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EMPLOYMENT BLOG


Pavan Khoobchandani
Sep 4, 20242 min read
How To Maximize Performance Evaluation and Annual Review Season
Right after the summer ends, there are a few things companies can do to set their employees up for success during upcoming annual reviews.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Mar 13, 20242 min read
Unlocking Success: Maximizing the Value of The 30/60/90 Day Review Process
Unlocking Success: Maximizing the Value of The 30/60/90 Day Review Process


Pavan Khoobchandani
Nov 22, 20232 min read
What OpenAI's Firing and Subsequent Re-hiring Of Its CEO Teaches Us About Leadership
On Friday, November 17, 2023, OpenAI (the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT) CEO Sam Altman and the rest of the world...

Pavan Khoobchandani
Oct 27, 20231 min read
DC Employers - Updated Paid Family Leave Notice
Updated DC Paid Family Leave Notice For Posting


Pavan Khoobchandani
Oct 2, 20232 min read
Fifteen Things Employees Value From The Companies They Work For
Learn about the things employees value from the companies they work for.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Sep 9, 20232 min read
Bouncing Back: What Trampolines Can Teach Employers About HR Excellence
Valuable lessons trampolines can teach employers about running an effective HR department.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Mar 16, 20233 min read
Why Managers MUST Be Honest In Performance Evaluations
One area where documentation is particularly important is employee performance evaluations.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jan 21, 20233 min read
How You Can (Try To) Prevent Employee Attrition
Here are a few tips to try to reduce employee attrition in your organization.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Dec 28, 20222 min read
Five New Year’s Resolutions Every Good Employer Should Make
Happy New Year, employers! As you set your revenue targets for the coming year, don't forget about the most important people at your...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Nov 7, 20222 min read
10 Tips For Planning an Office Holiday To Minimize Legal Liability
The holidays are a time for celebration and joy, but for many employers the holiday party can turn into an abyss of legal liability.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Oct 14, 20222 min read
What's The Difference Between "Color" And "Race" In A List Of Protected Categories?
In the United States, there are many laws and regulations that protect people from discrimination in the workplace and beyond. Some of...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Sep 14, 20222 min read
Why HR Gets A Bad Rap
Human Resources departments often get a bad rap in the workplace—but is it really justified? Studies have shown that HR departments are...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jul 11, 20223 min read
Federal Court Rules That Online Happy Hours Are Not Good
BREAKING NEWS: A federal court in the District of Columbia recently issued an opinion granting an employer's motion for summary judgment...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jun 8, 20224 min read
Running An HR Department Is A Lot Like Flying An Airplane: Hear Me Out.
Human resources departments, in my opinion, often get a bad rap, but I think that's unfair. HR faces many of the same challenges as other mo


Pavan Khoobchandani
Mar 12, 20223 min read
Why Having A Sexual Harassment Policy And Following It Is Good For You
A recent grant of summary judgment to an employer by the federal court in DC supports this advice: have good policies and follow them.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Feb 9, 20223 min read
Four Tips For A Better Employee Handbook
Four ideas to spice things up with the goal of creating a solid, engaging employee handbook.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jan 11, 20223 min read
The Seven Deadly Sins Of Employee Discipline
Here are seven things that employers should avoid when disciplining an employee.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Dec 28, 20212 min read
Comparing Employees To Muppets And The Ford-Era Model T Is Not Smart
A BMW dealership in Ohio recently settled a case brought by the EEOC that alleged that the dealership discriminated against older...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Nov 11, 20214 min read
How to Comply with Employment Laws and Regulations: Tips for Employers
In this blog post, we will provide tips for employers on how to approach staying compliant with employment laws and regulations.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Oct 5, 20213 min read
Tips For A Better Employee Performance Improvement Plan
How can an employer make the most of a PIP to ensure it's viewed as useful exercise, not a legal hoop to jump through?


Pavan Khoobchandani
Sep 2, 20213 min read
Should A Supervisor Be Friends With Their Direct Report?
When a manager and someone that reports to them are friends outside of work, that friendship could cause problems in the workplace.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Aug 10, 20212 min read
All Hands On Deck? Here's How To Think About Successful Companywide Meetings
Some companies hold all-employee meetings monthly, some quarterly, and some annually. What’s the best cadence? What’s the best format? Of...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jul 9, 20212 min read
Why Employers Might Want To Have A Seven Day Revocation Period In Severance Agreements
When terminating an employee, employers will sometimes offer the employee a severance package, which should be conditioned on the...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jun 9, 20212 min read
What To Do When Your Employee Doesn't Show Up For Work
The steps that you should take when an employee fails to show up to work without notice.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Feb 27, 20212 min read
You're A Small Company And Title VII Doesn't Apply To You: Don't Let Your Guard Down
A recent federal case in Maryland reminds us that while Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it unlawful for an employer to...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jan 12, 20211 min read
Five Tips To Combat Employee Burnout
Employee burnout is a serious issue that can have negative impacts on both the well-being of individual employees and the overall success...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Dec 28, 20203 min read
Manager Making Sexual Comments Several Times Per Year Did Not Sexually Harass Employee
A federal court in DC recently dismissed a case (Copeland v. District of Columbia, Case No. 14-1708, United States District Court for the...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Nov 7, 20202 min read
It Can Be Hard For A Title VII Plaintiff To Find A "Similarly Situated" Coworker
A federal court in Maryland recently outlined an critical part of any Title VII plaintiff's complaint: a satisfactory allegation that the...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Oct 23, 20202 min read
Is There A Risk In Telling Fables To Your Employees? Not Always.
This case highlights why good documentation is important and protects your company.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Oct 18, 20203 min read
Employee Told "People Who Are Happy But Don't Smile Have Mental Problems" Strikes Out In Court
Note: Don't tell an employee that people who are happy but do not smile have mental problems.


Pavan Khoobchandani
May 28, 20201 min read
Virginia Employment Laws Have Radically Changed!
On May 28, 2020, Pavan Khoobchandani spoke about huge changes to Virginia employment laws in 2020.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Apr 24, 20203 min read
How An Employer Avoided Liability For A Racist Mixed Nuts Joke
Comment by co-worker did not lead to liability of the employer even when comment was deplorable, crass, and racist.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Feb 6, 20202 min read
Come In If You Want To See What Good Performance Documentation Looks Like
Employers notoriously have a hard time documenting performance issues of their employees.


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jan 20, 20204 min read
Poor Documentation In Hiring Process Could Support Claims Of Discrimination
Recruiting and hiring is a difficult, time-consuming, expensive process. It involves time away from operations to develop job...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Nov 24, 20193 min read
How This Company Might Have Avoided Paying $750,000 To Settle A Race Discrimination Lawsuit
In 2017, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Diversified Maintenance Systems, LLC in federal court...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Nov 23, 20192 min read
"I Was Just Kidding!" Documentation Of So-Called Jokes At Work Forestalls Discrimination Claim
Workdays can be long and grueling. An employee that makes hilarious jokes at work and helps the mid-afternoon slump is everyone's best...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Nov 4, 20192 min read
About Those Consensual Relationships In The Workplace...
On November 3, 2019, McDonald's issued a press release announcing that it fired its CEO Steve Easterbrook for violating company policy...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Oct 24, 20193 min read
Employer Avoids Liability Even With "Disturbing Evidence Of Sexual Assault"
A recent case out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit highlights the frustration that employees that have been...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jul 29, 20192 min read
"Don't Call Me A Hipster" - How To Harness The Energy Of Millennials In the Workplace
You've probably read the headlines: Millennials are the largest generation in the American work force, trailing behind Gen Xers and Baby...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jun 23, 20193 min read
Is It Discrimination When A Co-Worker Calls A Fellow Employee A "Stupid White B-----?"
If someone calls you a "stupid white bitch" at work, that's discrimination, right? Not so fast, said a Maryland Federal Court recently in...


Pavan Khoobchandani
May 16, 20194 min read
Don't Be Daft Or Nefarious: Be Specific About The Reasons For An Employment Action
Out of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit earlier this month came a beautifully-written opinion in...


Pavan Khoobchandani
May 3, 20192 min read
Employers Are Not Parents: Use Caution When Telling Employees To "Take Care Of Themselves"
A lot of employers really care about their employees, which is good. Here are a few good things to do when you want to take care of your...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Apr 29, 20192 min read
Don't Be Shifty When Terminating Employees - Part II
I've previously written about why employers shouldn't be shifty (aka should be very honest and up front about all valid termination...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Mar 12, 20192 min read
Don't Be Shifty When Telling Employees They Are Being Terminated
A recent decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit offers, to those of us that revel in legal minutiae, a fun...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Feb 27, 20192 min read
Employers Should Reconsider Having Time Limits For Reporting Harassment Claims
Some companies put time limits on an employee's ability to raise concerns about harassment in the workplace. This is not a good idea. One...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jan 31, 20192 min read
"He's So Rude To Me!" What Exactly Is A "Hostile Work Environment?"
If you have an Ethics #Hotline, and even if you don't, sooner or later you will get an employee complaint alleging that they are working...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jan 18, 20191 min read
86 The Sexual Harassment: DC Mandatory Training And Complaint Reporting For Tipped Workers
On October 23, 2018, DC enacted the Tipped Wage Workers Fairness Amendment Act of 2018. The law repealed the implementation of the...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jan 17, 20192 min read
Restaurants: Legal Pitfalls Lurk Around Every Corner
It's generally accepted that restaurants have pretty low profit margins. Plus, there are so many issues that have the potential to affect...


Pavan Khoobchandani
Jan 3, 20192 min read
Honesty Is The Best Policy In Employee Performance Evaluations
If you are like the majority of employers out there, you don't like to fill out your employees' performance reviews, especially the...
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