Employment Action Navigator
Overview
Employment actions carry significant legal risk. HR often either over-involves legal (slowing everything down) or wings it (creating liability). This skill provides structured guidance for when actions are routine vs. when they need legal involvement.
Employment Action Types
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EMPLOYMENT ACTION TYPES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ SEPARATIONS LEAVES INVESTIGATIONS │
│ ─────────── ────── ────────────── │
│ • Voluntary • FMLA • Harassment │
│ • Involuntary-Perf • ADA Accommodation • Discrimination │
│ • Involuntary-Conduct • Personal/Medical • Misconduct │
│ • RIF/Layoff • Parental • Policy Violation│
│ • For Cause • Military • Whistleblower │
│ │
│ DISCIPLINARY ACCOMMODATIONS POLICY CHANGES │
│ ──────────── ────────────── ────────────── │
│ • Verbal Warning • ADA • Handbook Update │
│ • Written Warning • Religious • Comp Changes │
│ • PIP • Pregnancy • Benefits Changes│
│ • Suspension │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Termination Decision Tree
Voluntary Resignation
EMPLOYEE SUBMITS RESIGNATION
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ Is notice period adequate? │
└───────────┬────────────────┘
│ │
YES NO
│ │
▼ ▼
Accept Negotiate or
standard accelerate
│ │
└────┬────┘
▼
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ Any concerns about: │
│ □ Access to sensitive data │
│ □ Customer relationships │
│ □ Competitive move │
│ □ Exit interview concerns │
└───────────┬────────────────┘
│ │
NO YES
│ │
▼ ▼
Standard Consider:
process • Accelerated exit
• Garden leave
• Restrictive covenant review
Voluntary Resignation Checklist:
VOLUNTARY RESIGNATION CHECKLIST
───────────────────────────────
□ Resignation in writing received
□ Last day confirmed
□ Transition plan discussed
□ Exit interview scheduled
□ Return of company property planned
□ System access termination scheduled
□ Final paycheck timing confirmed (per state law)
□ Benefits continuation info (COBRA) prepared
□ Reference policy communicated
□ Non-compete/NDA reminded (if applicable)
Involuntary Termination - Performance
TERMINATION FOR PERFORMANCE
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ DOCUMENTATION CHECK │
│ □ Performance issues │
│ documented? │
│ □ Expectations communicated│
│ in writing? │
│ □ PIP completed (if used)? │
│ □ Feedback provided? │
│ □ Opportunity to improve? │
└───────────┬────────────────┘
│ │
YES NO
│ │
▼ ▼
Continue DO NOT PROCEED
to risk Build documentation
assessment first
Performance Termination Risk Assessment:
RISK FACTORS - CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
───────────────────────────────────
PROTECTED CLASS CONSIDERATIONS:
□ Employee is over 40
□ Employee is pregnant or recently pregnant
□ Employee has known disability
□ Employee is member of racial/ethnic minority
□ Employee has religious accommodation
□ Employee is LGBTQ+
□ Employee is veteran
RECENT ACTIVITY (within 6-12 months):
□ Filed internal complaint (discrimination, harassment, safety)
□ Filed external complaint (EEOC, DOL, OSHA)
□ Requested FMLA leave
□ Requested ADA accommodation
□ Participated in investigation as witness
□ Reported compliance concerns (whistleblower)
□ Filed workers' compensation claim
□ Recently returned from protected leave
TIMING CONCERNS:
□ Termination follows closely after protected activity
□ Employee announced pregnancy/medical condition
□ Performance issues documented AFTER protected activity
□ Similar issues not documented for other employees
IF ANY BOX CHECKED → LEGAL REVIEW REQUIRED
Involuntary Termination - Conduct
TERMINATION FOR CAUSE / MISCONDUCT
│
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ Is conduct clearly │
│ terminable per policy? │
└───────────┬──────────────────┘
│ │
YES NO
│ │
▼ ▼
Document Investigate
and proceed further
│ │
▼ ▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ Has similar conduct been │
│ treated consistently? │
└───────────┬──────────────────┘
│ │
YES NO
│ │
▼ ▼
Continue LEGAL REVIEW
to risk REQUIRED
assessment (disparate treatment risk)
For-Cause Termination Checklist:
FOR-CAUSE TERMINATION CHECKLIST
───────────────────────────────
DOCUMENTATION:
□ Incident documented contemporaneously
□ Witness statements collected (if applicable)
□ Policy violation identified specifically
□ Evidence preserved (emails, screenshots, etc.)
INVESTIGATION:
□ Employee given opportunity to respond
□ Investigation fair and objective
□ Decision maker not involved in incident
□ Consistency check completed (similar situations)
PROCESS:
□ HR involved before decision final
□ Legal review (if risk factors present)
□ Separation agreement considered
□ Termination meeting planned
□ Final pay calculated per state law
Reduction in Force (RIF) / Layoff
RIF / LAYOFF DECISION
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Number of employees affected│
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│
┌──────┴──────┐
│ │
<100 ≥100 (or plant closing)
│ │
▼ ▼
Standard WARN ACT ANALYSIS
process REQUIRED
│ │
└──────┬──────┘
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Selection criteria │
│ □ Objective (seniority, │
│ skills, performance)? │
│ □ Documented? │
│ □ Applied consistently? │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ ADVERSE IMPACT ANALYSIS │
│ Required for any RIF │
│ affecting 2+ employees │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
▼
LEGAL REVIEW REQUIRED
RIF Checklist:
RIF LEGAL REVIEW CHECKLIST
──────────────────────────
WARN ACT (if applicable):
□ Federal WARN threshold analysis (100+ employees)
□ State mini-WARN analysis (varies by state)
□ Notice timing calculated (60 days typical)
□ Notice content prepared
SELECTION CRITERIA:
□ Objective criteria documented
□ Criteria applied consistently
□ Business rationale documented
□ Alternative positions considered
ADVERSE IMPACT ANALYSIS:
□ Age analysis (OWBPA)
□ Race/ethnicity analysis
□ Gender analysis
□ Other protected class analysis
□ Statistical review completed
□ Disparate impact identified: □ Yes □ No
□ If yes, business necessity documented
OWBPA COMPLIANCE (if age 40+ affected):
□ Disclosure requirements met
□ 21/45 day consideration period
□ 7-day revocation period
□ Advised to consult attorney
□ Separation agreement compliant
Leave Administration
FMLA Workflow
FMLA REQUEST RECEIVED
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ ELIGIBILITY CHECK │
│ □ 12 months employment │
│ □ 1,250 hours in past 12 mo │
│ □ 50+ employees within 75 mi│
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│ │
Eligible Not Eligible
│ │
▼ ▼
Continue Document,
process may still offer
personal leave
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Provide required notices: │
│ □ Eligibility notice (5 days│
│ □ Rights & responsibilities │
│ □ Designation notice │
│ □ Certification request │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Track leave: │
│ □ Intermittent vs block │
│ □ 12-week entitlement │
│ □ Recertification schedule │
└─────────────────────────────┘
CUSTOMIZATION REQUIRED:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Your state-specific leave laws: │
│ │
│ State family leave law: □ Yes □ No │
│ If yes, name: _____________________________ │
│ Additional entitlement: ______ weeks │
│ Additional qualifying reasons: ___________ │
│ │
│ Paid family leave: □ Yes □ No │
│ If yes, details: _________________________ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
ADA Accommodation Workflow
ACCOMMODATION REQUEST
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Does employee have │
│ qualifying disability? │
│ (physical or mental │
│ impairment substantially │
│ limiting major life activity│
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│ │
YES UNCERTAIN
│ │
▼ ▼
Continue Request
process medical
documentation
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ INTERACTIVE PROCESS │
│ □ Meet with employee │
│ □ Understand limitations │
│ □ Identify possible │
│ accommodations │
│ □ Assess effectiveness │
│ □ Assess undue hardship │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Is accommodation reasonable?│
│ (effective without undue │
│ hardship) │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│ │
YES NO
│ │
▼ ▼
Implement Document why,
explore alternatives
LEGAL REVIEW
before denying
Accommodation Documentation:
ACCOMMODATION DOCUMENTATION
───────────────────────────
□ Request documented (date, nature)
□ Interactive process meetings logged
□ Medical documentation (if requested)
□ Accommodations considered
□ Accommodation decision
□ If denied, business rationale
□ Follow-up schedule
Workplace Investigations
Investigation Triggers
| Trigger | Response Level |
|---|---|
| Harassment complaint | Full investigation |
| Discrimination complaint | Full investigation |
| Retaliation allegation | Full investigation + legal |
| Violence/threat | Immediate action + investigation |
| Theft/fraud | Investigation + possible law enforcement |
| Policy violation | Appropriate level investigation |
| Anonymous complaint | Assess and investigate as warranted |
Investigation Framework
INVESTIGATION PROCESS
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. ASSESS │
│ □ Severity of allegation │
│ □ Immediate safety concerns │
│ □ Need for interim measures │
│ □ Investigator assignment │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. PLAN │
│ □ Scope of investigation │
│ □ Witness list │
│ □ Document collection │
│ □ Timeline │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. INVESTIGATE │
│ □ Interview complainant │
│ □ Interview accused │
│ □ Interview witnesses │
│ □ Collect documents/evidence│
│ □ Maintain confidentiality │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 4. CONCLUDE │
│ □ Assess credibility │
│ □ Make findings │
│ □ Document conclusions │
│ □ Determine action │
│ □ Communicate results │
└───────────┬─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 5. FOLLOW UP │
│ □ Implement remedial action │
│ □ Monitor for retaliation │
│ □ Document closure │
└─────────────────────────────┘
When to Involve Legal
ALWAYS INVOLVE LEGAL:
□ Sexual harassment allegations
□ Discrimination allegations
□ Retaliation allegations
□ Whistleblower complaints
□ Allegations involving executives
□ Potential criminal conduct
□ Media or regulatory attention likely
□ Pattern of complaints about same person
□ Complainant has attorney
Documentation Requirements
Termination Documentation Package
TERMINATION FILE CHECKLIST
──────────────────────────
EMPLOYEE RECORD:
□ Application / resume
□ Offer letter
□ Signed acknowledgments (handbook, policies)
□ Performance reviews (all)
□ Disciplinary notices (all)
□ PIP documentation (if applicable)
□ Attendance records
□ Commendations / awards
TERMINATION-SPECIFIC:
□ Termination decision documentation
□ Final incident report (if for cause)
□ Risk assessment completed
□ Legal review (if applicable)
□ Termination letter / notice
□ Separation agreement (if applicable)
□ COBRA notice
□ Final pay documentation
□ Property return checklist
□ Exit interview notes
Retention Requirements
CUSTOMIZATION REQUIRED:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Your document retention (check state law): │
│ │
│ Personnel files: _____ years after term │
│ Payroll records: _____ years │
│ I-9 forms: _____ years after term/hire │
│ Benefits records: _____ years │
│ FMLA records: _____ years │
│ Investigation files: _____ years │
│ EEO-1 reports: _____ years │
│ │
│ Reference: [state DOL / legal guidance] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
State-Specific Considerations
Final Pay Timing
| State | Voluntary | Involuntary |
|---|---|---|
| California | 72 hours (immediate if 72hr notice) | Immediate |
| New York | Next regular payday | Next regular payday |
| Texas | Next regular payday | Within 6 days |
| Illinois | Next regular payday | Next regular payday |
| [Your state] | _____________ | _____________ |
CUSTOMIZATION REQUIRED:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Your state final pay requirements: │
│ │
│ State: _______________________ │
│ Voluntary resignation: ______________ │
│ Involuntary termination: ____________ │
│ Unused PTO payout: □ Required □ Per policy │
│ Waiting time penalties: □ Yes □ No │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
At-Will Exceptions
COMMON AT-WILL EXCEPTIONS:
□ Implied contract (handbook language)
□ Public policy (refusing illegal act, whistleblowing)
□ Covenant of good faith (some states)
□ Discrimination (federal/state protected classes)
□ Retaliation (for protected activity)
HANDBOOK DISCLAIMER:
Ensure at-will disclaimer is:
□ Clear and conspicuous
□ In offer letter
□ In handbook
□ Not contradicted by other language
Quick Reference: Escalation Triggers
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ESCALATE TO LEGAL IF: ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ ║
║ TERMINATIONS: ║
║ □ Any protected class concern ║
║ □ Recent protected activity ║
║ □ Inconsistent treatment concern ║
║ □ Executive termination ║
║ □ RIF of 2+ employees ║
║ ║
║ INVESTIGATIONS: ║
║ □ Harassment or discrimination allegation ║
║ □ Retaliation allegation ║
║ □ Executive involved ║
║ □ Potential criminal conduct ║
║ ║
║ LEAVES/ACCOMMODATIONS: ║
║ □ ADA denial contemplated ║
║ □ FMLA abuse suspected ║
║ □ Leave law uncertainty ║
║ ║
║ WHEN IN DOUBT → ASK LEGAL ║
║ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Resources
references/
- state-requirements-guide.md — State-by-state employment law summary
- investigation-protocols.md — Detailed investigation procedures
- documentation-templates.md — Template letters and forms
scripts/
- risk-assessor.py — Termination risk factor checker
- final-pay-calculator.py — Calculates final pay by state
assets/
- termination-checklist.xlsx — Comprehensive termination checklist
- investigation-tracker.xlsx — Investigation documentation tracker
- separation-agreement-template.docx — Template separation agreement