Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Managing Challenges That Arise When the Employment Relationship Ends

Severing an employment relationship, like a personal one, can be hard to do. Though some break-ups are mutual, others get a bit messy. An employee may think time is needed to salvage the relationship and could request a protected leave of absence, or could say "I can change" with a reasonable accommodation of a previously undisclosed disability.

If an employee instigates the break-up a few weeks before "moving out," should the employee be allowed to stay or be told to "pack your things and go?" What is an employer to do if it breaks up with an employee and owes final wages sooner than expected? How does an employer explain to its unemployment agency what happened when disputes arise? In this employment relationship counseling session, we will talk through how to address these situations when employers or employees just "need their space."