Philip C. Eschels, Partner at Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, presents his seventh edition of “How to Avoid Pitfalls in Hiring and Firing in Kentucky.” Hiring and firing decisions are becoming increasingly important to, and complicated for, employers. All supervisors, not just high ranking managers, must appreciate the importance of this area and must be trained to implement basic safeguards to minimize potential liability. Hiring and firing employees generally involve some risk of litigation, even under the best of circumstances. Managers and supervisors who are better informed of the risks can, however, minimize both the risk of litigation and the potential liability.

Numerous federal and state statutes and regulations affect the employment relationship in Kentucky. None of these statutes or regulations, however, requires an employer to hire an employee who is not qualified for a position or to retain an employee who is not performing his or her job to the employer’s satisfaction. This pamphlet serves as a handy reference to some of the important considerations affecting employment decisions for Kentucky employers.