar and has been admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California as well as the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. Mr. Patterson is experienced in Labor and Employment litigation and transactional matters in the U.S., Asia and the U.K. He has designed internal business policies, procedures and management structures, as well as inter-corporate relationships and has been a business owner himself. Mr. Patterson is an experienced trial litigator who has handled numerous business and commercial matters for over 20 years on behalf of an elite clientele around the world. He has defended clients in matters brought against companies by employees, commercial business agreements and government regulatory matters. Mr. Patterson holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the John F. Kennedy University School of Law, as well as a Certificate in Strategic Human Resource Management from Cornell University. He has also earned the American Jurisprudence Award, completed specialized training in Assessing Economic Damages, Forensic Discovery and Preservation of Electronic Evidence and Data. Mr. Patterson was nominated to the National Dean's List and has been a speaker before such groups as the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, is a past contributing editor to California Motions In Limine (The Rutter Group) and has been a columnist for the "The Docket", the news and information journal of the San Mateo County Bar Ass'n. He has a knowledge of Korean, Japanese and Spanish languages.

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