Colorado Employment Law Blog

Tips for Minimizing Risk When Cutting Labor Costs

By Mark Wiletsky

          Although we are beginning to see signs of an economic recovery, many organizations are still grappling with how to stay competitive in this challenging environment.  Layoffs, furloughs, and other methods used to cut personnel costs are often part of the equation.  But the savings gained by these cost-cutting measures can be lost if employees later sue the company and embroil the company in expensive litigation.  The good news is that organizations can often avoid turning cost-cutting measures into expensive headaches by avoiding these four common mistakes in reducing personnel costs.

 

Partner Made Member of WVPI Committee

Partner Steve Gutierrez has been invited to sit on the Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention (WVPI) Committee. The WVPI Committee was established to develop the joint WVPI American National Standard-- the first of its kind.

Workplace violence presents one of the most challenging security problems a company can face. The WVPI Standard will provide information and practical methods that will enable a company to develop an effective plan for prevention and intervention. The WVPI Standard will provide an overview of general policies and processes companies can adopt to thwart violence in the workplace.

Gutierrez was selected as a committee member for his extensive background and experience with workplace violence. As a committee member, Gutierrez will review and help create content for specific sections of the WVPI Standard. 

ASIS International and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) are collaborating on the development of this standard, and the Committee is comprised of both organizations' members. 

Workplace violence presents one of the most challenging security problems a company can face. The WVPI Standard will provide information and practical methods that will enable a company to develop an effective plan for prevention and intervention. The WVPI Standard will provide an overview of general policies and processes companies can adopt to thwart violence in the workplace.

Gutierrez was selected as a committee member for his extensive background and experience with workplace violence. As a committee member, Gutierrez will review and help create content for specific sections of the WVPI Standard. 

ASIS International and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) are collaborating on the development of this standard, and the Committee is comprised of both organizations' members. 

Faragher-Ellerth Defense Alive and Well in Tenth Circuit

By Kerri J. Atencio

Companies cringe when they receive that dreaded charge of discrimination claiming one of their managers sexually harassed an employee.  But all is not lost if the company has an anti-harassment policy which the employee failed to take advantage of to report the offensive behavior.  In that case, the company may have what’s known as the “Faragher-Ellerth” defense.  In a recent Tenth Circuit decision, an employer dodged a potentially expensive bullet by prevailing on its Faragher-Ellerth defense.