Leadership Series, Article # 3
[Readers: A significant part of my legal practice relates to the movement of employees from one company to another and the litigation that often ensues as a result of these transitions. When the departing employee holds a significant leadership position, additional issues are implicated. What effect will the executive’s departure have upon key customer relationships? If the executive joins a competitor, will that jump start the competition? What impact will the executive’s departure have on the remaining employees and their attitudes about the company he or she left?
In the years I have practiced, I periodically have met executives who are inspirational leaders. When these individuals leave their companies, either to join a competitor or to start a new company, the ramifications of their departures are heightened. Almost immediately, they are deluged with inquiries from their former colleagues, exploring whether there might be additional opportunities at the executive’s new employer.
Steve Champeau, the author of the third article in my leadership series, is one of these inspirational leaders. The CEO of Trans-Alarm, Inc. (http://www.transalarm.com/index.cfm) for the last several years, Steve previously had extensive experience in critical leadership roles at other national and international companies. Steve’s insights into leadership, set forth in his article below, illustrate why he inspires those around him. I hope that you enjoy Steve’s observations. Regards, Roy]
Leadership Reflections
By: Steve Champeau
Change is good…You go first.
After 22 years of growing a very small business into a medium size business and having it acquired by a big business which I then led as well, I eventually decided to move on to join a small company again. Creating the 100-day plan for my new venture was exciting, but nothing could prepare me for the reality of what I was actually going to face. The people, culture, systems, customers, products, scale and cash flow were all quite different from what I left. Not bad, just different. Thankfully, the leadership requirements of the job were identical. Best-selling author Mac Anderson wrote the book titled, Change Is Good…You Go First, and I reflected long and hard about the change management process before I decided to leave.
I’m glad I made the change, and here is what I learned in the process: Read more
Firing Convicted Sex Offender, Quirky Question # 148
Quirky Question # 148:
Here’s a question that you may have addressed in the past. Unfortunately, the situation arises periodically and we’re still not sure how to handle it.
We recently learned that one of our employees is a convicted sex offender and is registered with a state agency as such. We want to terminate his employment. Will we be risking liability if we do so?
Leave, Leave and More Leave, Quirky Question # 147
Quirky Question # 147:
We have an employee who has been with us for the past 10 years. During the past five years of her employment, she has been absent the equivalent of five (5) years due to a variety of reasons. She has taken leave to address issues with her family (including dissolution of her marriage), depression, surgeries, stress and anxiety, and caring for her son. She has taken leave in lengthy contiguous periods, and intermittently. She has exhausted every form of allowable leave, using up all her vacation days, all of her sick days, and all of the leave available to her under the Family and Medical Leave Act. During this time, we have allowed her to take additional leave, contrary to our own leave policies.
Recently, this employee fainted while at work. When the paramedics arrived to take her to the hospital, she told them that she lupus. One of her co-workers was in the room when the employee disclosed this information, as was the employee’s manager. When the employee returned to work two days later, she allegedly told her manager that she had “lupus and fibromyalgia,” although her manager does not recall her saying any such thing.
Both before and after this fainting incident, we have given this employee multiple disciplinary notices for her excessive absenteeism. In the weeks following the fainting incident, the employee has continued to be excessively absent, and has not provided us with any evidence that her absences are related to lupus or another disability.
Yesterday, the employee met with her manager and presented a note from her physician. This note stated that the employee had been under his care since just before the fainting incident, for neck, arm and back pain, which he believed was related to an on-the-job injury two years prior. The physician also alluded to “a new diagnosis of a serious nature which may have been precipitated by the work related accident,” but provided no further information. The physician went on to state that the employee would need “time off for Dr. visits and blood draws periodically,” and that she would “require special consideration for unpredictable fatigue and joint pain.” The letter makes no mention of lupus or any other specific condition.
The employee’s manager wants to terminate her employment. What should we do?
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