Layoff

HRManager

We have a situation where we have two owners of our small company. They are in the process of splitting up. The one owner is planning to buy out the other owner's half of the business. The owner who is leaving hired his girlfriend to work here about 8 months ago. She has not been coming to work for over a month. He told us yesterday that he had laid her off. Questions I have: Can we ask her to return her business laptop, office keys. Can we request that she not make any changes to information on her laptop. She lives with the owner. She is planning on trying to collect unemployment - can we do anything about this? She basically abandoned her job, but like I said, she lives with the owner.

System

What a mess. As you've discovered, a company owner can pretty much do whatever he wants.

I'd certainly ask the girlfriend/ex-employee to return company property. There's a good chance she won't. Then I'd ask the remaining owner what to do. I wouldn't be surprised if you end up changing the locks and saying goodbye to the laptop. And since her boyfriend/boss laid her off, you'll probably be stuck paying unemployment.

James Sokolowski
Senior Editor
M. Lee Smith Publishers

Gar

It seems to me you'll have to change the locks and kiss the laptop goodbye. However, I'd fight the unemployment claim. What do you have to lose?