At the 59th Annual NEPA Convention, held recently at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, three partners from Prince Lobel Glovsky & Tye gave informative and well-received presentations.
Richard D. Glovsky and David C. Kurtz presented “Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Supervisors.” When dealing with difficult employees, both attorneys recommend that “documentation is the most powerful tool a supervisor can use.” David Kurtz suggests “having documentation on employment decisions can mean the difference between winning or losing a case, or more often, the difference between even having a case go forward. Any time there’s something you think may be important enough to write down, write it down.”
In addition, Dick Glovsky urges employers “don’t pull punches in performance reviews. If someone is not performing up to par, tell him or her. Call it like you see it. You can’t worry about being liked.” Other advice included “Don’t make promises,” “Do be consistent” and “Do not ignore complaints.” David urges companies to “investigate and attempt to resolve every complaint. It’s OK to burden the employer.”
In a separate workshop entitled “Internet and Media Law,” Robert A. Bertsche warned the audience about the kinds of mistakes that could result in costly lawsuits. In discussing the “gray areas” of defamation, discrimination and copyright infringement, Rob urged the audience to “…be aware of the risk. I want you to know where there’s big risk and where there’s little risk, and make smart choices about it.” Rob went on to explain that a newspaper could be considered liable for its advertisements and reader comments as well.
To view the full recaps of these presentations, click here. Dick and David’s comments begin on page 22 and Rob’s comments begin on page 27.
