Construction Law

6 Fireable Offenses Construction Business Owners Should Be Aware Of Part 2

In part one of this two-part series, a Jacksonville construction lawyer from Cotney Attorneys & Consultants discussed three fireable offenses: extreme absenteeism, recreational drug use, and sexual harassment. Allowing your workers to partake in these offenses can lead to project slowdowns, conflict between workers, and legal complications. You can’t afford to let one bad apple affect your bottom line, and you definitely can’t afford to retain a worker that exhibits blatant disregard for their superiors, fellow workers, or subordinates.

Now, we will continue to detail several fireable offenses that all construction business owners should keep a close eye on. For assistance preventing and handling workplace disputes, whether through legal defense, updating your employee handbook, or something else entirely, consult a Jacksonville construction attorney from Cotney Attorneys & Consultants.

4. Conflict of Interest

According to Investopedia, “A conflict of interest occurs when an entity or individual becomes unreliable because of a clash between personal (or self-serving) interests and professional duties or responsibilities.” Basically, an employee can’t exploit the business for personal gain, especially when it undermines the business’s brand, reputation, or bottom line. There are many types of conflict of interest, including familial, romantic, financial, and confidential. It’s imperative that your employee handbook establishes clear protocols for dealing with a conflict of interest.

5. Theft and Misuse of Company Property

With some fireable offenses, it can be difficult to quantify how much negative behavior affects your bottom line. When it comes to theft of company property, it’s much easier to see how this behavior takes money out of your pocket. For example, if a worker steals a power drill, you can look into your records to see how much one of these drills costs. Regardless of how minor the value of a stolen item is, you don’t want to take a soft stance against theft. Thieves tend to grow more ambitious over time. They might have taken a hammer the first time they decided to steal, but the value of these stolen items will go up over time as they become emboldened by a lack of oversight. When one of your employees steals from you, it’s best to part ways before your bottom line suffers even further.

6. Workplace Violence

When one worker commits a violent act against another, you could lose more than just the worker perpetuating violence — the assaulted employee may walk out on you, too. You need to facilitate a safe project site, which means protecting your workers not only against work-related hazards but other workers as well. Disagreements are common in the construction industry. Over time, egos will be damaged and personal vendettas will fester. When a worker finally reaches their boiling point, watch out! You can pull the plug on a worker that brings a weapon to work, makes verbal threats against another employee’s wellbeing, or commits an act of violence.

If you would like to speak with a Jacksonville construction litigation attorney, please contact us today.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.