Employer Law Blog

On September 23, 2014, the Missouri Courts of Appeals ruled that a plaintiff who prevails under the Missouri Human Rights Act cannot have the award of attorney fees arbitrarily reduced based on the amount of damages awarded.

Employee evaluations are not fun. But, they can be important for many reasons. A properly executed evaluation can benefit both the employer and the employee by increasing efficiency and productivity and providing valuable and constructive feedback to the employee. It can also help an employee feel engaged in their work and connected to the organization.

In settling an existing charge of discrimination, administrative complaint or lawsuit, employers, upon advice of counsel, routinely obtain a release of all claims from the employee. This includes releasing any claims already asserted and any other potential claims the employee could assert in the future. Employers also utilize severance agreements as a means of minimizing litigation by obtaining a release of all claims from a departing employee when offering severance to the employee.