Cummins, principal of the Law Offices of Barbara Meister Cummins in New York City, offered her Top 10 at a Human Resources Association of New York Legal Conference.

(Go here for quotes one to six)

7. Remember Joe, whom we fired? He’s back … in the lobby … with a gun.

Terminating the potentially violent employee creates a risk in itself, but keeping the employee on the payroll is not an option, says Cummins. Manage the termination with dignity. Have Security available, if necessary, but as discreetly as possible.

Be sure to get the employee to return all property, including means of access to the worksite. Change access codes, if any.

Consider obtaining a temporary restraining order, especially if the employee has committed hands-on violence, has threatened violence, or made a specific threat.

8. We all knew she wasn’t coming back after the baby, so I just told her she didn’t have to bother to come in.

An employee’s statement of intent not to return after a leave must be unequivocal. For example, in one case the statement, “We’re going to part company at the end of this leave,” was not sufficient notice, Cummins says.

Remember, she adds, that the Family and Medical Leave Act is a strict liability law. In other words, if leave or return is denied to an eligible employee, there are no defenses.

Yes, you do have the budget and time to train managers and supervisors with BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer. Try it at no cost or risk. Read more.

9. Naw, I didn’t need HR’s help with the firing. I just told Sue we were eliminating her job.

Managers often resort to little white lies to spare employees’ feelings or because they don’t have adequate documentation of poor performance.

Unfortunately, you must assume there will be a charge or lawsuit after termination, Cummins says. Lawsuits mean depositions and testimony.      False or inconsistent reasoning shoots your credibility. Telling the truth up front solves the problem.

10. Oh, you didn’t know? I’m dating my secretary Sally now.

Office romance is a recipe for disaster, says Cummins. You will likely face claims of favoritism, fears of pillow talk, and a perception that one gets ahead by sleeping with the boss, a situation recognized by many courts as a viable hostile environment claim.

Other nightmare possibilities: There’s a wife who insists that Sally be fired. Or, you transfer Sally, who sees the transfer as retaliatory. Or, the relationship ends, and Sally is the most qualified for a promotion. Don’t promote, and it’s retaliation. Promote, and brace yourself for complaints from employees who didn’t sleep with the boss.

To nip these problems in the bud, Cummins suggests:

• Have a no-dating policy for supervisors.
• Expand your nepotism policy to cover any employee engaged in a relationship.
• Train managers in the downside of dating a subordinate.
• Have an involved subordinate sign a “love contract” indicating that the relationship is consensual, and no threats were involved. Or, have HR conduct an interview with the subordinate, and then document the results.

Violence, pregnancy leave, subordinate dating—tricky issues even for veteran managers, but truly challenging for new supervisors and managers. Actually, none of their new duties are easy—hiring, firing, and everything in between (like handling intermittent leave or accommodating a disability).

It’s not their fault—you didn’t hire them for their HR knowledge—and you can’t expect them to act appropriately right out of the box. But you can train them to do it.

Train your line managers with BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer. There won’t be time for classroom boredom. Try it for free.

To train effectively, you need a program that’s easy for you to deliver and that requires little time from busy schedules. Also, if you’re like most companies in these tight budget days, you need a program that’s reasonable in cost.

We asked our editors what they recommend for training supervisors in a minimum amount of time with maximum effect. They came back with BLR’s unique 10-Minute HR Trainer.

As its name implies, it trains managers and supervisors in critical HR skills in as little as 10 minutes for each topic. 10-Minute HR Trainer offers these features:

• Trains in 50 key HR topics, including manager and supervisor responsibilities under all major employment laws and how to legally carry out managerial actions from hiring to termination. (See a complete list of topics below.)
• Uses the same teaching sequence that master teachers use. Every training unit includes an overview, bullet points on key lessons, a quiz, and a handout to reinforce the lesson later.
• Completely prewritten and self-contained. Each unit comes as a set of reproducible documents. Just make copies or turn them into overheads and you’re done. (Take a look at a sample lesson below.)
• Updated continually. As laws change, your training needs do as well. 10-Minute HR Trainer provides new lessons and updated information every 90 days, along with a monthly Training Forum newsletter, for as long as you are in the program.
• Works fast. Each session is so focused that there’s not a second’s waste of time. Your managers are in and out almost before they can look at the clock. Yet they remember small details even months later.

Evaluate It at No Cost for 30 Days

We’ve arranged to make 10-Minute HR Trainer available to our readers for a 30-day, in-office, no-cost trial. Review it at your own pace and try some lessons with your colleagues. If it’s not for you, return it at our expense. Click here and we’ll set you up with 10-Minute HR Trainer.

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