When Employees Solve Problems With Their Fists

Generally speaking, human resources professionals and business executives have become quite adept at dealing with employee claims for illegal harassment. For example, just about any HR manager can provide a definition of a "hostile work environment." Likewise, HR managers are keenly aware of what to do when handling workplace romantic relationships or inappropriate conduct that have the potential to generate a lawsuit.

But can HR managers provide a legal definition for the term "assault?" This has become an important new concept for managers to learn in supervising employees and ensuring that the workplace is not a breeding ground for litigation. HR managers are accustomed to investigating employee complaints with an eye towards the common federal claims upon which they have been trained, but they are now going to have to pay attention to emerging state-law claims, as well.