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07/30/2005: Employment Law 101 (Illinois Style)
Apropos of Len’s post about goings-on here in local Chicago/Illinois Politics and Hizzoner Richard Daley and the $10,000 bounty offer from Gary Skoien (Chairman of the Cook County GOP party): Is this updated tid-bit about a little “Employment Law 101”:"The U.S. Constitution may guarantee that Cook County GOP Chairman Gary Skoien can’t be arrested for criticizing Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. It doesn’t say he can’t be fired.
State and federal employment laws give bosses wide latitude in assuring that their employees don’t embarrass or endanger their companies with the things they say.
In fact, as a so-called “at will” state, Illinois says most employees work at the discretion of their companies and may be fired for almost any reason, or, in some cases, no reason at all.
Illinois doesn’t require employers to be fair about a firing, barring just discriminatory firings for age, creed, race and sex.
“Your employer can control what you do off the job,” said Helen LaVan, professor of management at DePaul University in Chicago.
Just two days after Skoien offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the indictment and conviction of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Skoien’s boss at The Prime Group, a real estate development firm, told him Daley is a personal friend and the real estate company needs good relations with the city.
So after 15 years with The Prime Group, Skoien was fired.
He says he won’t sue but even if he did, his case would be a long shot, according to LaVan...."
Courtesy of Mike Comerford: Government may not be able to censor you, but your boss can; (Daily Herald).
And there are rising questions about whether Skoien ought to retain his GOP Chairmanship in the wake of this Fiasco. Might be "Hasta la Vista, Gary."
Karen on 07.30.05 @ 08:46 AM CST
